GHG Emissions: Pennsylvania Repeals RGGI as Part of FY2025-2026 Budget Signing ⚡
On November 12, 2025, Governor Josh Shapiro announced he was signing the FY2025-2026 budget into law. As a part of this, Shapiro signed House Bill 416. This bill abrogates or repeals 25 Pa. Code Chapter 145, removing Pennsylvania from RGGI. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a program that limits carbon dioxide emissions from large fossil-fuel power plants and requires generators to hold allowances equal to their emissions. Participating RGGI states establish an individual CO2 Budget Trading Program, where generators may purchase allowances for emission compliance. The program includes mechanisms to stabilize allowance prices and adjust the cap over time to account for banked allowances.

Oil and Gas Leasing: BOEM Publishes Final and Proposed Offshore Lease Sales Under One Big Beautiful Bill Act
On November 10, 2025, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) published notices 90 FR 50751 and 90 FR 50760. 90 FR 50751 is the Final Notice of Sale (NOS) for the “Big Beautiful Gulf 1” lease sale in the Gulf of America Outer Continental Shelf under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The lease sale is scheduled for December 10, 2025, and includes detailed terms, maps, and stipulations for prospective bidders. Meanwhile, 90 FR 50760 is a Notice of Availability for the Proposed Notice of Sale for the first Cook Inlet lease sale in Alaska’s Outer Continental Shelf under the same act. That proposed NOS describes the size, timing, location, lease conditions, and economic terms, and BOEM is inviting comment from Alaska’s governor and local governments by January 9, 2026.

Pipelines: New York Issues Permit for Construction of New York Portion of Northeast Supply Enhancement Pipeline
On November 7, 2025, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) issued a permit for the Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) Pipeline. The Pipeline enhancement will travel under 17.4 miles of New York state waters and be constructed with 26-in diameter pipe.  Once completed, it will transport natural gas from Pennsylvania into New York City, and provide gas to parts of Queens, Brooklyn, and Long Island. The permit specifies that the pipe must be buried a minimum of four feet under the seabed, and requires an environmental compliance plan, aimed at maintaining the water quality and minimizing the effect of construction on the atlantic sturgeon and shortnose sturgeon. This permit comes six days after the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued a permit approving construction in the state. For more information on the Pennsylvania approval, see SLWR – November 3, 2025: Pipelines: PA DEP Approves Permits for Pennsylvania Sections of Northeast Supply Enhancement Project. 

Renewable Fuel: EPA Approves 14 Small Refinery Exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standards
On November 7, 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it fully approved two and partially approved 12 Small Refinery Exemptions (SRE). These petitions exempt small refineries from meeting the Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS), which mandate that a certain amount of renewable fuel must be blended into normal fuels. The petitions sought an exemption from compliance for the years 2021-2024.

 

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CENTER PROGRAMS & RESOURCES

Understanding the Clean Water Act & Ag: Biosolids & Food Processing Waste Land Application

On Friday, December 12, 2025, from 12 noon–1:00 pm ET, the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, alongside the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s (PDA) Agricultural Business Development Center (ABDC), will present the next webinarin the Understanding Agricultural Law Educational Series, a course designed to develop subject matter literacy and competence on fundamental issues of agricultural law for attorneys and business advisors who work with or represent agricultural or rural clients but may not necessarily specialize in agricultural law:

“Understanding the Clean Water Act & Ag: Biosolids & Food Processing Waste Land Application”

AgWorks: Staying Compliant with Anti-Discrimination Laws

Join us for the fourth webinar in the AgWorks law series to strengthen your workplace and protect your business by understanding how anti-discrimination laws shape employment practices.

For more than fifty years, federal and state laws have prohibited discrimination based on race, gender, national origin, age, disability, whistleblower status, and other protected categories, making compliance essential for every employer.

This session strives to equip you with knowledge and resources to assist you in managing your business confidently within the framework of the law and preparing for potential claims. You will also learn how enforcement works, which agencies are involved, and what proactive steps you can take to foster a fair and legally compliant workplace.

An optional second hour will offer the opportunity to ask legal questions and discuss real-world scenarios with experienced attorneys. Please note: The Ag Law Center provides educational support and resources only and does not offer legal representation.

