The State of Energy Storage: What You Need to Know
The proverbial road to Electric Vehicle (EV) rollout is paved with numerous challenges. Among these speedbumps is the preeminent question of how the infrastructure to support nationwide EV charging will be financed and...more
A bill that would enable schools, shopping centers, and landlords of multi-unit residential buildings to use the electricity they collect with their own rooftop solar systems has passed the California Legislature....more
Good morning! This is Akin’s newsletter on climate change policy and regulatory developments, providing information on major climate policy headlines from the past week and forthcoming climate-related events and hearings...more
Wilson Sonsini is pleased to share the latest issue of Clean Energy and Climate Solutions Resources Roundup. In this issue, we cover - - updates to Wilson Sonsini's Clean Energy and Climate Solutions Federal Funding...more
A common complaint that we hear from local opposition to solar projects is the potential negative impact on the local environment. A great solution to address these sorts of concerns is Agrivoltaics, where agricultural...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $20 billion in federal “green bank” grants to eight community development banks and nonprofit organizations to use on projects combating climate change in disadvantaged...more
The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) is proposing $6.1 billion in transmission projects, primarily to help deliver offshore wind to customers, according to a draft transmission plan released on April 1....more
The first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the United States is officially open, a long-awaited moment that helps pave the way for a succession of large wind farms. Danish wind energy developer Ørsted and the utility...more
Congressman Adam Schiff (California) introduced into the House of Representatives on February 20th legislation denominated the Renewable Roadsides Act (“Act”)....more
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is reviewing 20 major renewable energy projects — mostly solar — across the West that would cover as much as 193,000 acres of federal land, and generate 13,845 MW of electricity, or enough...more
Solar energy and agricultural production often find themselves competitors. Both have strong incentives to expand, and they share a key input: land. Solar developers continue ramping up solar installation worldwide to meet...more
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to ease environmental reviews for certain energy storage, solar, and rebuilt or upgraded transmission projects on federal land. Those types of projects — given their limited...more
On Oct. 19, 2023, the Department of Energy began accepting applications for all categories of the Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program for small-scale wind and solar projects....more
The Biden administration is putting almost $3.5 billion into improving the strength and resiliency of the U.S. electric grid, government officials said on Wednesday. The money is coming from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,...more
The DOE Portal for submitting applications to the "Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program" for all four facility categories opens on October 19, 2023, at 9:00 am ET. All applications received by November 18 at midnight...more
The California State Senate has passed Senate Bill 605, which directs the California Energy Commission to evaluate the feasibility, costs, and benefits of using wave energy and tidal energy in the state, sending the bill to...more
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is offering up to $300 million for states, tribes, and local governments to bolster transmission siting and permitting processes while supporting economic development. Through the...more
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has approved Floventis Energy for the development and operation of CADEMO, the first floating offshore wind farm with 60 MW of capacity, to be located off the California coast near the...more
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “Act”) breathed new life into the tax scheme for renewable energy projects, creating a new base tax credit with a series of adders that can significantly increase viability of projects...more
Jobs in the U.S. energy industry rose 3.8% last year, faster than overall employment growth and led by work in clean energy, the Department of Energy said last Wednesday. According to the U.S. Energy and Employment Report,...more
The U.S. solar industry had the most growth of any quarter in its history in Q1 2023, as delayed projects from 2022 came online and supply chain constraints showed signs of loosening. According to a new report from Wood...more
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Monday unveiled a roadmap it says will, using hydrogen energy, enable the U.S. to reduce its emissions by 10% in 2050, compared to 2005 levels. The strategy document calls for...more
Environmental groups have sued California regulators over new rules they say will discourage the growth of rooftop solar installations, in violation of state law. Three groups filed a petition asking the California Court of...more
The type of floating wind turbines needed to harness California’s blustery coastal conditions are rare — most turbines are affixed to the ocean floor — posing a technically challenging yet alluring opportunity for innovation...more
The low-income communities bonus credit (the LIC Bonus), which was introduced by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the IRA), provides an enhanced tax credit for renewable energy projects located in designated low-income...more