September 15, 2021

EPA and Corps revert back to pre-2015 definition of ‘waters of the United States’

The PIOGA Press

(by Lisa Bruderly)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced, on September 3 that they had halted implementation of the current definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) effective immediately and reverted back to the pre-2015 definition until further notice. The switch follows an August 30 order from the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, which remanded and vacated the definition of WOTUS promulgated by the Trump administration in 2020 (commonly referred to as the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR)) in the case of Pascua Yaqui Tribe v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. While there was speculation that the court’s vacatur could be narrowly interpreted to apply only to states where the plaintiffs in the case were located (i.e., Arizona, Minnesota, Washington and Wisconsin), EPA and the Corps are applying the change in WOTUS definition nationwide.

Importance of the definition of WOTUS

The definition of WOTUS identifies which waters are federally-regulated under the Clean Water Act (CWA), and therefore determines when a federal permit is required for projects (e.g., pipelines, access roads, well pads) that involve dredging or filling of a waterbody (i.e., a Section 404 permit). The WOTUS definition also affects federal spill reporting and spill prevention planning.

With regard to Section 404 permitting, the more expansive the definition of WOTUS, the more waters that are federally-regulated. The extent of WOTUS impacts resulting from a project determines whether an individual or a general Section 404 permit is required, with the process for obtaining an individual permit typically resulting in more Corps involvement, delay and expense.

Significance of the change in WOTUS definition

When the Trump administration promulgated the NWPR in 2020, environmental groups criticized and challenged the new WOTUS definition, claiming it was too narrow and did not federally regulate enough types of waters. …

September 14, 2021

Federal Court Certifies Questions to West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals About Deductibility of Post-Production Expenses and the Viability of Tawney

Energy Alert

The United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia has certified questions to the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals asking whether the seminal decision in Estate of Tawney v. Columbia Natural Resources, LLC, 219 W.Va. 266, 633 S.E.2d 22 (2006) regarding the deductibility of post-production expenses remains the law of West Virginia, and if so, the proper interpretation of Tawney.

In Charles Kellam, et al. v. SWN Production Company, LLC, et al., No. 5:20-CV-85, a class action royalty case, the District Court, Judge John Preston Bailey, certified on his own motion whether Tawney remains the law of West Virginia, whether the lease in question allowed the deductions, and the proper application of Tawney.  The District Court certified the questions without ruling on the defendants’ pending Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings which argued the Kellam’s lease complied with Tawney and the District Court was bound by the decision in Young v. Equinor USA Onshore Properties, Inc., 982 F.3d 201 (4th Cir. 2020), where the Fourth  Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Judge Bailey and held a similar lease clearly and unambiguously allowed the deduction of post-production expenses. The Kellam’s lease states the lessee agrees to pay the lessor “as royalty for the oil, gas, and/or coalbed methane gas marketed and used off the premises and produced from each well drilled thereon, the sum of one-eighth (1/8) of the price paid to Lessee per thousand cubic feet of such oil, gas, and/or coalbed methane gas so marketed and used . . . less any charges for transportation, dehydration and compression paid by Lessee to deliver the oil, gas, and/or coalbed methane gas for sale.”

In Young, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the finding by Judge Bailey that the lease did not contain sufficiently explicit language about the method of calculating deductions and therefore did not comply with Tawney, noting that “Tawney doesn’t demand that an oil and gas lease set out an Einsteinian proof for calculating post-production costs. …

September 7, 2021

Infrastructure Bill Includes Substantial New Pipeline Safety Grant Program for Upgrades to Gas Distribution Infrastructure

Pipeline Safety Alert

(by James Curry and Evan Baylor)

If enacted, the Senate Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 20211 (Infrastructure Bill) would provide $1 billion for the newly established Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Program (Program) to be administered by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). The program would offer $200 million in grant funding each year for five years, starting in fiscal year 2022. The funding would be available only to municipal and community owned utilities. Eligible projects would include the repair, rehabilitation, or replacement of natural gas distribution pipeline systems and the acquisition of equipment to improve pipeline safety and avoid economic losses. In choosing projects, PHMSA would consider: (1) the risk profile of applicant’s current pipeline systems, including if they are prone to leaks; (2) whether a project may generate jobs; (3) whether a project may benefit disadvantaged communities; and (4) and how a project would impact economic growth.

