Power & Pipes

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC or Commission) released its enforcement results for fiscal year 2023 on November 7, 2023. The CFTC’s Division of Enforcement filed 96 enforcement actions in 2023 charging a range of violations in a variety of markets that resulted in more than $4.3 billion in civil monetary penalties, restitution, and disgorgement. Both metrics show an increase from last year, when the Commission initiated 82 enforcement actions and imposed more than $2.5 billion in restitution, disgorgement, and penalties. The uptick in cases stemmed largely from a near doubling of fraud-related cases.

The compliance deadline for the Voluntary Carbon Market Disclosures Act (VCMDA) is quickly approaching, but the statutory language of the VCMDA leaves open for interpretation several key issues, including threshold applicability questions that potentially impacted companies will need to grapple with.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the much-anticipated selection of seven hydrogen hub projects across the country that are eligible for $7 billion in federal investment. The selectees will now undergo an award negotiation process to obtain a commitment from DOE. This funding aims to accelerate the commercial-scale deployment of low-cost, clean hydrogen as an alternative source of energy and the creation of networks of clean hydrogen producers, consumers, and infrastructure.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Voluntary Carbon Market Disclosures Act (VCMDA) on October 7, imposing disclosure obligations on businesses that market, sell, or purchase voluntary carbon offsets in California and businesses that make net-zero or carbon-neutral claims, effective on January 1, 2024.

In a per curiam decision on October 3, 2023, the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed that the Federal Power Act prevents tort suits against the United States relating to damage caused by dams that are licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). That is, liability for any injuries or damages caused by any dam licensed by FERC is solely the responsibility of the licensee, and liability cannot flow to the United States, even after dam failures.

Electric vehicle (EV) charging relies on a complex ecosystem involving multiple entities, including utility operators, third-party data network providers, charging infrastructure owners, and the EVs themselves. The high degree of digital interconnectivity required to run that ecosystem presents significant cybersecurity risks, including the potential for data theft, physical property damage, and electric grid disruptions.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC’s) Division of Enforcement announced that it has established a new task force—the Environmental Fraud Task Force—to combat environmental fraud and misconduct in derivatives and relevant spot markets, including the carbon markets.

One week after the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) Whistleblower Office issued an alert seeking tips on potential fraud and manipulation in the carbon markets, the CFTC chairman announced that the second voluntary carbon markets convening will be held on July 19.

The development of hydrogen fueling infrastructure across the United States will need to keep pace with the projected production and deployment of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The Biden administration has made significant investments through tax incentives and grants to support the continued development of hydrogen fuel cell technologies, and the market for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is expected to expand to more than $40 billion by 2030.

The transportation sector has been identified as the single largest US source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and continues to be an area of focus in the nation’s decarbonization efforts. Due to heavy-duty vehicles contributing the second largest amount of GHG emissions in the transportation sector, there has been a continued focus on increasing the use and integration of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles. Three recent government agency actions seek to promote and accelerate the use of heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles, including those powered by hydrogen fuel cell technologies.