Dirt Rd. Dev. LLC v. Hirschman, 316 Neb. 757 (2024) Howard County required a landowner to obtain a conditional use permit (“CUP”) for a feedlot expansion. The landowner challenged that decision. The lower court upheld Howard County’s interpretation of its zoning regulations. The Nebraska Supreme Court affirmed. The court’s holding […]
Dirt Alert
FERC’s New Orders Address Electric Transmission Development and Planning to Maintain a Reliable Grid
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) recently issued a long-awaited rule governing development and cost-allocation for electrical transmission lines. On May 13, 2024, FERC adopted Order Numbers 1920 and 1977. These orders express FERC’s goal to meet the nation’s growing demand for reliable electricity and may impact energy generation facilities […]
Environmental Protection Agency Issues New Emissions Guidelines and Performance Standards for Fossil Fuel-Fired Power Plants
On May 9, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) published new emissions guidelines and performance standards for fossil fuel-fired power plants. A copy of the guidelines and standards is online here. In this rule, the EPA created a new suite of best systems of emission reduction (“BSERs”) for different categories […]
Regulators Push to Incentivize Biofuel Production, Carbon Capture and Storage
For years, Midwest refiners have converted corn into ethanol. More recently, as regulators have pursued climate goals, ethanol has gained nationwide acceptance as an energy source that can reduce carbon emissions in the transportation industry. We summarize three regulatory initiatives that may continue driving markets for ethanol and associated technologies, […]
The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 Proposes Significant Tax Benefits for American Taxpayers
On January 31, 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 (the “Act”). See H.R. 7024, 118th Cong. (2024). Subject to approval by the U.S. Senate, the Act would provide several significant benefits to business taxpayers, including: (1) Extension […]