If enacted, the $1 billion Program would reflect a substantial expansion of PHMSA’s current grant programs both in terms of the amount of funding available and because it would authorize spending on capital projects.

Given the scope of this program, if it is adopted into law, stakeholders may have practical questions on how PHMSA would implement it. For example, would capital projects funded through the Program trigger NEPA? Or would a Categorical Exclusion apply? Current DOT Categorical Exclusions may not cover projects and PHMSA does not have its own set of Categorical Exclusions.2 Would PHMSA need to propose implementing regulations for the Program or could it adopt a less formal application process and criteria? How would PHMSA choose projects, given the broad criteria outlined in the Infrastructure Bill? …

September 7, 2021

EPA and the Corps Revert Back to Pre-2015 Definition of “Waters of the United States”

Environmental Alert

(by Lisa Bruderly)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) announced, on September 3, 2021, that they would halt implementation of the current definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) effective immediately and revert back to the pre-2015 definition until further notice. The switch is the result of an August 30, 2021 order from the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona in the case of Pascua Yaqui Tribe v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which remanded and vacated the definition of WOTUS promulgated by the Trump administration in 2020 (commonly referred to as the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR)). While there was speculation that the court’s vacatur could be narrowly interpreted to apply only to states where the plaintiffs in the case were located (i.e., Arizona, Minnesota, Washington and Wisconsin), EPA and the Corps have changed the WOTUS definition nationwide.

Importance of the Definition of WOTUS

The definition of WOTUS identifies which waters are federally-regulated under the Clean Water Act (CWA), and, therefore, determines when a federal permit is required for projects that involve dredging or filling of a waterbody (i.e., a Section 404 permit) or the discharge of pollutants into a surface water (i.e., a NPDES permit). The WOTUS definition also affects federal spill reporting and spill prevention planning.

With regard to Section 404 permitting, the more expansive the definition of WOTUS, the more waters that are federally-regulated. The extent of WOTUS impacts caused by a project determines whether an individual or a general Section 404 permit is required, with the process for obtaining an individual permit typically resulting in more Corps involvement, cost and delay.

Significance of the Change in WOTUS Definition

When the Trump administration promulgated the NWPR in 2020, environmental groups criticized and challenged the new WOTUS definition, claiming that it was too narrow and did not federally regulate enough types of waters. …

September 1, 2021

Pennsylvania State Programmatic General Permit-6 Finalized and Effective Through June 2026

The Foundation Water Law Newsletter

(By Lisa M. Bruderly)

On June 25, 2021, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) released the finalized Pennsylvania State Programmatic General Permit-6 (PASPGP-6). See Corps, Special Pub. Notice No. SPN-21-28 (June 25, 2021). Going into effect on July 1, 2021, the permit will expire in five years, on June 30, 2026. Under section 404 of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. § 1344, and section 10 of the River and Harbor Act of 1899, 33 U.S.C. § 403, PASPGP-6 authorizes work in “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) within Pennsylvania that causes no more than minimal adverse environmental effects. State authorization under the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (PADEP) chapter 105 regulations (typically, a general permit or a waiver) is still required for most activities authorized by PASPGP-6.

For projects that meet the threshold criteria, PASPGP-6 typically provides a quicker and less complicated alternative to obtaining an individual section 404 permit. The permit identifies reporting activities, which require Corps review and coordination, as well as non-reporting activities, which can be authorized by PADEP without Corps involvement. Compensatory mitigation, at a minimum one-to-one ratio, will typically be required for impacts to WOTUS that are greater than 0.1 acre and are a reporting activity.

