Sustainable Energy & Infrastructure

As the sustainability movement grows, so too do the ambiguities under which boards of directors govern. In this article published by the National Association of Corporate Directors, Thomas R. Burton and Benjamin D. Stone provide suggestions for how boards can navigate this exciting but still developing sector and help corporations generate both profits and positive impact.

A law recently enacted by the Massachusetts legislature and signed by Governor Charlie Baker will increase the use of renewable fuels to produce electricity, allow the development of more offshore wind farms, enable more technologies to qualify for energy efficiency incentives and increase the use of technologies that store electricity.

A hot new area for the development of energy efficiency storage technology is refrigeration. Last month, this blog covered the recent success of Mintz client Axiom Exergy.

Don’t miss this month’s two exciting events: the NECEC’s Annual Legislative Roundup and Greentech Media’s Blockchain in Energy Forum.

Energy & Sustainability Connections brings the latest developments in energy investing, legal insights, company activity, and industry events straight to you.

Read the latest energy policy updates coming out of the Capitol, including the latest developments in DOE-sponsored funding, Congressional hearings about the reorganization of the DOE, and recently introduced legislation.

We are proud to be a founding sponsor of the RealLeaders 100 – the first ranking of the top impact companies in North America. On June 28, 2018, enVerid Systems, a leading private technology company, received Red Herring’s 2018 Top 100 North America Award in recognition of their innovative approach to improving indoor air quality.

M&A Activity: Read about the latest round of M&A activity in the cleantech space.

At the Northeast Clean Energy Council’s (NECEC) latest Emerging Trends Seriesforum on July 11, 2018, leaders from the clean energy industry and the public sector convened to discuss the future of energy efficiency in the Northeast.

It has been over two years since Governor Baker enacted the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program, and nearly one year since the state’s Department of Energy Resources (DOER) released its final set of proposed regulations for the program.

In May, Mintz Levin client Axiom Exergy closed an impressive $7.6 million Series A round to scale its cold-storage device for grocery stores, bringing its total fundraising to $12.5 million.

In a report titled Moving Electrons, investment firm Village Capital highlighted the transportation sector as the next big focal point for cleantech investors seeking opportunities to support firms and sectors that are likely to significantly reduce carbon emissions.

On May 10, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing to discuss the state of the country’s electric transmission infrastructure. This hearing was a continuation of the Subcommittee on Energy’s Powering America series, a series of hearings dedicated to examining aspects of the nation’s power sector.

Wind is blowing up in the Commonwealth! A report from Environment Massachusetts shows that offshore wind could help power the state’s electricity needs 19 times over – and major generators are already working to make it happen.

This month we are excited to highlight our client NBD Nanotechnologies! The Boston-based innovator recently secured an $8 million Series B financing to further grow its business while continuing to innovate within its proprietary platform focused on specialty chemical products that change the surface properties of materials like glass and plastic.

On April 12, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing on “The Fiscal Year 2019 Department of Energy Budget” with testimony from Secretary of Energy Rick Perry.

For all the publicity generated by the recent increase in value of Bitcoin, as well as the generally increasing awareness of the existence of blockchain technology, Greentech Media’s recent Blockchain in Energy Forum 2018 held in New York City demonstrated that the technology is incredibly young and all stakeholders—utilities, regulators, entrepreneurs, consumers and investors—are still struggling with the ultimate impact of distributed ledger systems.

The world is changing! Over the last several years, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria have been an emerging focus in the investing world, primarily driven by equity investors where it can be harder for a company raising funds to correlate capital costs with ESG impact.

Analysis by Bloomberg New Energy Finance finds that roughly 18% of U.S. energy generation is supplied by renewable sources. The details can be found in the 2018 edition of the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook, Bloomberg’s dive into the country’s energy mix and evaluation of how various renewable energy industries are faring.

On February 7, the Baker-Polito Administration announced that Massachusetts has installed more than 2,000 megawatts (MW) of solar electricity through 78,646 projects across the state. The achievement represents the culmination of various projects that make Massachusetts a leader in clean energy and energy efficiency and help the Commonwealth meet greenhouse gas reduction requirements set out by the Global Warming Solutions Act.