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From our colleague Ryan Steen:

On July 10, 2009, the Animal Welfare Institute and others (”Plaintiffs”) filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to halt construction of the Beech Ridge wind project in Greenbrier County, West Virginia (the “Project”). The Plaintiffs seek the injunction to prevent unavoidable harms that they allege the Project will cause to the Indiana bat, a species listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”). The Plaintiffs’ injunction request follows closely on the heels of the complaint the Plaintiffs filed in the Federal District Court for the District of Maryland (Civ. No. 09-1519), which alleges that the Project will unlawfully “take” Indiana bats in violation of Section 9 of the ESA. In their complaint and request for an injunction, the Plaintiffs assert that the Project cannot lawfully move forward without an incidental take permit (“ITP”) issued under Section 10 of the ESA. Judge Titus recently ordered that the hearing on the Plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction will be addressed in conjunction with the trial on the merits of the case, currently scheduled for October 2009.Continue Reading Animal Rights Group Seeks Injunction to Halt Wind Project on ESA Grounds

SCE Solar PV Program:

Back in June, the California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC”) issued a decision authorizing Southern California Edison (“SCE”) to execute contracts for up to 250 MW of generation from solar PV facilities owned and operated by independent power producers through a competitive solicitation process. The CPUC decision required SCE to file an advice…

From our colleague, Jerry Chiang:

The United States and China signed a memorandum of understanding (“MOU”) on July 28, 2009, detailing the partnership between the two countries on climate change, energy, and the environment. The MOU commits both countries to reaching a successful international agreement that will address climate and energy issues. It also provides for…

Today, the Bonneville Power Administration (“BPA”) issued its Final Record of Decision (“Final ROD”) in the 2010 Rate Case.  The Final ROD is part of an early wave of efforts by transmission providers to charge wind generators for the costs of providing “integration” or “balancing” services.  Transmission providers are responsible for maintaining reliability of…

Today, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that 28 new wind energy projects will receive up to $13.8 million in funding for wind turbine research and testing and transmission analysis, planning, and assessments. Most of the $13.8 million comes from Recovery Act funds. Recognizing the struggles that Americans are facing in the current…

From our colleague Christina Asavareungchai:

Today, the Department of Energy announced more than $141 million in Recovery Act funding to six states and territories under its State Energy Program (“SEP”). Here is how the funds will be used in Hawaii, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Texas:Continue Reading Show Me the Money: $141 Million Awarded Under State Energy Program

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) issued a revised Funding Opportunity Announcement (“FOA”) of up to $40 million to speed up the development and implementation of combined heat and power (“CHP”) technologies. The FOA covers large, medium, and small CHP systems and aims to finance research, development, and demonstration of stationary CHP systems that focus…

Late last week, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) and the State of Washington signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) to coordinate their review of hydrokinetic energy projects in Washington state waters.  The MOU is intended to  reduce some of the regulatory barriers associated with siting and permitting such projects, while also ensuring that projects…

From our colleague Cherise Oram:

Secretary of Interior (DOI) Ken Salazar and Acting Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Jon Wellinghoff have announced an agreement describing how the two agencies will work together to facilitate permitting renewable energy – particularly ocean wave and current projects – on the outer continental shelf (OCS).