Babst Calland’s Energy and Natural Resources Practice Group represents energy companies across the country on a variety of matters. Energy clients receive support from our highly focused, multidisciplinary team of energy attorneys that provides a wide range of legal services to clients engaged in the coal, mining, oil and gas, and renewable energy industries.
Babst Calland’s energy attorneys work collaboratively with in-house counsel, executives, and outside advisors to provide timely and cost-effective legal strategy and representation. Our energy clients come to us for our decades of experience on environmental, pipeline and hazardous materials safety, construction, litigation, energy title, transactions, real estate, land use and zoning, emerging technologies, and employment and labor matters.
Babst Calland represents energy companies across the country. We understand each geographic footprint and tailor legal strategies accordingly, with a deep knowledge of state regulation and local jurisdictions. Our attorneys are key advisors on a myriad of issues related to transactions, due diligence, state and federal regulatory matters, local government challenges, lease disputes, royalty interest determinations, and title examination.
As one of the nation’s most respected energy law firms, Babst Calland is a legal and regulatory resource for renewables clients nationwide. Our renewables clients benefit from the firm’s decades of experience throughout the energy space. Our attorneys take a proactive approach, helping clients achieve their business and sustainability objectives while minimizing risk. Our experience allows us to guide your business to maximize opportunities and overcome challenges of the complex and ever-changing patchwork of federal, state, and local incentives and restrictions related to renewables.
Our energy clients are the beneficiaries of Babst Calland’s strong, seasoned, and diverse legal team with the necessary experience to provide well-planned strategy to pre-empt or react to whatever challenges lie ahead, whether the issues revolve around coal, mining, oil or natural gas production, midstream or pipeline operations, renewable project siting, petrochemical processing or petroleum refining, or best business practices applying environmental and energy law and regulations.
Governor Shapiro Proposes 2026–27 Budget That Includes Standards for Data Center Development
FNREL Mineral and Energy Law Newsletter
Pennsylvania – Oil & Gas
(By Joseph Reinhart, Sean McGovern, Matthew Wood and Jordan Brown)
On February 3, 2026, Governor Shapiro announced a 2026–27 budget proposal that includes the Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) standards for data center development in Pennsylvania. …
PADEP Presents Updates to EQB on Multiple Pending Oil and Gas Rulemaking Petitions
FNREL Mineral and Energy Law Newsletter
Pennsylvania – Oil & Gas
(By Joseph Reinhart, Sean McGovern, Matthew Wood and Jordan Brown)
At the March 10, 2026, Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board (EQB) meeting, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) offered updates on several pending oil and gas rulemaking petitions. …
PADEP Announces Rescission of Oil and Gas Civil Penalty Technical Guidance Document and Replaces It with Two Civil Penalty Standard Operating Procedures
FNREL Mineral and Energy Law Newsletter
Pennsylvania – Oil & Gas
(By Joseph Reinhart, Sean McGovern, Matthew Wood and Jordan Brown)
On March 28, 2026, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) published a notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin rescinding its technical guidance document (TGD) on civil penalty assessments in the agency’s Office of Oil and Gas Management. …
PADEP Introduces New Bureau of Permitting Coordination
FNREL Mineral and Energy Law Newsletter
Pennsylvania – Mining
(by Joe Reinhart, Sean McGovern, Gina Buchman, and Jordan Brown)
On January 27, 2026, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) announced its Major Projects Permitting Division (MPPD) (formerly the Regional Permit Coordination Office), following the agency’s reorganization of permitting functions within the new Bureau of Permitting Coordination. …
Interest Groups Submit GHG Cap and Tax Petition to the EQB
FNREL Mineral and Energy Law Newsletter
Pennsylvania – Mining
(by Joe Reinhart, Sean McGovern, Gina Buchman, and Jordan Brown)
On February 5, 2026, environmental and public interest groups submitted a 495-page demand urging the Environmental Quality Board (EQB) to act on a rulemaking petition originally filed in November 2018 by 192 petitioners. …
OSMRE Issues Final Rule Amending Pennsylvania’s SMCRA Program
FNREL Mineral and Energy Law Newsletter
Pennsylvania – Mining
(by Joe Reinhart, Sean McGovern, Gina Buchman, and Jordan Brown)
The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) has issued a final rule approving an amendment to Pennsylvania’s Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) program, effective February 17, 2026. …
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Issues New Civil Penalty SOPs for Oil and Gas Operations
PIOGA Press
(by Sean McGovern and Jordan Brown)
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has issued two new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for civil penalty assessments related to unconventional and conventional oil and gas wells and a new SOP for identifying, tracking, and resolving oil and gas violations:
- Standard Operating Procedure for Calculating Civil Penalty Assessments for Conventional Oil and Gas Operations (February 2026)
- Standard Operating Procedure for Calculating Civil Penalty Assessments for Unconventional Oil and Gas Operations (February 2026)
- Standard Operating Procedure for Identifying, Tracking, and Resolving Oil and Gas Violations (February 2026)
These SOPs supersede the Civil Penalty Assessments in the Oil and Gas Management Program (Doc. …
Babst Calland Among Top-Ranked Firms in Associate Satisfaction Survey
BTI Consulting Group’s BTI Associate Satisfaction A-Listers 2026: BTI Survey of Law Firms Where Associates are Happiest report recognizes law firms that outperform peers based on direct associate feedback across factors tied to retention, engagement and long‑term career satisfaction. …
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Issues New Civil Penalty SOPs for Oil and Gas Operations
Energy and Natural Resources Alert
(by Sean McGovern and Jordan Brown)
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has issued two new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for civil penalty assessments related to unconventional and conventional oil and gas wells and a new SOP for identifying, tracking, and resolving oil and gas violations:
- Standard Operating Procedure for Calculating Civil Penalty Assessments for Conventional Oil and Gas Operations (February 2026)
- Standard Operating Procedure for Calculating Civil Penalty Assessments for Unconventional Oil and Gas Operations (February 2026)
- Standard Operating Procedure for Identifying, Tracking, and Resolving Oil and Gas Violations (February 2026)
These SOPs supersede the Civil Penalty Assessments in the Oil and Gas Management Program (Doc. …
Legislative & Regulatory Update
The Wildcatter
(by Nik Tysiak)
There have been interesting developments surrounding Renewable Energy Zoning, Estate Administration, Real Estate Tax Sales, and all also regarding the West Virginia Unknown Heirs Act. …
