On August 12, 2024, the Argentine federal government published Executive Decree 718/2024, establishing the structure for the private sector’s continued operation of hydroelectric plants in the Comahue area (Neuquén and Rio...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
In recent years, a consistent issue facing hydroelectric project developers at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) has been the length of time it takes states to act on requests for water quality...more
On May 16, the Treasury Department (Treasury) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2024-41, which modifies Notice 2023-38 (Prior Guidance) by expanding the list of Applicable Projects (defined below) to...more
On June 15, 2023, the Government of British Columbia announced BC Hydro was proceeding with a call for new sources (the Call to Power) of 100 percent clean, renewable emission-free electricity from large-scale projects,...more
At the February 15, 2024, FERC open meeting and in four orders issued the same day, FERC established a new policy governing its issuance of preliminary permits under section 4(f) of the Federal Power Act (“FPA”), pursuant to...more
On March 11, 2024, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) issued a notice of request for proposals for energy storage projects pursuant to Public Act 21-53. DEEP is seeking to procure...more
Welcome to the second 2024 issue of Currents - our e-newsletter focused on energy topics. Business today is characterized by relentless change. To assist our clients in navigating this dynamic landscape, we pride...more
According to its Electricity Supply Plan 2023-2032 submitted to the Régie de l'énergie at the end of 2022, Hydro-Québec expects growth in electricity demand to continue in Quebec in the next decade by an additional 25...more
On January 11, 2024, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) held virtual stakeholder meetings to receive public comment on the MassDEP’s suggested options for strengthening the ability of the...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
On September 11, 2023, the Alberta Utilities Commission (“AUC”) formally launched an inquiry into the ongoing economic, orderly, and efficient development of electricity generation in the province (“Inquiry”)....more
Renewable energy projects share many of the same characteristics as traditional construction projects. To some extent, the approach to managing risk from a legal perspective will therefore be familiar. However, in other ways,...more
The Biden administration is making available $20 billion from a federal "green bank" for clean energy projects such as residential heat pumps, electric vehicle charging stations, and community cooling centers....more
The development of hydrogen fueling infrastructure across the United States will need to keep pace with the projected production and deployment of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The Biden administration has made significant...more
Last week, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced two separate programs that together will award nearly $600 million to fund hydroelectric power and advance marine energy. The DOE will award $554 million through...more
Seems like just yesterday that the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled on New England Clean Energy Connect's challenge to the retroactive initiative petition that might have killed the project to get hydropower from Canada to...more
Electricity generated from renewables surpassed coal in the United States for the first time in 2022, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) announced Monday. Renewables also surpassed nuclear generation for the...more
President Joe Biden’s budget proposal for 2024 includes billions of dollars spread across federal agencies to combat climate change, with a bulk of the investment going toward boosting conservation and disaster resilience,...more
On October 21, 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) announced three new funding opportunities to support research and development projects for hydropower infrastructure in the United States. The funding totals $28...more
In December 2022, several federal agencies announced awards and recommendations for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding. The BIL represents a core piece of President Biden’s agenda and provides significant funding for...more
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued an order on November 17, 2022, approving the surrender of the FERC license for the Lower Klamath Project. This order authorizes the decommissioning and removal of four...more
A Maine Trial Court Judge has denied New England Clean Energy Connect permission to complete its project to transmit Canadian hydropower to the United States saying that NECEC hadn't demonstrated that it will suffer...more
On August 1, the Supreme Court of California upheld a decision by the Court of Appeal, which found that the Federal Power Act (FPA) preempts application of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) when the state is...more
On September 22, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) issued an order on rehearing (Rehearing Order), denying the U.S. Department of the Interior’s (Interior) request to include a requirement for a...more