Supreme

Localities in Virginia cannot tax natural gas used to generate electricity, according to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court of Virginia.

Industry experts say a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to temporarily block implementation of the Clean Power Plan (CPP) — now one of the last actions by the high court to include conservative Justice Antonin Scalia — remains in effect. A final decision on the law could be delayed until well after President Obama leaves office.

In an unusual move, and a sign that the Obama administration’s proposed Clean Power Plan (CPP) could be in trouble, the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday temporarily blocked implementation of the rule until all legal challenges have been resolved.

The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that a standard oil and gas lease form commonly used by producers in the state is valid and does not violate the rights of landowners, upholding state law that dates to the 19th century in a win for the industry.

The U.S. Supreme Court said Tuesday it won’t review a lower court ruling concerning the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) regulation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from many existing power plants.

The Ohio Supreme Court ordered a grassroots initiative in Youngstown that seeks to amend the city’s charter to prohibit oil and gas industry activity back on the November ballot, reversing the local county board of elections’ decision not to certify the issue for a vote.

The U.S. Supreme Court has been asked by BP plc to review a mandate that would require the producer to continue paying Macondo-related oil spill settlement claims regardless of whether the original agreement is determined to be fair.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court last Thursday quashed an appeal by the state Public Utility Commission (PUC), leaving in place an earlier court order that the commission cannot use a review process to enforce some provisions of Act 13, the state’s omnibus Marcellus Shale law.

The Indiana Supreme Court announced Thursday that it will hear a case involving a 30-year contract for the state to purchase coal-to-substitute natural gas (SNG) from a proposed $2.8 billion gasification plant in southwestern Indiana.