On Tuesday, June 28, 2011, the CPUC will hold an “Electric Energy Storage Workshop” as part of its R10-12-007 proceeding for AB 2514, which defines the process by which the CPUC will consider electric energy storage standards for California’s investor owned utilities. The workshop will be held at in the Golden Gate Room at CPUC’s
Climate Change
Supreme Court Dismisses Common Law GHG Case Against Energy Producers
By Lee Smith on
Posted in California, Climate Change
On June 20, 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion on American Electric Power Co., Inc., et al. v. Connecticut, et al.
This case is significant because it dismissed a lawsuit in which several states and environmental groups sought court orders requiring large electrical utilities (alleged to be “the five largest emitters of carbon…
CEC Moves Forward on Implementation of 33% RPS
By Jake W. Storms on
On June 3, the California Energy Commission (“CEC”) issued a Notice of Intent to Implement 33 Percent Renewables Portfolio Standard (“RPS”). The new 33% RPS was signed into law by Governor Brown on April 12, 2011. The legislation for the first time expanded the RPS to publicly-owned utilities (“POU”), and tasked the CEC with, among other things, …
California Cap & Trade Challenge Final Order Issued
By Lee Smith on
Posted in Climate Change
On Friday, May 20, 2011, Judge Goldsmith of San Francisco Supreme Court issued a final order (PDF) with respect to a lawsuit challenging the environmental review of the Cap and Trade regulations created under California’s AB 32 Greenhouse Gas statute and the associated Scoping Plan. In its order, the Court enjoined the Cap and Trade portion…
New Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets – from the U.K. to Bank of America
By Allison Smith on
Posted in California, Climate Change
This week, the United Kingdom proposed cutting its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 50% below 1990 levels, in its recently released proposed carbon budget for 2023 to 2027. This would put it on track to cut emissions by 80% by 2050, as required under the U.K. Climate Change Act of 2008. Moreover, this target would go beyond the …
LexisNexis Selects Renewable + Law Blog to its Top 50 Environmental Law Blogs List
By William H. Holmes on
Posted in Algae, Biofuels, Biomass, California, Cleantech, Climate Change, Feed In Tariff, FERC, Geothermal, Green Building, Hydropower, Integration, Litigation, Nuclear, Ocean/Wave Energy, Patent Applications, Regulation, Renewable, Smart Energy, Smart Grid, Solar, Sustainable Development, Tax, Transmission, Wind
Having first reported to our readers in February that LexisNexis had nominated the Stoel Rives Renewable + Law Blog for its Top 50 Environmental Law & Climate Change Blogs for 2011 award, we are pleased to announce we made the list of winners! In publishing its Top 50 list, LexisNexis declared that our Renewable + …
Governor Brown Signs Bill Increasing California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard to 33%
By Allison Smith on
A Legal News Alert from Seth Hilton and the Stoel Rives Renewable Energy Law Group:
California’s Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill ("SB") X1-2 on Tuesday requiring California’s electric utilities to procure 33% of their energy from renewable resources by 2020. Upon signing the bill, Governor Brown stated the "bill will bring many important benefits to California, …
Non-Profit Groups Challenge Colorado’s RES and Question Public Policy Favoring Wind Energy
By William H. Holmes on
Stoel Rives partner Bev Pearman reviewed the complaint filed Monday in American Tradition Institute, et al., v. Colorado and prepared this analysis:
On April 4, 2011, the American Tradition Institute (“ATI”), the American Tradition Partnership (“ATP”), and Rod Lueck filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado arguing that…
Legislature Passes SBX1-2 to Increase California RPS to 33%
By Seth Hilton on
Posted in California, Cleantech, Climate Change, Regulation, Renewable, Solar, Sustainable Development, Wind
Legal News Alert from Stoel Rives Renewable Energy Law Group
The California Legislature has passed Senate Bill (“SB”) X1-2, which requires California’s electric utilities to increase their renewable generation to 33% by 2020. Passage of the legislation is the culmination of years of effort to increase California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (“RPS”) from its current 20%. In 2009, …
All Party Meeting Concerning California’s 2011 RPS Procurement
By William H. Holmes on
My partner Seth Hilton attended last Friday’s all-party meeting on California’s 2011 RPS procurement and prepared the following update:
On February 11, 2011, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Administrative Law Judge Burton Mattson issued a Proposed Decision (PD) conditionally accepting the 2011 Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) Procurement Plans for Southern California Edison (SCE), Pacific Gas…