North America: Energy and Natural Resources

The Alberta Court of King’s Bench has released a landmark decision providing the most comprehensive judicial interpretation to date of the “deemed ownership” and control provisions under the Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA). In RN Cardium Oil Inc. v. Loyal Energy (Canada) Operating Ltd, the Court summarily dismissed a $6 million contractual claim after concluding that payment would contravene Canadian sanctions.

The Trump administration invokes the Defense Production Act of 1950 to dramatically expand America's natural gas infrastructure, including pipelines, processing facilities, storage systems, and LNG export terminals.\

The EPA’s Water Reuse Action Plan 2.0 (“WRAP 2.0”) is a non-regulatory federal initiative relaunched in April 2026. Its goal is to accelerate treated wastewater reuse across industries...

The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) published for public comment its draft 2026 reissuance of the Upland Finfish Hatching and Rearing General Permit (Permit), which governs wastewater...

Alexandra Dunn, President and CEO of CropLife America, joins this discussion to explore critical challenges facing the crop protection industry.

The Food and Agriculture Organization's Development Law Service is hosting a webinar to explore the emerging legal concept of Rights of Nature and its intersection with critical areas including water resources, Indigenous Peoples' rights, biodiversity, and sustainable food systems. Legal experts will provide analytical insights through case studies and examine how this evolving framework connects to FAO's mandate for environmental protection and land tenure.

The British Columbia Court of Appeal recently confirmed that company executives can be personally liable for environmental infractions.

The Fiscal Year 2027 President’s Budget (“FY27 PB”) for the US Department of Energy (DOE) is only the initial step in a process that will continue through congressional deliberations and appropriations...

Canada's M&A market in Q1 2026 showed strategic concentration as buyers focused on high-quality assets in energy, mining, and infrastructure sectors despite broader market uncertainty. With the top 10 deals accounting for nearly 70% of total transaction value and gold prices reaching historic highs, the quarter revealed how elevated commodity prices and evolving regulatory frameworks are positioning Canada for increased dealmaking activity as approval pathways clarify and investor confidence builds.

Texas faces a critical juncture as electricity demand from AI infrastructure and data centers surges, testing whether the state can expand power generation, transmission capacity, and storage systems fast enough to maintain grid reliability.

The Fiscal Year 2027 President’s Budget (“FY27 PB”) for the US Department of Energy (DOE) is only the initial step in a process that will continue through congressional deliberations and appropriations...

While this Edition 43 of P2N0 does not go into detail on the Iran War and its implications. On a daily basis there has been (and continues to be) considerable coverage of the implications of the Iran War, and given the changeability of events, we are not best placed to cover.