PASPGP-6 updates include new eligibility and reporting guidelines. Key changes from PASPGP-5 to PASPGP-6 include:

  1. The 1.0 acre eligibility threshold for temporary and/or permanent impacts to WOTUS was changed to an eligibility threshold for permanent loss, both direct and indirect, of 0.5 acre of WOTUS and 1,000 linear feet of jurisdictional stream channel.
  2. The eligibility threshold for temporary impacts to WOTUS, including jurisdictional wetlands, was changed from 1.0 acre to unlimited acreage, provided the work is determined to result in no more than minimal impact.

    3. …

September 1, 2021

How to prevent employees from stealing — and detect theft if they are

Smart Business 

(by Sue Ostrowski featuring Kevin Douglass)

You’ve just discovered someone is stealing from your company. Worse yet, what if a high-level person — a partner, an owner, a director or an officer — is involved?

“Particularly if the theft involves a substantial amount of money, an accomplice outside of your business, or if criminal investigatory agencies are involved, you should consult with an attorney about how best to interact with authorities, respond to possible subpoenas, conduct an internal investigation and craft a consistent message to employees and customers,” says Kevin Douglass, a shareholder at Babst Calland.

Of course, every employee with access to company financials poses a risk, and every company should take steps to protect itself.

Smart Business spoke with Douglass about how to keep your business from falling prey to a theft — and what to do if it happens anyway.

How can a company protect its assets?

Employees with the greatest access to the company’s finances are in the best position to take advantage. The easiest way to prevent stealing is to ensure that there are checks and balances built into your company’s financial system, regardless of the trust you have in employees or colleagues responsible for managing that system.

The easiest way to do that is to require that more than one person monitor the company’s cash flow, including approval or review of checks, credit and debit card usage, petty cash and invoicing. If that is not possible, consider an audit every couple of years by an independent accounting firm and provide them with full access to the company’s internal financial records.

An individual may only take small amounts in the beginning, increasing the amount and frequency as they gain confidence. …

August 20, 2021

NHTSA Opens Investigation into Tesla Crashes Involving Autopilot

Washington, DC

EmTech Law Blog

(by Ashleigh Krick)

On August 13, 2021, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Office of Defect Investigations (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE21-020) into crashes with in-road or roadside first responders involving Tesla vehicles where Autopilot was confirmed to have been engaged during the approach to the crash.  NHTSA cites to 11 crashes involving emergency vehicles that involved 17 total injuries and 1 fatality.  The earliest cited crash is the January 22, 2018, crash in Culver City, California, where a Tesla Model S rear-ended a firetruck parked along a California freeway. A National Transportation Safety Board investigation into the crash found that the driver was overly reliant on Autopilot and that Autopilot allowed the driver to disengage from the driving task.

In the investigation report, ODI described Tesla’s Autopilot as an SAE Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) system “in which the vehicle maintains its speed and lane centering when engaged within its Operational Design Domain (ODD).” Even with the ADAS active, ODI noted that the driver continues to hold primary responsibility for Object and Event Detection and Response (OEDR).  As such, ODI explained that the investigation will “assess the technologies and methods used to monitor, assist, and enforce the driver’s engagement with the dynamic driving task during Autopilot operation.”  ODI will also evaluate Autopilot’s ODD and OEDR.

While the investigation focuses on a relatively narrow issue—the ability of Autopilot to identify and respond to parked emergency vehicles—it reinforces the Agency’s interest in crashes involving SAE Level 2 ADAS systems that are being deployed on public roads.  Particularly, the Agency’s interest in how vehicle manufacturers are perhaps enforcing the driver’s engagement when these systems are activated.   …

August 19, 2021

Keith Coyle Gives Testimony on the Environmental and Economic Benefits of Pipelines

Pennsylvania House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee Hearing

In his testimony on August 17, 2021 at the Pennsylvania House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee public hearing on the Environmental and Economic Benefit of Pipelines, Babst Calland Attorney Keith Coyle, chairman of the Marcellus Shale Coalition’s Pipeline Safety Workgroup, explains, “As long as we are relying on fossil fuels to produce power, we need pipelines to deliver them safely. …It’s pretty clear we are going to be relying on natural gas and petroleum for some time. There is no other way to do this safely and to move product in bulk besides these pipelines.”