Follow us on Twitter @AgShaleLaw to see the latest with our #ShaleLaw HotLinks 

Connect with us on Facebook.

Penn State Farmland Energy Legal Podcast: Listen to the latest episode here.

Oil & Gas Law & Policy Resources:

Sartain, Beware When Buying Minerals After a Tax Suit Foreclosure (November 18, 2025)

Nolette and Binder, To Implement or Not to Implement: New York State’s Climate Law in 2025 (November 20, 2025)

Mitchell, Markowitz, Oelz, Petty, and Smith, Ninth Circuit Stays Enforcement of California’s Climate-Related Financial Risk Reporting Law (November 20, 2025)

FEDERAL ACTIONS—EXECUTIVE & LEGISLATIVE

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY PRESS RELEASES

Energy Department Closes Loan to Restart Nuclear Power Plant in Pennsylvania (November 18, 2025)

U.S. Energy Secretary and Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Announce Deal on Civil Nuclear Cooperation (November 19, 2025)

Energy Secretary Strengthens Midwest Grid Reliability Heading into Winter Months (November 19, 2025)

Energy Department Announces Organizational Realignment to Strengthen Efficiency and Unleash American Energy (November 20, 2025)

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY PRESS RELEASES

EPA Takes Action Against Apple for Inadequate Hazardous Waste Management (November 18, 2025)

What They are Saying: Leaders Throughout the Country Applaud EPA’s Proposal to Clearly Define Definition of Waters of the United States (November 19, 2025)

EPA Announces $7 Billion in Newly Available WIFIA Funding and Five New WIFIA Loan Approvals (November 20, 2025)

FEDERAL EXECUTIVE AGENCIES (Federal Register November 17–November 24, 2025)

Environmental Protection Agency

90 FR 52319 Proposed Rule: “Air Plan Approval; Pennsylvania; Redesignation Request for the Allegheny County Area for the 2012 Annual Fine Particulate Matter Standard” (November 20, 2025)

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

90 FR 52012 Proposed Rule “Standards for Business Practices of Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines” (November 19, 2025)

90 FR 52902 Proposed Rule “Five-Year Review of the Oil Pipeline Index” (November 24, 2025)

Energy Department

90 FR 52847 Rule: “Assistance to Foreign Atomic Energy Activities” (November 24, 2025)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

90 FR 52498 Proposed Rule “Updated Definition of “Waters of the United States”” (November 24, 2025)

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

90 FR 52348 Proposed Rule: “Hazardous Materials: Adjusting Registration and Fee Assessment Program” (November 20, 2025)

Ocean Energy Management Bureau

90 FR 52996 Notice: “Notice of Availability of the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Draft Proposed Program: 1st Analysis and Proposal MAA104000” (November 24, 2025)

Other Agencies

U.S. HOUSE ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE

H.R.1949 – Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2025. (Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection., November 20, 2025)

H.R.3109 – REFINER Act. (Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection., November 20, 2025)

H.R.6177 – To modernize and standardize the manner in which information and data is reported to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and for other purposes. (Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce., November 20, 2025)

H.R.6281 – To direct the Secretary of Energy to establish a grant program to facilitate the use of solar energy systems and energy storage technologies at Federally qualified health centers, and for other purposes. (Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce., November 21, 2025)

U.S. SENATE ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE 

S.3222 – A bill to express the sense of Congress regarding the need for a nationwide moratorium on electric and natural gas utility disconnections during a Government shutdown, to ensure that electric service is not disconnected for electric consumers during certain lapses in appropriations, and for other purposes. (Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, November 19, 2025)

STATE ACTIONS—EXECUTIVE & LEGISLATIVE 

PENNSYLVANIA DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PRESS RELEASES

The Shapiro Administration is Getting Stuff Done at the Speed of Business, Issuing First Permit Through SPEED Program (November 20, 2025)

PENNSYLVANIA EXECUTIVE AGENCIES (Pa. Bulletin Vol. 55, No. 46 – November 15, 2025)

 

Written by:
Benjamin Aronovitch, Research Assistant
Caden Dean-Sauter, Research Assistant
Jackie Schweichler, Staff Attorney