United States: Oil, Gas & Electricity

On October 15, 2026, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) took two related steps to streamline natural gas infrastructure permitting under sections 3 and 7 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA).

Two federal courts have invalidated New York’s Climate Change Superfund Act on preemption grounds, foreclosing the state’s plan to collect $75 billion from fossil fuel companies for climate adaptation projects and signaling how a similar challenge to Vermont’s climate superfund law may be resolved.

The California Supreme Court clarifies how agencies must evaluate categorical exemptions under CEQA when converting oil wells to wastewater injection facilities. The decision establishes that environmental risk alone cannot determine whether a project qualifies for exemption, requiring instead a functional comparison of former and proposed uses.

David Dardis, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief External Affairs and Growth Officer at Constellation Energy, shares his journey from lawyer to business leader and explores how his legal background shapes his approach to growth strategy and dealmaking. The discussion examines rising power demand, nuclear energy's expanding role, new generation development, and the policy and market forces driving the energy sector's evolution.

Associated gas production in the Permian Basin continues to surge alongside oil drilling, but natural gas prices have diverged sharply from crude oil, creating significant challenges for contracts written under different price assumptions. With Henry Hub futures trading around $3 per million Btu while WTI crude hovers near $90 per barrel, operators and service companies face difficult questions about pricing mechanisms, curtailment rights, and minimum volume commitments that may no longer reflect current

Diesel prices have shattered records, hitting $6.529 per gallon nationally while distillate inventories plunge below five-year lows and are expected to remain there through most of 2027. With crack spreads exceeding $106 per barrel and global supply disruptions intensifying, fleet operators and oilfield services companies face mounting fuel costs that many existing contracts weren't designed to handle.

The Washington Supreme Court's invalidation of Initiative 2066 removes uncertainty over the state's climate legislation targeting natural gas phase-out. Businesses and consumers involved in natural gas use, sales, or distribution must now navigate legislative mandates aimed at eliminating Washington's reliance on fossil fuels. The decision upholds ambitious decarbonization measures affecting utilities, building codes, and industrial processes across the state.

Power generators deploying artificial intelligence face a complex web of legal risks spanning grid reliability compliance, market manipulation exposure, cybersecurity obligations, data privacy, tort liability, and rapidly evolving federal and state AI governance frameworks.

The US Department of Energy's Office of Energy Dominance Financing has unveiled its Strategic Plan for 2026-2030, marking a significant shift in federal energy financing priorities. With over $300 billion in combined loan authority across four programs, EDF aims to deploy hundreds of billions in new financing commitments while maintaining rigorous underwriting standards.