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Two parallel regulatory regimes for deep-sea mining have begun to emerge in recent years. On the one hand, the International Seabed Authority (ISA), an autonomous international organization established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), is in charge of regulating the deep seabed beyond national jurisdiction (the area).

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.

Vinson & Elkins is a sponsor of the Edison Electric Institute's (EEI) 2025 Spring Legal Conference taking place in Chicago from April 9-11, 2025.

The past few years have seen concerted efforts — both domestically and globally — advancing the reporting and disclosure of various climate- and sustainability-related metrics by businesses and investors.

On March 19, 2025, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) issued two technical assistance documents (the “DEI Guidance”) addressing the application of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”) to employers’ diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”) policies and practices.

The global energy sector continues to be shaped by geopolitical shifts, regulatory changes, and the ongoing energy transition. As industries and governments navigate decarbonisation, energy security, and evolving investment landscapes, disputes are becoming more frequent and complex.

In early March 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) finalized its climate-related disclosures rule (The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors) (the “Final Rule”).

On February 3, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California granted a partial motion to dismiss filed by the California Air Resources Board (“CARB”), dismissing the claims that SB 253 (the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act) and SB 261 (the Climate-related Financial Risk Act) (collectively the “California Climate Laws”) violate the Supremacy Clause and limitations on extraterritorial regulation.

On January 10, 2025, the Treasury Department (the “Treasury”) and the Internal Revenue Service (the “Service”) continued their flurry of new guidance by releasing IRS Notice 2025-10 (the “Notice”) concerning the clean fuel production credit available under section 45Z of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code,” and such credit, the “Clean Fuel Production Credit”),¹ for certain clean fuels produced and sold between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2027.²