Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 29 APRIL 2024

This Week's Climate Policy Update Copy

Akin
Akin
Contributor
Akin

Akin

Akin is a global law firm with more than 1,100 lawyers and advisors who pride themselves on...

View firm profile
Explore more from Akin

On Earth Day, President Joe Biden touted clean energy investments in hopes of garnering support ahead of the 2024 election.

United StatesEnvironment
Kenneth J. Markowitz
Kenneth J. Markowitz
Stacey H. Mitchell
Stacey H. Mitchell
Dario Frommer
Dario Frommer
Christopher Treanor
Christopher Treanor
Leila Fleming
Leila Fleming
Author LinkedIn connections

On Earth Day, President Joe Biden touted clean energy investments in hopes of garnering support ahead of the 2024 election. At the state level, 24 attorneys general filed a motion with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to pause the implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) methane emissions regulations. Finally, the European Union's (EU) demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) is slated to peak this year.

To read Akin's most recent climate policy update, please clickhere.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

View source

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

Texas Governor Abbott Directs TCEQ To Freeze All Data Center Permits In A Whole-of-Government Action

Governor Greg Abbott has ordered the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to immediately halt all environmental permits for data center projects, expanding a statewide regulatory freeze that now encompasses power, water, and environmental approvals. This directive establishes strict operational mandates requiring data centers to fully fund infrastructure costs, report all resource consumption...
United StatesEnvironment
Foley & Lardner LLP
Foley & Lardner LLP
Article

Governor Abbott Orders TCEQ To Pause All Permit Issuance For Data Center Projects

Governor Abbott has ordered Texas environmental regulators to halt all data center permit issuance until grid operators complete a comprehensive audit in mid-December 2026. The sweeping directive affects not only grid-connected facilities but also fully islanded data centers relying on behind-the-meter generation, creating uncertainty for developers and their contractual obligations.
United StatesEnvironment
Bracewell LLP
Bracewell LLP
Article

Texas Governor Directs A Halt On Data Center Permitting With State Agency Audits

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has directed state agencies to halt all data center permits until comprehensive audits assess the projects' impacts on electric infrastructure, residential ratepayers, and water resources. The directive requires data centers to fully fund necessary electric infrastructure and comply with enhanced reporting requirements, while the governor signals potential legislative action to codify new protections and phase out certain tax incentives.
United StatesEnvironment
Greenberg Traurig
Greenberg Traurig
Article

Governor Signs Seven Data Center Bills Addressing Energy And Noise Reporting, Water Use, Labor Standards, Electricity Rates, And CEQA Review

California has enacted seven unprecedented bills targeting data center development, imposing sweeping new requirements for energy reporting, water consumption assessments, labor standards, and electricity rate structures. These laws fundamentally reshape the regulatory landscape for data centers, requiring detailed disclosures at multiple project stages while prohibiting categorical CEQA exemptions and establishing new interconnection rules that shift infrastructure costs directly to developers.
United StatesEnvironment
Cox, Castle & Nicholson
Cox, Castle & Nicholson
Article

District Court Enjoins EPA From Reclassifying California’s Clean Air Act Waivers

A federal district court has preliminarily enjoined the EPA from reclassifying California's Clean Air Act preemption waiver orders as "rules" subject to the Congressional Review Act. The court found that EPA's reclassification likely violated the Administrative Procedure Act and exceeded the agency's authority, though the order does not prevent Congress from proceeding with pending disapproval resolutions.
United StatesEnvironment
Arnold & Porter
Arnold & Porter
Article

Federal Court Holds New York’s Climate Superfund Law Preempted By CAA

A federal court has struck down New York's Climate Change Superfund Act, which sought to recover $75 billion from fossil fuel companies based on historical emissions. The ruling found the Act preempted by the Clean Air Act, marking the first judicial decision on state climate superfund legislation and establishing that EPA's rescission of the endangerment finding does not alter preemption analysis.
United StatesEnvironment
Jones Day
Jones Day
Article

EPA Issues Decisions On Small Refinery Exemptions

The EPA has released decisions on 34 small refinery exemption petitions from 2025, granting full or partial exemptions that total 1.76 million RINs - significantly more than initially estimated. This discrepancy has prompted the agency to announce a new rulemaking that will reallocate 100 percent of exempted volumes to 2026 and 2027 renewable volume obligations, potentially increasing compliance burdens for nonexempt obligated parties.
United StatesEnvironment
Holland & Knight
Holland & Knight
Article

Newly Enacted Law Targeting Russia Creates Novel Tariff Authority Over Third-Country Imports, While Reinforcing Existing U.S. Sanctions Framework

President Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, introducing unprecedented tariff authority that could impose duties up to 100% on goods from countries purchasing Russian energy or facilitating sanctions evasion. The legislation creates a novel framework where tariffs stack on top of existing duties while codifying Russia sanctions into statute...
GlobalInternational Law
Akin
Akin
Article

Major CIPA Reform Could Wipe Out Thousands Of Website Tracking Claims

California's Legislature has unanimously passed SB 690, a landmark reform that could eliminate thousands of pending class action lawsuits based on website tracking technologies under the California Invasion of Privacy Act. The bill removes the private right of action for pen register claims arising from routine web analytics tools, potentially reshaping the data privacy litigation landscape while companion bills simultaneously expand substantive privacy obligations.
United StatesPrivacy
Akin
Akin
Article

President Trump Directs Removal Of Canadian Products From Federal Procurement

On September 16, 2026, President Trump issued a presidential memorandum titled “Restoring Reciprocity in Government Procurement”, directing the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the United States Trade Representative, in coordination with the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council, to identify and take legally permitted steps to remove or restrict Canadian-origin items across the federal civil procurement system.
GlobalGovernment, Public Sector
Akin
Akin
Article

DOJ Announces Second DEI-Related False Claims Act Settlement – Deloitte Agrees To Pay $21.5 Million To The United States, Plus $2.4 Million To Indiana And Florida

On August 25, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ or the Department) announced a $21.5 million settlement with Deloitte LLP and four affiliated entities (collectively, Deloitte), marking the second False Claims Act (FCA) settlement under the Department’s Civil Rights Fraud Initiative launched in May 2025.
United StatesGovernment, Public Sector
Akin
Akin
Article

SEC Risk Alert Highlights Common Deficiencies In Investment Adviser Annual Compliance Reviews

The SEC's Division of Examinations has identified six critical areas where investment advisers commonly fall short in their annual compliance reviews, from timing failures to inadequate documentation and unimplemented corrective actions. Understanding these deficiencies is essential for advisers seeking to strengthen their compliance infrastructure and avoid examination risks.
United StatesFinance and Banking
Akin
Akin
Article

Enhancing Program Integrity And Interagency Coordination In The Administration Of The H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa Program (Trump EO Tracker)

The Trump administration has issued an executive order requiring enhanced interagency coordination and stricter oversight of the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program. Federal agencies must now review employers' workforce practices, including past and planned layoffs of U.S. workers, while strengthening enforcement mechanisms to prevent program abuse.
United StatesImmigration
Akin
Akin
Article

Senate To Consider Sweeping College Sports Legislation: A Vote In The Senate Next Week Could Set The Stage For The Passage Of The Protect College Sports Act

The Protect College Sports Act of 2026 (PCSA), introduced in the Senate on June 2, 2026, by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and joined by Senators Eric Schmitt (R-MO) and Chris Coons (D-DE), represents a comprehensive federal legislative effort to reshape the governance and economics of intercollegiate athletics...
United StatesMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
Akin
Akin