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On December 19, 2025, the IRS delivered a little holiday cheer in the form of IRS notice 2026-01 (the “45Q Safe Harbor Notice”), which addressed uncertainty created by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (“EPA”) announcement to amend the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (“GHGRP”) and remove program obligations for most source categories, including reporting obligations under subpart RR of 40 CFR part 98 (“Subpart RR”).

In a significant order addressing the rate design and regulatory compliance obligations of intrastate pipelines providing interstate transportation service under Section 311 of the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 (“NGPA”), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or the “Commission”) has clarified the application of the Straight-Fixed Variable (“SFV”) rate design methodology and minimum rate requirements applicable to pipelines offering service under NGPA Section 311.

Partner Jenny Speck is speaking at the CCUS & Carbon Credits 2025 Conference on December 8 at 12:10 p.m. CT on “What the One Big Beautiful Bill Means for the CCUS Industry.”

On November 18, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ordered a preliminary injunction on the enforcement of SB 261—the California law that requires large companies to publicly disclose their climate-related financial risks in biennial reports.

The Supreme Court held a marathon, nearly 3-hour oral argument yesterday, in what could be the most economically-impactful cases this Term: Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump and Trump v. V.O.S. Selections (the “Tariff Cases”).

On September 18, 2025, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) published its latest proposed policy in an active year for the Clean Air Act (“CAA”) Renewable Fuel Standard (“RFS”) program.

This program offered practical insights into the rapidly evolving federal environmental review process, including recent NEPA reforms, Supreme Court guidance, and more.

On August 22, 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) announced decisions on 175 small refinery exemption (“SRE”) petitions stretching back over the last four years.

On August 15, 2025, the Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) released guidance for wind and solar facilities under Sections 45Y and 48E (the “Tech-Neutral Tax Credits”) in the form of IRS Notice 2025-42 (the “Notice”).

With its growing size and importance, the renewable energy industry needs to be aware of antitrust rules. Members of V&E’s nationally recognized antitrust practice have produced a comprehensive survey article that addresses a variety of competition issues faced by renewable energy companies.

In a recent article for The Energyst, Chris Taufatofua, Joshua Hayes, Alex Lee, and Aaron Sahota* explore how the convergence of energy and technology has ignited a wave of innovation races across the globe. From microchips and mineral extraction to solar panels and wind turbines, nations are scrambling for strategic advantage amid rising geopolitical tensions and evolving energy policies. Now, they write, a new race is beginning to take shape.

As the Trump administration continues to roll out its sweeping tariff policy, the North American energy industry is working to address the effects of the President’s tariff strategy. The Trump administration intends to “unleash American energy,”¹ in part by imposing tariffs designed to remedy what the administration views as unfair trade practices and increase U.S. domestic energy production. The currently imposed and threatened tariffs will inevitably impact the energy industry and its consumers. The particularly relevant tariffs can be defined in two broad categories: (1) sectoral tariffs, in this case, imposed under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, and (2) the country-specific and “reciprocal tariffs” that the Trump administration has imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.