By Ahuva Battams The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has proposed a new approach to pipeline repair decisions. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) would revise repair criteria for gas transmission and hazardous liquid pipelines. Comments are due September 8, 2026. For decades, federal repair criteria have relied heavily on defect dimensions. PHMSA […]
By Ahuva Battams and Raj Lahoti Summer heat isn’t just uncomfortable for field crews — it’s one of the most underestimated threats to pipeline integrity. As temperatures climb across Texas and the Southwest, operators need to be thinking proactively about how extreme heat affects their systems and what regulators expect them to do about it. […]
By Ahuva Battams, Miguel Suazo, DeAnza Valencia, and Raj Lahoti On June 18, 2026, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued tailored show cause orders under Section 206 of the Federal Power Act to each of the six regional grid operators under its jurisdiction (Regional Transmission Organizations (RTO) or Independent System Operators (ISO)). FERC directed them to […]
By Theresa Sauer, Malinda Morain, and Kyrie Buffa On June 22, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced two parallel and highly anticipated rulemakings impacting oil and gas development on federal lands. First, the proposed “Oil and Gas Leasing” rule would revise federal onshore oil and gas leasing regulations and partially reverse or modify […]
By Ahuva Battams, Miguel Suazo, and Raj Lahoti Texas Operators Should Prepare Now for Mandatory Electronic Filing The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) has announced that, effective September 1, 2026, it will no longer accept hard-copy submissions for several commonly used oil and gas regulatory forms. Operators that currently rely on paper filings should begin […]
By DeAnza Valencia The momentum behind geothermal energy development is accelerating on two fronts simultaneously. On June 2, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Geothermal Energy Advancement Act (H.R. 5631), sponsored by Reps. Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.) and Susie Lee (D-Nev.), by voice vote. The package consolidates six separate bills targeting the permitting […]
By Raj Lahoti and Miguel Suazo When it comes to produced water use and reuse, Texas and New Mexico are on the same road but at very different mileposts. Texas is drafting permit mechanics for the land application of treated produced water. New Mexico is still deciding whether to authorize broader off-oilfield reuse at all. […]
By Ahuva Battams On May 20, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated a final enforcement order issued by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) against Florida Gas Transmission Co. (Florida Gas). The Court held that PHMSA acted arbitrarily and capriciously by imposing enforcement actions beyond the scope of […]
By Ahuva Battams On May 18, 2026, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued a new Statement of Policy on transporting hazardous liquids and carbon dioxide in non-steel pipelines, marking an important development for pipeline operators, manufacturers, and project developers navigating evolving infrastructure needs. The policy reinforces that operators do not need a […]
By Craig Rowland On April 14, 2026, the Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) published guidance for operators to claim Recycled Produced Water Credits under ECMC Rule 905.c.(6). Approved by the ECMC in 2025, the rule requires operators to use a certain percentage of Recycled Produced Water and Recycled Produced Water Alternative for Well Stimulations. […]