The Climate Policy, Renewable Energy, & Sustainability Blog
The Department of Energy today announced the award of more than $37 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to 17 projects supporting solid-state lighting core research, product development, and domestic manufacturing.
Solid-state lighting, which uses light-emitting diodes (“LEDs”) and organic light-emitting diodes (“OLEDs”) instead of incandescent bulbs, has the potential to be ten…
On January 14, the Geothermal Energy Association will host a one-day Geothermal Energy Finance Forum in New York. Almost 30 speakers are confirmed for the Forum, including heavy hitters from investment groups and banks, geothermal energy developers, and the DOE and Treasury. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will deliver the keynote address. My colleague, John McKinsey…
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an important ruling clarifying how the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) must apply the Mobile-Sierra doctrine. The Mobile-Sierra doctrine informs how FERC should evaluate whether a contract rate for energy is just and reasonable, and the doctrine provides that FERC’s sole concern should be whether the contract rates being challenged…
During the WORLD AG EXPO in Tulare, CA on February 9, Stoel Rives will be hosting a Breakfast Seminar on Developing, Permiting and Financing Biomass Facilities. The seminar will take place in the Sequoia Room of the Hampton Inn and Suites, 1100 N. Cherry Street, which is near the Expo Site. The Seminar will…
Concern is mounting over whether the smart grid awards and project grants to be distributed by the Department of Energy (“DOE”) will be taxable in the hands of the recipients. Certain grants administered by federal, state, or local programs for renewable energy projects located in the US may be reportable by the recipient. The 100 smart grid award recipients, …
DOE Secretary Chu’s announcement today regarding $80 million of ARRA funding for biofuels is potentially a positive development for the long-term development of the biofuels industry. What is worriesome from a practical perspective is the division of funding.
Continue Reading Secretary Chu Announces $80M for Biofuels
On January 5, 2010, the National Marine Fisheries Service (“NMFS”) issued a proposed rule designating 70,600 square miles of critical habitat for endangered leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) along the West Coast, covering portions of Washington, Oregon, and California. Section 4 of the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) requires NMFS to designate critical habitat …
In a January 8 letter to the Minnesota Public Service Commission, Xcel Energy informed the Commission that it intends to conduct competitive negotiations with wind projects that are able to interconnect at Xcel’s Angus Anson generating station in Sioux Falls.
The Angus Anson plant is a gas-fired peaking facility that has firm transmission to deliver its output. Xcel…
The California Public Utilities Commission ("CPUC") issued a proposed decision on December 23, 2009 that would, if adopted, allow California investor-owned utilities, energy service providers, and community choice aggregators to purchase renewable energy credits alone, without the associated energy (sometimes referred to as "unbundled renewable energy credits ("RECs)" or "tradable RECs"), to satisfy their obligations…
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