Energy and Clean Tech Connections (May 2009)
5/22/2009
In the May edition of Mintz Levin’s Energy and Clean Tech Connections, we’ve gathered recent information from a wide variety of sources in an effort to keep you abreast of what’s new in the world of clean energy. We draw your attention to the latest industry developments, news from Beacon Hill to Capitol Hill, grant opportunities, and upcoming events.
On April 27‚ the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) issued its first Funding Opportunity Announcement in the amount of $150 million. In line with ARPA-E’s mandate to promote ground-breaking‚ novel energy research, the solicitation targets “high risk, high reward” research that can be deployed rapidly. Applicants should have a relatively well-formed R&D plan that takes a nascent technology beyond the point of market entrance and to the point of having a significant impact on the nation’s energy industry. Individual awards will take the form of direct grants, and will range from $500,000 to $20 million. For more information, see Government Financial Assistance below.
On Capitol Hill, the revised version of the Waxman-Markey bill, known as the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACESA), was released by the House Energy and Commerce Committee last Friday and began markup by the House this week. The final committee version contains significant changes from the original version of the bill that reflect bargaining with both conservatives and Southern Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats. These changes include a lower renewable energy mandate and a smaller required reduction in green house gas emissions by 2020. The new version of the bill also proposes giving away rather than auctioning off the majority of emissions allowances in order to offset the costs of investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.
The Energy and Clean Technology Practice Group is pleased to announce that Mintz Levin attorneys Sahir Surmeli and Scott White recently authored an article in Power & Energy Solutions entitled “Climate Change and Public Company Disclosure.” The article details recent legal, legislative, and regulatory developments that have brought climate change disclosure under public scrutiny, and their implications for public companies.
Mintz Levin was proud to host the inaugural session of the New England Clean Energy Council’s Fellowship Program. We look forward to the entrepreneurs in this program building great companies. We would also like to congratulate our client Big Belly Solar on completing its recent equity financing.
We hope that you enjoy this month’s edition of the newsletter.
