http://energy.law360.com/ The Newswire for Legal Professionals Copyright 2010 Portfolio Media, Inc. en-US http://energy.law360.com/images/headings/logo.gif http://energy.law360.com/ http://energy.law360.com/articles/155581 A group representing 29 governors called on the federal government Tuesday to promote wind energy by creating a standard for renewable electricity and developing a new interstate electric transmission grid. http://energy.law360.com/articles/155581 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://energy.law360.com/articles/155778 A former employee of two Maryland power companies has filed a proposed class action on behalf of thousands of workers, alleging that the utilities failed to compensate them for all hours worked. http://energy.law360.com/articles/155778 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://energy.law360.com/articles/155866 Exxon Mobil Corp.'s plan to acquire natural gas producer XTO Energy Inc. has cleared the necessary antitrust hurdles, moving the deal closer to completion. http://energy.law360.com/articles/155866 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://energy.law360.com/articles/155679 The two co-chairmen of the U.S. House of Representatives' natural gas caucus have delivered a strong defense of the natural gas extraction technique known as hydraulic fracturing in response to an Energy and Commerce Committee probe into whether the process contaminates nearby drinking water. http://energy.law360.com/articles/155679 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://energy.law360.com/articles/155642 Georgia’s high court has cleared the way for a putative class action alleging Southstar Energy Services LLC overcharged its natural gas customers tens of millions of dollars, upholding an appeals court's ruling that the claims are not barred by the voluntary payment doctrine. http://energy.law360.com/articles/155642 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://energy.law360.com/articles/155675 Lawmakers from Wyoming are calling on the Bureau of Land Management to roll back new rules requiring local coal leasing agencies to route all Federal Register notices through the national office, saying the policy creates unnecessary red tape that imperils critical coal developments. http://energy.law360.com/articles/155675 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://energy.law360.com/articles/155674 A group of U.S. senators is urging the Obama administration to stop pushing for exemptions for Russia and China from comprehensive sanctions that target companies doing business in key Iranian economic sectors, including oil and gas. http://energy.law360.com/articles/155674 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://energy.law360.com/articles/155592 The European Commission has agreed to let Greece's competition regulator handle the review of Motor Oil Corinth Refineries SA's proposal to buy Royal Dutch Shell PLC's Greek fuel and bitumen businesses for nearly €246 million ($338 million). http://energy.law360.com/articles/155592 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://energy.law360.com/articles/155788 A federal judge has declined to dismiss a contract suit brought by Ambac Assurance Corp. against a small California city's public utility authority, sustaining the bond insurer's attempt to recoup $4.5 million it was forced to pay Piper Jaffray Financial Products Inc. under the terms of a terminated swap agreement. http://energy.law360.com/articles/155788 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://energy.law360.com/articles/155678 The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has asked the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider its recent decision that greenhouse gases should be regulated by the Clean Air Act, adding another voice to the chorus of opposition to the EPA's endangerment finding. http://energy.law360.com/articles/155678 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://energy.law360.com/articles/155615 The Supreme Court of California on Monday upheld a lower court finding that air quality regulators failed to properly scrutinize emissions before approving a new diesel refinery at a ConocoPhillips Co. facility in Los Angeles. http://energy.law360.com/articles/155615 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://energy.law360.com/articles/155580 A man prosecutors accused of helping himself to millions of dollars solicited from investors who thought their money would go toward oil and gas well drilling projects has been sentenced to 17.5 years in federal prison and ordered to cough up $17.7 million in restitution. http://energy.law360.com/articles/155580 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://energy.law360.com/articles/155590 A ConocoPhilips Co. subsidiary has agreed to pay $588,000 to settle claims from federal and Washington state environmental regulators seeking damages for thousands of gallons of oil that one of the company's tankers spilled into the Puget Sound in late 2004. http://energy.law360.com/articles/155590 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://energy.law360.com/articles/155369 Consol Energy Inc. inked a deal Monday to purchase Dominion Resources Inc.'s Appalachian exploration and production business for $3.475 billion in cash, scoring the rights to develop nearly 500,000 acres in the Marcellus Shale formation. http://energy.law360.com/articles/155369 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://energy.law360.com/articles/155404 While oil and gas services heavyweight Baker Hughes Inc. is eager to close its $5.5 billion acquisition of BJ Services Co., the deal has yet to receive antitrust approval from the U.S. Department of Justice, raising concerns about potential hang-ups over the companies’ overlapping businesses. http://energy.law360.com/articles/155404 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://energy.law360.com/articles/155326 German chemical manufacturer Evonik Degussa GmbH has sued U.S. rivals Elevance Renewable Sciences Inc. and Materia Inc., alleging infringement of two patents for the production of biofuels and specialty chemicals. http://energy.law360.com/articles/155326 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://energy.law360.com/articles/155336 In response to a challenge brought by BP Products North America Inc., the U.S. government is urging the U.S. Court of International Trade to uphold the tariff classification of two premium grade gasoline entries. http://energy.law360.com/articles/155336 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://energy.law360.com/articles/155398 Wausau Underwriters Insurance Co. does not need to reimburse a Kentucky coal plant operator for alleged damage caused by coal dust pollution to nearby residences, a federal judge has ruled. http://energy.law360.com/articles/155398 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://energy.law360.com/articles/155372 Petrohawk Energy Corp. has announced plans to sell a Louisiana natural gas field to an unnamed private company for $320 million, the second major sale in March for the Houston-based oil and natural gas developer. http://energy.law360.com/articles/155372 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://energy.law360.com/articles/155083 DLA Piper has snagged a former partner of Kaye Scholer LLP’s energy practice in an effort to elevate the firm’s corporate and finance teams. (Corrects an article published on March 12.) http://energy.law360.com/articles/155083 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500