Blog

Energy & Climate Counsel

Your one-stop resource for timely analysis of legal and policy developments affecting the energy and climate sectors. We focus on the issues that matter most to you, from federal and state policy and judicial decisions to business trends and financing news.

Will Trump’s Executive Orders Ignite a New Era for the U.S. Nuclear Industry? Key Dates and Milestones
Blog May 29, 2025
In our earlier post, “Recent Federal Developments For Advanced Nuclear Technologies,” we reported on the new administration’s strong support for nuclear energy, as demonstrated by President Trump’s first-day executive order “Unleashing American Energy,” Secretary of Energy Chris Wright’s February 2025 directive “Unleashing the Golden Era of American Energy Dominance,” and other significant agency actions…
Recent Federal Developments for Advanced Nuclear Technologies
Blog May 07, 2025
The new administration has repeatedly expressed its staunch support for nuclear energy. President Trump’s first-day executive order “Unleashing American Energy” specifically encouraged the development of nuclear energy resources…
Montana Protects a Constitutional Right to a Stable Climate:  Will Any Other States Follow Suit?
Blog December 19, 2024
The Montana Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling in favor of plaintiffs in a climate case based on certain provisions of the Montana constitution…
What Companies and Investors Need to Know about California Assembly Bill 1305, The Voluntary Market Disclosures Business Regulation Act
Blog March 22, 2024
On October 7, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1305 into law, also known as the “Voluntary Market Disclosures Business Regulation Act,” or AB 1305. This law marks the first of its kind in the nation, aimed at regulating participants in the voluntary carbon offset market…
MA Environmental Justice Strategy Presents New Policies to Combat Statewide Environmental Injustice
Blog February 22, 2024
On February 15, 2024, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) released Massachusetts’ inaugural Environmental Justice Strategy (“EJ Strategy”), a comprehensive set of initiatives and programs which aims to combat environmental inequities and reverse the effects of environmental injustice in historically marginalized communities across the state…
Biden Expands Consideration of Social Cost of Carbon by Federal Agencies
Blog September 22, 2023
On August 15, 2023, ISO New England presented preliminary results for an extended timeframe through Winter 2032 as the next phase in its ongoing exploration of potential resource adequacy impacts during extreme winter weather…
Montana Youth Plaintiffs Prevail: One-Off or Tidal Wave?
Blog August 15, 2023
Yesterday, the plaintiffs prevailed in the Montana climate litigation. Time will tell whether the decision will end up being seen as a watershed moment or just a blip. In trying to answer that question, it does seem worth briefly reviewing what the case was actually about and what the decision says…
Proposed NEPA Rules Address Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and Efficiency of Environmental Reviews
Blog August 02, 2023
On July 28, 2023, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) proposed reforms to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations governing how federal agencies review the environmental effects of major federal projects…
Biden-Harris Administration Publishes Priorities for Permitting Reform to Build Clean Energy Faster, Safer, and Cleaner”
Blog May 11, 2023
Yesterday, the Biden-Harris administration outlined in a fact sheet its priorities for permitting reform to accelerate the build-out of America's energy infrastructure “faster, safer, and cleaner.” The fact sheet provides an endorsement of the Building American Energy Security Act of 2023, establishes several major objectives for permitting reform, provides several recommendations to streamline federal permitting processes, and urges Congress to include the objectives and recommendations…
1 of 2

ABOUT

Foley Hoag’s Energy & Climate Counsel blog aims to be your one-stop resource for timely analysis of legal and policy developments affecting the energy and climate sectors. We focus on the issues that matter most to our readers, from federal and state policy and judicial decisions to business trends and financing news.

Our authors, comprised of attorneys from the firm’s Energy & Climate practice, have been active in the energy and climate space for decades, counseling clients across the spectrum – from new, innovative technology companies to large utility-scale power projects. Recognizing early on the common concerns of the renewable and traditional energy fields, we established one of the first integrated practices to serve all segments of the energy and clean technology sectors. We believe this tight integration provides us with the insight to analyze the pressing issues, trends and opportunities that those in this industry have come to expect.