To view the video of the full public hearing of the House Environmental Resources & Energy Committee on the Environmental and Economic Benefits of Pipelines, click here.

August 19, 2021

Privilege under Texas Audit Act Not Applicable in Federal Court

Environmental Alert

(by Julie Domike)

An August 10, 2021 decision by Judge Michael J. Truncale of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas may upend assumed privilege for documents and studies gathered as part of an environmental self-audit in Texas. The Order on Motion to Quash Subpoena, Sierra Club v. Woodville Pellets, LLC, No. 9:20-cv-178, 2021 WL 3522443 (E.D. Tex. Aug. 10, 2021) addressed the subpoena for stack test reports sought by the Sierra Club in a Clean Air Act enforcement case against the wood pellet manufacturing facility in Woodville, Texas.

Background

On August 18, 2020, Sierra Club filed a complaint under the citizen suit provisions of the federal Clean Air Act, alleging that Woodville Pellets, LLC had violated the statute by emitting unpermitted amounts of air pollutants from its facility. The matter will be tried before a jury in November; during discovery, the Sierra Club sought reports of stack testing that Trinity Consultants conducted as part of a facility audit under Texas law. Failing to receive the documents from Woodville Pellets, the Sierra Club served a subpoena on Trinity, which is not a party to the litigation, seeking these and other documents. Woodville and Trinity moved to quash the subpoena on the grounds that the documents sought are privileged under the Texas Environmental, Health, and Safety Audit Privilege Act (Audit Act) and this prevents their production.

The Decision

The Court accepted that the stack tests were done as part of an audit under the Audit Act, which extends a privilege to documents gathered as part of an environmental self-audit. The privilege provides these documents are not admissible as evidence or subject to discovery in a civil action under state law. …

August 19, 2021

Three Babst Calland Attorneys Named as 2022 Best Lawyers® “Lawyers of the Year”, 31 Selected for Inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America©, and 13 Named to Best Lawyers® “Ones to Watch”

Babst Calland is pleased to announce that three lawyers were selected as 2022 Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” in Pittsburgh, Pa. and Charleston, W. Va. (by BL Rankings). Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year,” making this accolade particularly significant.

Receiving this designation reflects the high level of respect a lawyer has earned among other leading lawyers in the same communities and the same practice areas for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity. Those named to the 2022 Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” include:

Kevin K. Douglass, Natural Resources Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Mark D. Shepard, Bet-the-Company Litigation “Lawyer of the Year” in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Robert M. Stonestreet, Environmental Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Charleston, W. Va.

In addition, 32 Babst Calland lawyers were selected for inclusion in the 2022 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America (by BL Rankings), the most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession:

  • Chester R. Babst – Environmental Law, Litigation – Environmental
  • Donald C. Bluedorn II – Environmental Law, Water Law, Litigation – Environmental
  • Dean A. Calland – Environmental Law
  • Matthew S. Casto – Commercial Litigation
  • Frank J. Clements – Corporate Law
  • Kathy K. Condo – Commercial Litigation
  • James Curry – Oil and Gas Law
  • Julie R. Domike – Environmental Law, Litigation – Environmental
  • Kevin K. Douglass – Natural Resources Law
  • Christian A.

    • …

August 19, 2021

New Legislation Providing for Deployment of Small Cell Wireless Facilities Becomes Effective August 29th

The Legal Intelligencer

(by Krista Staley and Anna Jewart)

On June 30, 2021, Governor Tom Wolf signed Pennsylvania House Bill 1621, the Small Wireless Facilities Deployment Act as Act 50 of 2021 (“Act 50”), into law. This Act reflects years of negotiations between industry groups and municipalities over the balance of local land use authority and ease of deployment in small cell infrastructure deployment.  Effective August 29th, the Act standardizes the local permitting process for small cell facilities located within municipal rights-of-way.

