Sustainable Energy & Infrastructure

Read about developments in connection with a Department of Labor rule concerning ESG investing and the SEC’s continued focus on ESG issues.

This issue of Energy & Sustainability Connections includes features on Inflation Reduction Act takeaways for the clean energy sector, a roundup of recent M&A activity, Mintz’s work on a deal for Logical Buildings, energy policy news from Washington, reports on litigation developments, and a list of upcoming industry events.

Learn about upcoming energy industry events, including the Wood Mackenzie Event: Edinburgh New Energies Briefing The Route to Net Zero.

Read about recent M&A activity in the energy and sustainability space, including Mintz’s work to help Logical Buildings close a novel energy efficiency–financing vehicle and Maddox Defense’s acquisition of renewable energy services company Apollo 3 Energy.

IRA Update Section 45X & Section 48C

Our April 2023 Energy & Sustainability Washington Update covers a significant energy package being advanced by House Republicans, the Treasury Department proposing new guidance on the Inflation Reduction Act EV Tax Credit, the first-ever national Offshore Wind Energy Strategy, EV investments, climate change and cyberattack legislation, hydrogen infrastructure, IRA and Bipartisan Infrastructure opportunities. 

Read about Boston Metal, a company developing technology to fully decarbonize steel production, and the company’s $120 million Series C fundraising round from ArcelorMittal in January 2023.

Read about developments in connection with the SEC’s proposed ESG disclosures rule focused on climate-related disclosures, including three California bills concerning ESG financial disclosures and investing.

Read about recent M&A activity in the energy and sustainability space, including RWE Renewables Americas’ $6.8 billion acquisition of Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses, a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison.

Read about Darling Ingredients and Valero Energy’s investment decision on a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) project, Toyota being awarded more patents than any other automaker by the USPTO in 2022, and Tigo Energy’s patent litigation to protect its innovations.

Learn about upcoming energy industry events, including the International Partnering Forum (IPF) Offshore Wind Conference.

The European Patent Office (EPO) and International Energy Agency (IEA) have now released “Hydrogen Patents for a Clean Energy Future” – a comprehensive report on innovation in clean-energy hydrogen technologies over the past two decades according to global patent filings. Patents remain strong indicators of innovation activity and the state and direction of science. The report provides a unique look at where green hydrogen investment has been focused and where it are heading based on international patent families (“IPFs”). According to the report, IPFs are reliable proxies for inventive activity as each represents an invention having value sufficient for seeking protection across multiple patent offices.

Our March 2023 Energy & Sustainability Washington Update covers a significant energy package being advanced by House Republicans, the US-UK Strategic Energy Dialogue, ARPA-E Funding for Grid Reliability and Resiliency, and new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law & Inflation Reduction Act opportunities.

Learn about upcoming energy industry events, including Infocast’s ERCOT Market Summit in Austin, Texas.

Read about recent M&A activity in the energy and sustainability space, including Xpansiv’s acquisition of Evolution Markets, a provider of strategic financial and transactional services for the global environmental and energy markets.

Read about developments in connection with the SEC’s proposed climate disclosures rule, including media reports suggesting that the SEC was considering adjusting the proposed 1% threshold that would trigger reporting and a pending California bill concerning Scope 3 GHG emissions disclosures.

Read about a Department of Energy (DOE) announcement of $118 million in funding for 17 projects to accelerate the production of sustainable biofuels and the selected projects.

Read about guidance released by the IRS on the Low-Income Community Adder and the newly established allocation program to make the adder available.

Our February 2023 Energy & Sustainability Washington Update covers a DOE clean hydrogen funding opportunity, a FEMA report on Puerto Rico grid resilience, a program launched by national labs that focuses on community energy goals, a national blueprint for transportation decarbonization, and new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law & Inflation Reduction Act opportunities.