Sustainable Energy & Infrastructure

Last week, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions voted 18-4 to advance Boston Mayor Marty Walsh’s nomination for labor secretary. The bipartisan approval signals a non-controversial confirmation vote of the full Senate. When that occurs, Secretary-designate Walsh will take over a department that is front and center in the nascent Biden administration. Executing White House priorities including the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing the climate crisis, and reversing certain Trump era actions, will soon be Walsh’s responsibility. His experience in Massachusetts politics gives a sense of how Walsh will approach his new post.

This advisory summarizes SEC amendments, effective February 10, 202, to MD&A and other financial disclosure requirements and provides a chart highlighting the amended rules.

Energy & Sustainability events, February 2021

Energy & Sustainability M&A Activity – February 2021

We are excited to support DSD’s continued growth as adoption of distributed renewable energy asset development continues to accelerate across the United States and around the world.

This issue covers the DC Circuit ‘s ruling vacating Trump’s Affordable Clean Energy Rule, a client feature on Distributed Solar Development, recent M&A activity, an update from Washington, and a list of upcoming events.

This alert discusses the appointment of Satyam Khanna as the first senior policy advisor for climate and ESG at the SEC, where he will address climate and environmental, social, and governance issues.

On January 19, 2021 the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (the “DC Circuit”) vacated the Affordable Clean Energy Rule (the “ACE Rule”), a policy instituted by the Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”) on June 19, 2019 that weakened emissions standards for power plants and empowered states to set their own energy standards.

Read about regulatory and other developments public companies need to consider as they prepare for fiscal year-end Securities and Exchange Commission filings and 2021 annual shareholder meetings.

After what felt like one of the longest election seasons in history, Washington is preparing to welcome the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Meanwhile, Capitol Hill adjusts to a dramatic shift in power as Democrats achieved an election night stunner by winning both Senate run-off elections in Georgia on January 5, sending Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to Washington and giving Democrats a 50-seat majority with the new incoming vice president casting any tie votes. In the House of Representatives, Republicans narrowed the Democrats’ majority in November but are still in the minority and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has been reelected to serve as Speaker of the House.

This advisory discusses the SEC’s final rules — effective November 2, 2020 — governing voting advice provided by proxy advisory firms such as Institutional Shareholders Service (ISS) and Glass Lewis.

Don’t miss this month’s exciting virtual events, including a webinar detailing the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on solar markets.

Read about the latest round of M&A activity in the energy and sustainability space.

This month, we are excited to feature XL Fleet, an industry leader in fleet electrification.

This issue covers new Biden administration SEC requirements, a feature on XL Fleet, energy policy updates from DC, recent energy-related M&A activity, and upcoming industry events.

Public companies will be required to disclose climate risks and greenhouse gas emissions under President-elect Biden’s administration. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will institute rulemaking and guidance on the federal monitoring of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.