Energy & Sustainability

On Tuesday, June 2, CleanEdge, in association with Wells Fargo and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center among others, released its annual U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index.

In an ambitious and unprecedented move, Hawaii is aiming to increase its current renewable energy output of 21% to a 100% quota by 2045. The state, which carries some of the U.S.’s highest electricity costs, is riding the momentum of decreasing renewable energy prices.

On Tuesday, May 19, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz announced the release of Enabling Wind Power Nationwide. The report is a comprehensive look at wind power potential across all 50 states and considers the impact of next generation wind turbines.

In recent weeks, Senators have put forth a variety of energy and environment initiatives, hoping to get their ideas included in a forthcoming broad bill from Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA).

In the run up to the Memorial Day recess, the House and Senate have had an eventful week, with even more on tap. Although Senator Portman and Shaheen recently passed their energy efficiency bill, several energy and environment hearings continue to keep Congressmen and Senators focused on this policy area.

On Tuesday May 5th, members of state government, clean energy advocates, and business representatives assembled at the Massachusetts State House for the New England Clean Energy Council’s (NECEC’s) fourth annual Clean Energy Day.

In its first step towards regulating nanoscale materials, EPA plans to impose a one-time electronic reporting and recordkeeping requirement under TSCA on manufacturer (“manufacturer” is defined to include importers) and processors of particles ranging from 1-100 nanometers and exhibiting unique characteristics due to their size.

While the potential Iran nuclear deal, the budget, and spending bills dominate Congress’ attention leading up to the Memorial Day recess, committees in both chambers have not forgotten about energy policy, with several hearings on the docket.

Despite downward pressure on oil and gas prices in recent years, solar, wind, and other alternative energy forms have maintained their popularity. In a recent article on FuelFix.com, Mintz Levin’s Tom Burton and Paul Dickerson discuss where this energy market trend stems from.

If you have an idea for the next great company, but can’t quite figure out how to communicate it, listen up! On Thursday, May 7th at 5pm, Mintz Levin is hosting a panel discussion on how emerging companies can craft compelling stories that hook consumers and investors.

The value of a company’s NOL carryforward may be one of its most valuable assets, particularly for energy technology companies that have funded long and expensive development cycles to get to market.

Fraunhofer USA and Greentown Labs are teaming up with Shell GameChanger to bring Boston a startup acceleration program for Wireless Sensor-Actuator Network (WSAN) prototype development.

This afternoon, U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) announced that their Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2015 has passed the House and is now headed to President Obama for signature, according to a United States Senate News Release.

The April 2015 edition of Pratt’s Energy Law Report features an article from ML Strategies’ Jordan Collins on the Department of the Interior’s Five Year Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2017-2022.

On Monday, April 13, The Alliance for Business Leadership hosted “Embracing the Future: The Economic Success of British Columbia’s Carbon Pricing Policy” at Mintz Levin’s Boston office.

Just in time for tax day – but 14 days behind the Congressional deadline - the IRS released the statutorily required calculations to determine the value of the Section 45 Production Tax Credit (“PTC”) credit amount in 2015, and whether or not a phase-out of the calculation would be required.

Today, the Clean Energy Trust, co-founded by Michael Polsky and Nicholas Pritzker, presents the 5th annual Clean Energy Challenge! The event, which counts Exelon, Boeing, Accenture, American Electric Power, ComEd, Invenergy LLC, and Wells Fargo among its sponsors, is being held in Chicago at Venue SIX10.

Last week, California Governor Edmund (Jerry) Brown announced a $1 billion emergency drought package and an executive order mandating a statewide 25 percent cut in potable water use through the end of next February.

From March 25 to 27, the Wall Street Journal brought energy stakeholders from around the world to Santa Barbara, California. Titled “ECO:nomics 2015,” the program focused on the biggest issues confronting business and the environment, including investing trends, the latest innovations and market disruptions, the environmental movement’s future, the horizon of energy policy, and the meaning of “sustainability.”

On March 19th, President Obama, continuing to push his climate change agenda over his final two years, signed an executive order requiring that by 2025 the federal government decrease its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 40 percent.