As demand increases exponentially for faster and more reliable wireless service, so does the demand to develop infrastructure capable of providing greater coverage and capacity.  A decade ago, a single large cell tower on the outskirts of town could meet a community’s wireless voice and data service needs.  However, the reliability of these large “macro cell” wireless facilities has decreased as mobile data traffic exploded. The telecommunications industry responded by developing “small cell networks” distributed throughout communities and buildings to better meet to the constant on-the-go data needs of the modern age.  Instead of utilizing a single tower, possibly hundreds of feet high, small cell networks use multiple low-power antennas that connect to fiber optic cables. These small cell systems allow for greater speeds and more uniform coverage where they are deployed. However, they require a greater level of “wireless density” in order to function as intended.  In other words, small cell facilities must be installed every few blocks rather than every few miles.

To achieve the desired wireless density providers have sought to utilize existing utility poles, street lights, or other structures within municipal rights-of-way. This allows for ease of installation as well as proximity to users.  While the use of the right-of-way, and the existing infrastructure therein, is a convenient solution for wireless providers, the rapid development of these technologies has forced municipalities across the country to scramble to determine how to handle permits for the installation of small cell facilities within their communities.  …

August 17, 2021

Regional Developments

The PIOGA Press

This is another excerpt from The 2021 Babst Calland Report, which represents the collective legal perspectives of Babst Calland’s energy attorneys addressing the most current business and regulatory issues facing the oil and natural gas industry. The full report is available online at reports.babstcalland.com/the-2021-babst-calland-report-1.

Appalachian Storage Hub

As has been chronicled in earlier editions of this white paper, the explosive growth of natural gas production from the Marcellus and Utica shale formations in the Appalachian region starting in 2010 produced strong economic gains for West Virginia, Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio for several years.

In addition, much of that gas is relatively “wet”— meaning that it has a high proportion of natural gas liquids (NGLs) such as ethane, propane, butanes and natural gasolines (pentanes) that are used as petrochemicals in various manufacturing industries. Regional leaders, seeking to capitalize on the vast natural gas resources of those shales, began to stress the importance of developing local businesses that use NGLs—rather than allowing plastics manufacturing and other uses to accrue in other areas.

In 2017, the American Chemistry Council published a report suggesting that the buildout of the petrochemical industry in Appalachia could support the construction of as many as five ethane crackers. Among other factors, the report described that a key to the development of petrochemical manufacturing presence in the area would be the establishment of an Appalachian Storage Hub (ASH) that would act as a conduit for the production and sale of NGLs, storing massive quantities of the liquids and connecting the storage facilities to end users via pipelines. U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, along with Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, introduced legislation intended to promote the goal of establishing an ASH. …

August 16, 2021

Medical Marijuana in the Workplace, Part 4: Recent Cases Add No Clarity to the Law

The Legal Intelligencer

(by John McCreary)

This is the latest installment of the author’s obsessive examination of Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Act (MMA) and the employment law issues it creates. By this point in our examination, it is now established, at least in the trial courts of the Commonwealth, that the MMA created a private cause of action for medical marijuana users claiming that an employer has discriminated against them because of their medical marijuana use. See e.g., Judge William J. Nealon’s comprehensive opinion in  Palmiter v. Commonwealth Health Systems, No. 19-CV-1315, 2019 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 12307 (Lackawanna Cty. 2019); Hudnell v. Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, Inc., 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 176198; 2020 WL 5749924 (E.D. Pa. 2020)(citing Palmiter). See 35 P.S. § 10231.2103(b)(“No employer may discharge, threaten, refuse to hire or otherwise discriminate or retaliate against an employee … solely on the basis of such employee’s status as an individual who is certified to use medical marijuana …”)(emphasis supplied).

