The Environmental Strategies practice helps senior corporate leaders shape and address major environmental and energy issues. Our team provides advocacy before federal departments and agencies, congressional relations and media outreach services.

Our longstanding experience with shaping public policy gives us particular insight into the political and policy underpinnings of complex energy and environmental issues such as air quality, climate change, national energy policy, waste management, New Source Review, renewable energy and new power generation. 

With this understanding of complex regulatory issues and established working relationships with key government officials, we help shape the impact of laws and policies to our clients’ competitive advantage.  Our Strategic Communications media specialists have trusted relationships with national, regional and sector-specific news outlets in print, radio and television, as well as in the world of Internet-based news and commentary.  This enables us to present a unified, effective environmental governance message that generates broad support with the public and in the legislative and regulatory arenas. 

Representative Matters

Under the EPA's sector-wide New Source Review initiative, utilities faced enforcement on a huge financial scale. Our firm managed a multi-faceted response to NSR by forming a coalition of energy, natural resources and transportation interests. Through this coalition, we managed public and press relations and formulated and implemented regulatory and litigation strategies to mitigate the effects on industry and the availability of reliable, affordable and clean power.

Obtained state emergency orders for several re-builds necessitated by catastrophic equipment failures at chemical plants.

The developers of a unique energy transmission link from Long Island to Connecticut, Cross Sound Cable, faced complex political and regulatory hurdles in bringing the completed infrastructure project to sustained operation. Our team launched an integrated strategy involving public advocacy, energy regulatory negotiations, and permitting strategy at the federal and state levels to dismantle the hurdles and bring the project online.

Our team has managed cutting-edge air and emissions issues both on behalf of refineries, utilities, and manufacturers, including Clear Skies legislation, the Clean Air Mercury Rule and the Clean Air Interstate Rule.

We handle strategic media advice and counsel on environmental matters for major energy trade associations and companies, including utilities, refineries and wind developers such as the American Wind Energy Association and FPL.

Preparation of an amicus brief on climate change to the U.S. Supreme Court in Massachusetts v. EPA on behalf of Unions for Jobs and the Environment.

Prepared an amicus brief on NSR litigation to the U.S. Supreme Court in Environmental Defense v. Duke Energy Corporation on behalf of the Electric Reliability Coordinating Council.