Sustainable Energy & Infrastructure Connections — July 2026

Sustainable Energy & Infrastructure Connections brings the latest developments in energy investing, legal insights, company activity, and industry events straight to your inbox.

Attorney Spotlight: Joshua Rudin on Commercial Real Estate and the Data Center Boom

By Joshua Rudin

Commercial real estate transactions are becoming increasingly complex, particularly as demand for data centers continues to reshape the market. In this Attorney Spotlight, Mintz Member Joshua Rudin shares how he helps clients navigate sophisticated deal structures, manage risk, and create long-term value across acquisitions, financings, joint ventures, and development projects. He also discusses what sets data center transactions apart from traditional real estate deals, why multidisciplinary collaboration is critical to success, and what makes this rapidly growing sector so exciting.

Read the Full Interview

White Paper: Overcoming Regulatory Barriers Facing Thermal Storage Resources

As electricity demand grows and industries seek cleaner, more flexible energy solutions, thermal storage technology is emerging as a critical tool for improving grid reliability and lowering energy costs. This Mintz white paper, prepared in collaboration with the Thermal Battery Alliance, examines the regulatory barriers that currently limit the adoption of thermal storage resources and explores the legislative and policy changes needed to unlock their full potential. Learn how thermal storage can support industrial decarbonization, improve grid efficiency, and help meet the energy demands of the future while navigating the complex legal framework that governs wholesale electricity markets.

Read the White Paper

Webinar: Understanding FERC’s ANOPR Action and Its Market Impact

ASG Partner and former FERC Commissioner Allison Clements joins Digital Infrastructure Practice Co-chair Steven Shparber to discuss FERC’s decision to launch six Section 206 proceedings and its implications for improving "speed to power" while balancing cost responsibility and state authority.

Watch the Webinar Recording

Legal Feature: What’s Driving the Power Bottleneck in AI Infrastructure

As AI adoption accelerates and data center demand reaches unprecedented levels, access to power has emerged as the biggest challenge facing digital infrastructure development. In this edition of Inside Digital Infrastructure, former FERC Commissioner Allison Clements and former Cumulus Data CFO Dustin Wertheimer join Mintz Digital Infrastructure Practice Co-chair Steven Shparber to examine the forces reshaping the market. From interconnection delays and regulatory complexity to supply constraints and shifting development strategies, they offer a candid look at why power availability has become the defining factor in project success and what developers, investors, and operators can do to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Read the Q&A

Client Feature: Potentia

Discover how Mintz helped Potentia reach a major milestone in one of the largest private infrastructure developments in Indiana’s history. The Heartland Industrial Park project is expected to generate approximately $65 billion in investment by 2030, creating thousands of jobs, supporting local communities, and delivering the power capacity needed for next generation data centers and technology operations. Learn how strategic legal guidance, large-scale infrastructure planning, and a focus on long-term economic impact came together to advance this transformative digital infrastructure project.

Read the Client Feature

Sustainable Energy & Infrastructure M&A Activity

By Thomas R. Burton, III, Sahir Surmeli

Recent M&A Activity:

June 3, 2026: KORE Power, manufacturer and developer of battery cell technology for the energy storage and electric transportation industries, reached a definitive agreement to be acquired by T1 Energy (NYSE: TE) for $32 million. The transaction includes a total potential $9.6 million equity-based earn-out for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The transaction is expected to provide T1 with an entry point into the energy storage and AI data center infrastructure markets through an expanded potential customer base for solar and storage solutions. Previously, KORE Power received development capital from One One Five Group of Companies on an undisclosed date. KORE Power offers energy storage systems (ESS), proprietary NMC and LFP cells, VDA modules, and packs to e-mobility, utility, industrial, and mission-critical markets, building sustainable communities and delivering green economic expansion.

Sustainable Energy & Infrastructure Litigation Updates — July 2026

By Jacob Hupart

Regulatory Updates:

Federal: On May 29, 2026, the SEC formally proposed the rescission of the Biden-era climate disclosure rule. As the SEC stated in an accompanying press release: “The Commission is now proposing to rescind the climate disclosure rules in their entirety because they exceed the scope of the agency’s statutory authority.” The SEC also detailed a number of policy objections to the climate disclosure rule, echoing the contemporaneous criticism leveled at the climate disclosure rule (e.g., that the rule “stray[s] well beyond the policy concerns of the federal securities laws”). While the practical impact of this formal rescission will be limited, as the climate disclosure rule never went into effect — the SEC had voluntarily stayed enforcement of the rule until the pending legal challenge was resolved — this does illustrate the Trump administration’s symbolic overturning of a key climate initiative undertaken by the Biden administration. 

California: On June 24, 2026, the California Air Resources Board — the entity responsible for enforcing California’s climate disclosure law — announced that it would “defer the reporting deadline for entities to report Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from August 10, 2026 to November 10, 2026.” According to the California agency, this three-month delay “will give reporting entities additional time” and enable “reporting entities [to] have additional clarity following approval of the final regulation before reporting is due.” (At this time, the California Air Resources Board also stated that it would be “proposing limited changes to the regulation to clarify certain requirements.”) Additionally, while unstated by California, this three-month delay will also afford additional time for the federal courts — specifically the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals — to opine on the validity of California’s climate disclosure laws. 

Past Events:

Yale Innovation Summit
May 27 – 28, 2026
New Haven, CT

Ayaz Shaikh, Chair of Mintz’s Project and Infrastructure Practice, attended the 2026 Yale Innovation Summit (focused on climate and energy) at his alma mater. Following the Summit, Ayaz was a featured speaker on “America at 250,” a four-person panel moderated by a prominent journalist, during his Yale 40-year reunion. Ayaz was also honored with the Yale College Class Award, a distinguished service award presented to one class member every five years in recognition of outstanding contributions to the Yale community.

London Action Week
June 20 – 28, 2026
London, UK
More info >> 

Climate Innovation Showcase
June 23, 2026
London, UK
More info >>

Dynamo Energy Hub London Summer Soirée
June 23, 2026
London, UK
More info >>

Sustainable Energy & Infrastructure Team — Built For This Moment

At the frontlines of the energy and sustainability revolution since the start, our team was built for this moment: to advance innovation, transform infrastructure, and scale solutions integral to business success and a thriving planet.

We would also like to remind our readers that you can always ask us anything at mintzedge.com/ask-anything/. We built the MintzEdge website as a resource for entrepreneurs and investors, and hope that all of you take advantage of the site and see how it can help you.

Mintz Project Analysts Jordyn Flaherty and Emma Sansom contributed to this edition of the newsletter.

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