In a surprising development (at least to the author), however, Commonwealth Court construed the emphasized language in a manner favorable to employers who continue to enforce “zero tolerance” and similar drug policies. In Harrisburg Area Community College v. PHRC, 245 A.3d 283 (Pa.Cmwlth. 2020) (HACC) a nursing student with a valid medical marijuana prescription was expelled from the nursing program after testing positive for marijuana metabolites. She brought a claim before the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) for disability discrimination against HACC under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act’s (PHRA) public accommodation provisions, claiming that her medical marijuana use did not impact her ability to complete the nursing coursework and that HACC should be required to reasonably accommodate her by permitting her to use medical marijuana to treat symptoms of her underlying disabilities (post-traumatic stress disorder and irritable bowel syndrome). …

August 9, 2021

Biden Administration Sets Target of 50% EV Sales Share by 2030 and Announces New Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Regulations

Environmental Alert

(by Julie Domike and Gina Falaschi)

On August 5, 2021, President Biden signed an Executive Order on Strengthening American Leadership in Clean Cars and Trucks[1] (Executive Order).  The White House signing event included American automakers Ford, GM, and Stellantis, as well as the United Auto Workers (UAW), demonstrating support for the president’s Build Back Better agenda and investment in U.S. leadership in electric vehicles and batteries, manufacturing, and jobs.  In conjunction with the signing of this Executive Order, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced coordinated notices of proposed rulemaking that are intended to roll back the previous administration’s emissions and fuel economy regulations.

Executive Order

The Executive Order sets a new target to make half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 zero-emissions vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or fuel cell electric vehicles.  The Executive Order also directs USEPA to initiate a rulemaking to establish new vehicle and engine emissions standards, including for greenhouse gas emissions.  The Administration instructs the agency to set the following:

  • New emissions standards, including for greenhouse gas emissions, for light- and medium-duty vehicles for model years (MY) 2027 through at least MY 2030, by no later than July 2024;
  • New nitrogen oxides standards for heavy-duty engines and vehicles beginning with MY 2027 and extending through and including at least MY 2030, by no later than December 2022; and
  • New greenhouse gas emissions standards for heavy-duty engines and vehicles to begin as soon as MY 2030, by no later than July 2024.

USEPA must also consider updating the existing greenhouse gas emissions standards for heavy-duty engines and vehicles beginning with MY 2027 and extending through and including at least MY 2029 to account for the role that zero-emission vehicles may have in emissions reductions. …

August 9, 2021

Ohio Enacts Legislation Providing Counties with the Authority to Block Solar and Wind Developments

Washington, DC

Renewables Law Blog

(By Ashleigh Krick)

On July 12, 2021, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed into law Senate Bill 52 providing counties with the authority to block the construction of certain large solar and wind facilities in unincorporated townships.  The law goes into effect on October 11, 2021.  In short, Senate Bill 52 allows county commissioners to establish restricted areas in unincorporated townships prohibiting the construction of solar developments with generating capacity over 50 MWs and wind farms with over 5 MWs of generating capacity.  If a township is incorporated, it retains jurisdiction to regulate whether the development occurs rather than defer to the county commissioners. Senate Bill 52 also contains requirements pertaining to public meetings in the counties that the facility will be located and decommissioning requirements.  Practically speaking, Senate Bill 52 means that even if a solar or wind company obtains the necessary land rights to construct a solar or wind facility, counties can block its construction.

Senate Bill 52 follows a string of legislative actions in Ohio that appear to have stifled development and investment in solar and wind in the state.  For example, in 2014, Ohio passed legislation requiring wind farms to be setback a minimum of 1,125 feet from the nearest adjacent property line.  In contrast, oil and gas production wells are only required to be located at least 100 feet from the nearest homes.  Since Ohio enacted the wind farm setback requirement, only one wind farm has been approved in the state.

While the full impact of Senate Bill 52 is unknown at this time, solar and wind developers can expect some counties to begin using their authority to restrict the location of solar and wind developments after the law goes into effect in October. …

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