The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) recently issued its 2012 Annual Report to Congress. My colleague CJ Voss has summarized some of the report’s key findings.

CFIUS is charged with reviewing acquisitions of U.S. businesses for national security implications. As we reported last fall, President Obama blocked Chinese-owned Ralls Corporation’s acquisition of wind

On October 29, 2012, the U.S. Justice Department filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Ralls Corp (“Ralls”), an affiliate of Chinese-owned Sany Group, challenging President Obama’s September 28, 2012 order that blocked four planned Oregon wind projects on national security grounds. See our previous posts for more background on the Ralls Corp.

Following up on our posts on the subject, I had the chance to speak with Colin O’Keefe of LXBN regarding President Obama’s blocking of a Chinese-owned wind energy project out of concerns for national security. In the brief interview, I explained what exactly happened and whether or not the companies involved have any kind of legal recourse. 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Bp0_kI6w4DI%3Fversion%3D3%26hl%3Den_US

President Obama issued an order on Friday blocking the construction and ownership of a wind project by Ralls Corporation (“Ralls”), due to national security concerns including “credible evidence” that Ralls or its affiliates, including the Sany Group (“Sany”), “might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States.”  Ralls was in

On September 12 a U.S. wind project development company, Ralls Corporation ("Ralls"), owned by two Chinese nationals, filed suit against the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States ("CFIUS"), an inter-agency U.S. government body charged with assessing the potential national security effects of foreign acquisitions of U.S. businesses. National security concerns may arise in

Stoel Rives partner Aaron Courtney will speak about the New Army Corps Nationwide Permits for Renewable Energy Facilities during a one-hour expert analysis telebriefing on Wednesday, April 25.

Learning objectives include:

  • How the nationwide permit program works
  • The scope and limitations of the two new nationwide permits for renewable energy facilities
  • Other nationwide permits that

On March 12, 2010, the Arizona Game and Fish Department ("AGFD") released finalized guidelines for solar development in Arizona ("Solar Guidelines"), the objective of which "is to assist energy developers in identifying potential impacts to wildlife and wildlife habitats from their proposed development and potential alternatives to avoid, minimize, and/or mitigate for these negative impacts."  The AGFD encourages local governments and permitting authorities to integrate the recommended study proposals described in the Solar Guidelines.  The document is organized around five basic project development steps:

  1. Wildlife Protection Regulations
  2. AGFD Regulations and Review
  3. Gather preliminary information and conduct site screening
  4. Identify potential impacts to wildlife
  5. Mitigation

The Solar Guidelines were compiled by the AGFD employees and have not undergone any external public review or input from the solar energy industry.  It should be noted that some of the information contained in the Solar Guidelines was taken from the AGFD’s wind guidelines.  In light of the fact that county officials often defer to the AGFD in matters of wildlife concerns, special attention should be given to the section of the Solar Guidelines focused on "Avoiding or Minimizing Impacts" and the recommendations contained therein.Continue Reading Solar Development Guidelines Released by Arizona Game and Fish Department