ACOEL is an invitation-only association of distinguished lawyers dedicated to maintaining and improving the ethical practice of environmental law through rigorous focus, outreach and education.
ACOEL fellows value collegiality, balanced and objective perspective, integrity and rigor in expertise. Our diverse practices, viewpoints and backgrounds help us understand how environmental laws can advance common goals.
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News from ACOEL
ACOEL Announces Newly-Elected Fellows for 2026
ACOEL welcomes the class of 2026 to the College with the election of 19 new fellows, each a prominent environmental practitioner in private practice, academia, a not-for-profit organization, or the government.
Recent Insights from our Fellows
The Great Power Secession: Texas Air Permitting and the Data Center Boom
by Tracy D. Hester
What happens when an emerging industry decides to secede from the power grid? In Pecos County, deep in West Texas’ Permian Basin, a data center developer claims to hold the largest power-generation air permit in the United States. According to Pacifico Energy, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has authorized 7.65 gigawatts of gas-fired generation […] 
Appalachia Invites NEPA Along Its Country Roads, Again
by Kathy G. Beckett
Oregon Wants Better Buildings
by Patty Dost
Whither Goest Offshore Wind Projects in the United States?
by Jeff A. Thaler
ACOEL Topic Focus
There has been a lot of discussion on artificial intelligence, data centers, and the environment in the news recently. Read about what ACOEL Fellows have been focusing on and discussing.
Artificial Intelligence & Data Centers
Are State Legislatures Artificially Intelligent or Humanly Thinking?
by Kathy G. Beckett
The Clean Power Plan—And Around We Go
by F. William William Brownell
