The Climate Policy, Renewable Energy, & Sustainability Blog
The FCC has added foreign-produced power inverters to its Covered List, immediately restricting new covered models from receiving the equipment authorization generally required for import, marketing, and sale in the United States.
The July 28, 2026, action is narrower and, in some respects, more consequential than early reports suggest. Previously authorized models may remain on…
The Federal Communications Commission is reportedly drafting restrictions on foreign-made inverters used in solar and battery energy storage projects, citing concerns that the equipment could be exploited to disrupt U.S. power supplies. No proposed rule has been released, and the effort could still be modified or withdrawn. Recent FCC actions involving foreign-produced drones and consumer…
December 9, 2025 Update: Following the D.C. Circuit’s September ruling, parties opted not to seek panel rehearing or en banc review. The deadline to petition the U.S. Supreme Court for certiorari expired on December 8, 2025, without any petitions for cert filed, thereby ending the potential for appeals of the decision.
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On September 9…
Klickitat County, Washington has proposed a new land use ordinance that, if passed, would impose sweeping restrictions on nearly all solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) development in the county. The ordinance, currently under review by the Planning Commission and Board of Commissioners, would apply to all utility-scale solar and BESS projects, including both…
By Ariel Stavitsky, Emily Schimelpfenig, and Sudha Basu[1]
For nearly a decade, tension has grown in Oregon between the desire for agricultural and wildlife conservation and the desire for renewable energy development. In 2023, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 3409, directing the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC), the body that administers the…
On July 15, 2025, the Department of Interior (DOI) issued a memorandum titled, “Departmental Review Procedures for Decisions, Actions, Consultations, and other Undertakings Related to Wind and Solar Energy Facilities” (the Memo). The Memo directs federal agencies within DOI to elevate a nonexclusive list of 69 categories of routine permitting activities related to…
The Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) recently finalized rules clarifying its contested case procedures for energy project siting. These updates aim to improve clarity, align procedures with broader administrative rules, and address participation criteria for stakeholders. A contested case hearing resembles an administrative trial and is a culminating step in EFSC’s certification process.…
UPDATE 10/30/2024 An update to this post is available here.
The Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council recently finalized rule changes clarifying contested case procedures for large-scale energy project approvals. Key updates include more specific requirements for public participation—such as detailing objections in comments and petitions—and expanding opportunities for issue-raising in contested cases. Additionally, the…
In early January, the Minnesota Department of Commerce shared new details about the state’s Low and Moderate-income Accessible Community Solar Garden program (the “Program”) application process and requirements. Among other features, the Program emphasizes subscribing low- and moderate-income (“LMI”) households and public interest organizations and establishes new consumer protection requirements. Applications for the Program will be submitted and reviewed in batches – starting February 1, 2024 – and new caps on project size and Program size will apply.
Continue Reading Minnesota Community Solar Garden Updates – New Program To Begin Accepting ApplicationsOn November 16, the California Public Utilities Commission (Commission) voted to adopt a decision resolving the remaining issues in the Net Energy Metering (NEM) proceeding. The decision, issued on November 22 as D.23-11-068, applies the net billing tariff concept adopted in D.22-12-56 to virtual net metering customers (VNEM) and aggregated NEM customers (NEMA), which…
