Episode
The Lawyers Who Decide Where Energy Gets Built
- Published
- Dec 8, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 2964
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Summary
Lawyers are the behind-the-scenes operators who make energy projects actually happen, and Kerry McGrath broke down what that world really looks like. She’s spent more than 15 years helping companies get pipelines, wind farms, mines, nuclear plants, pretty much anything that produces or moves energy, through the maze of permits, regulations, and agency sign-offs. We talked about everything from negotiating with federal regulators to dealing with endangered species rules to how legal teams keep up with new tech like carbon capture. It’s a side of the industry most people never see, but it’s the difference between a project idea and a project that actually gets built. Click here to watch a video of this episode. Join the conversation shaping the future of energy. Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward. Apply today at collide.io Click here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 - Intro 02:16 - First Step in Project Management 06:41 - Initial Steps in Drilling Process 10:02 - Offshore Project Initiation 11:48 - Overview of Offshore Wind Energy 15:24 - Nihilism in Energy Discussions 18:53 - Political Landscape of Energy Policy 23:30 - Reasons for Delays in Energy Projects 26:09 - High Performance Computing in Energy 28:45 - Insights on Nuclear Energy 30:28 - Current Developments in Energy Sector 35:16 - Carbon Capture Utilization and Sequestration (CCUS) Explained 39:24 - Learning About Emerging Energy Industries 42:15 - Importance of Rare Earth Minerals 44:45 - Blunt Nosed Leopard Lizard in Energy Context 47:10 - Houston as the Energy Capital of the World https://twitter.com/collide_io https://www.tiktok.com/@collide.io…