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On November 20, 2025, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or the “Commission”) issued four significant orders addressing crude oil, petroleum products, and natural gas liquids pipelines (collectively, “oil pipelines”) matters: (1) a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NOPR”) for the Five-Year Review of the Oil Pipeline Index (“2026 Index NOPR”) proposing an index level of Producer Price Index for Finished Goods (“PPI-FG”) minus 1.42% for the period (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2031); (2) an Order denying rehearing and granting oil pipelines remedial relief related to the reinstated oil pipeline index for the period March 1, 2022 to September 17, 2024; (3) an order withdrawing the supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking that proposed to amend the index level to PPI-FG minus 0.21% on a prospective basis from July 1, 2025 until June 30, 2026; and (4) an order denying Airlines for America and the National Propane Gas Association’s petition requesting that the Commission initiate a rulemaking to establish affiliate standards of conduct regulations for oil pipelines.

On June 17, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) published a proposed rule that, if finalized, would repeal all greenhouse gas (“GHG”) standards for the power sector.

On May 22, 2025, the House passed budget reconciliation legislation referred to as “The One, Big, Beautiful Bill” (the “Bill”).

The Texas Legislature has been debating several bills aimed at boosting dispatchable power in ERCOT while erecting new economic and permitting barriers for renewables.

On April 8 and 9, 2025, President Donald Trump issued five Presidential Actions (four Executive Orders and one Proclamation, collectively “Presidential Actions”) for the purposes of ensuring adequate and reliable energy generation, meeting growing energy demand, and addressing the national energy emergency declared on January 20, 2025 (EO 14156).

This update is a summary of the Energy-related Executive Orders that have been issued this week by the Administration.

On November 14, Vinson & Elkins hosted an Energy Regulatory Conference in its Houston office.

On October 17, 2024, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or the “Commission”) issued an Order on Remand (the “Order”) following the D.C. Circuit’s August 2022 decision in MISO Transmission Owners v. FERC, addressing FERC’s Return on Equity (“ROE”) methodology that has been in flux for over a decade.

The story of artificial intelligence (“AI”) is one of technological promise and societal challenge, and its impact on the U.S. electric power grid is fast becoming a pivotal chapter.

On May 13, 2024, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or “Commission”) established “a new foundation” upon which new electric transmission facilities can be planned, paid for, and built.

On March 19, 2024, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (“NERC”) asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) to approve revisions to NERC’s Rules of Procedure (“ROP”) that would require certain small (over 20 MVA) inverter-based resources (“IBRs”) – like solar and wind power generators – to register with NERC, and eventually be subject to existing and new reliability standards applicable to larger IBRs.

On November 7, 2023, Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment creating the Texas Energy Fund (“TEF”).