Other Renewable Technologies

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Troutman Sanders Capital Projects & Infrastructure Partner, John Leonti, will moderate a panel providing insight into the future of renewable energy projects during the Projects and Money 2019 Conference at The Roosevelt New Orleans on January 14 – 16, 2019.

Panel Description

The Future of Renewables

Wednesday, January 16, 2019 from 8:00 – 9:15am

Renewables have chalked up an impressive growth record. Yet, the availability of PPAs is dwindling, tax incentives are scheduled to decline (solar) and end (wind), prices are dropping and other challenges are surfacing. Are renewables a bubble set to burst or will we see hundreds of billions more invested in the future? This session will explore what it all means for the future of renewables.

Listen as our authoritative panel examines the key issues involved in renewable energy projects, offering insights on evolving industry norms and best practices.

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NEW YORK – Con Edison Development, Inc., a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. and one of America’s largest owners and operators of renewable energy infrastructure projects announced today its agreement to acquire a Sempra Energy subsidiary that owns 981 megawatts (MW) AC of operating renewable electric production projects, including its 379 MW AC share of…

On April 24, 2017, PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (“PJM”) submitted an amicus curiae brief in a legal challenge against an Illinois program to provide additional revenue for some of the state’s financially-struggling nuclear energy facilities.  The program allows eligible generators to generate and sell Zero Emission Credits (“ZECs”) and obligates the state’s utilities to buy a certain share of those credits.  In its brief, PJM argued that the program allows uneconomic generators to continue participating in wholesale energy and capacity markets, thereby causing “substantial[] harm” to the markets and other participating generators.…
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On April 25, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (“D.C. Circuit”) dismissed Portland General Electric Company’s (“PGE”) and PáTu Wind Farm LLC’s (“PáTu”) petitions for review of FERC’s orders finding that PGE must purchase all of the power delivered by PáTu pursuant to their power purchase agreement (“PPA”) under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (“PURPA”), but that PGE was not required to use dynamic scheduling.  In doing so, the D.C. Circuit held, among other things, that: (1) it lacked jurisdiction to review FERC’s resolution of PGE and PáTu’s PURPA dispute because the orders were merely declaratory; (2) circuit court review of PURPA section 210(h) enforcement actions occurs on appeal from district courts; and (3) FERC’s Federal Power Act (“FPA”)-based regulations cited to by PáTu in support of its claim that FERC should require PGE to use dynamic scheduling only apply to the transmission customer-transmission provider relationship, which was unlike PáTu and PGE’s relationship.…
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By Brian Harms and Emily Prince

On April 6, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) unanimously approved an order doubling the budget of California’s Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP). The order directs California’s three investor owned utilities to double their collection of SGIP fees from ratepayers. Together the utilities will collect $166 million dollars annually through 2019 to fund the SGIP, resulting in an addition $249 million for project funding.

The Order implements California’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act (AB 1637), which Governor Brown signed into law in September, 2016. The Act directs the PUC to increase the maximum collection for SGIP and extends the net energy metering program for fuel cells that commence commercial operation on or before December 31, 2021. The law updated the qualifications for the battery storage program by increasing the individual project cap to 5 MW and increasing the statewide cap by approximately 76 MW.…
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On February 13, 2017, a bipartisan coalition of 20 US governors published a letter imploring President Donald Trump to support the renewables industry. The group highlighted the wide impact the industry has across the nation, employing hundreds of thousands of Americans and transforming low-income and rural communities. The Governors highlight four ways in which Congress and the Trump administration could help the renewables industry.

First, grid modernization and transmission development. The Governors argued that any national infrastructure package should provide significant funding for grid modernization to address the electrical transmission challenges created by large expansions of renewable generation across the country. To implement and streamline the grid modernization process, the governors suggested that the administration create a state-federal task force to work with FERC and the National Laboratories.…
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Troutman Sanders Project Development, Acquisition and Finance Partner, Brian Harms  will provide guidance to counsel involved in the development of renewable energy projects, with a particular focus on the operations and maintenance (O&M) agreements that underpin such developments on March 7, 2017. The panel will discuss factors to consider and will outline the important terms and conditions to be addressed in O&M agreements. CLE credit is available.  For more information click here.
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The Second Circuit Court of Appeals sent a clear message to secured creditors with its recent decision, Ring v. First Niagara Bank, N.A. (In re Sterling United, Inc.),1 that in the case of a collateral description in a financing statement for blanket liens covering all of a debtor’s assets — less is more.…

With the Obama administration coming to an end, January 2017 marks the beginning of a dramatic wholesale conservative shift in federal public policymaking. Starting with the swearing-in of the 115th Congress on January 3rd, and followed by President Donald J. Trump’s inauguration on January 20th, the legislative and executive branches promise a robust schedule of…