Summaries of the agenda items for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s monthly open meeting to be held on May 15, 2025, pursuant to the sunshine notice released on May 8, 2025. In this issue… - Electric Items -...more
Summaries of the agenda items for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's monthly open meeting to be held on April 17, 2025, pursuant to the sunshine notice released on April 10, 2025. In this issue… -Electric Items ...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
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
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
On May 4, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing titled “Hearing to Conduct Oversight of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.” This alert provides a high-level summary of the discussion....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
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently issued a final rule, Order No. 880, revising its hydropower project inspection and safety regulations. The updates revise part 12 of FERC’s regulations and conclude an...more
On December 3, 2021, Judge Barbara Rothstein of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington dismissed a suit brought by the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe, finding that the district court lacks jurisdiction over the...more
FERC issued an original license for a period of 25 years, pursuant to Part I of the Federal Power Act, to Oregon State University (OSU) to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed PacWave South Hydrokinetic Project No....more
Happy new year! We begin 2021 with a transition of leadership in the Presidency and the U.S. Senate, and with the recent news that President Biden has named Richard Glick as the new FERC Chair. All of these changes in...more
Under the Federal Power Act (FPA), the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or “Commission”) licenses and regulates over 1,600 hydroelectric project dams, diversions, and related hydropower facilities....more
Mountain Valley Says Natural Gas Pipeline Timing Depends on Litigation, U.S. Approvals - “'As the litigation process progresses and as we receive additional information from FERC regarding potentially releasing the...more
California power shortfall forces sweeping review of grid reliability strategy - Bullet S&P Global – August 21 - In an August 19 letter to Governor Gavin Newsom, the heads of the California Public Utilities...more
U.S. sitting on 145 GW of unused commercial solar potential, according to new Wood Mackenzie study - Bullet Greentech Media – August 10 - Wood Mackenzie is forecasting a 32 percent drop in commercial solar...more
For the first time, FERC has found that significant investments in an existing licensed hydroelectric facility by a licensee will be considered when establishing the license term in a relicensing proceeding, potentially...more
Sullivan & Worcester counsel recently participated in the “Grid Scale Energy Storage Summit,” part of the expansive Hydrovision International conference held at the end of June in Charlotte, North Carolina. For the first time...more
OVERVIEW - The United States has produced clean, renewable electricity from hydropower for more than 100 years. Today there are approximately 2,500 domestic dams and pumped-storage facilities that provide roughly 100...more
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) hydropower licensing processes are perennially criticized for how long they take and for the regulatory uncertainty they involve. On October 19, 2017, FERC took one...more
President Donald Trump's Executive Order (EO) entitled "Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth" is a broad directive accomplishing a number of the Trump Administration's energy-related priorities....more
In early August, Tesla Motors Inc., a manufacturer of advanced electric vehicles and battery energy storage systems, announced a deal to buy SolarCity Corporation, a developer of distributed energy resources, particularly...more
Federal Tax Incentives for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency - A. GENERAL DESCRIPTION. The Federal Internal Revenue Code provides a business income tax credit in the amount of $0.023 (2015) per kilowatt hour of...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - California extends mandatory water cuts despite growing snowpack - Sacramento Bee - Feb 2 - California’s drought regulators agreed Tuesday to extend water conservation mandates...more
Renewable Energy Focus - PG&E launches program to let all customers go 100 percent solar - Solar Industry Magazine - Feb 3 - Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) has officially launched its previously...more
Renewable Energy Focus - Large-scale renewables account for more than 60% of new energy capacity in the U.S. - CleanTechnica - Oct 28: Recent figures reveal that utility-scale renewable energy projects accounted for more...more