Solar Power – Global Power Law & Policy

White House Chooses Exclusion of Silica-Based Products Produced Using Forced Labor, Impacting Solar PVs

Jun 24 2021

By: Stacy J. Ettinger, Amy L. Groff, William D. Semins, Caitlin C. Blanche, Coleman Wombwell, Elizabeth C. Crouse

Today, the White House announced that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a withhold release order (the Order) on products manufactured using silica-based products produced by Hoshine Silicon Industry Co., Ltd., and its subsidiaries (“Hoshine”), which are purportedly the world’s largest metallurgical-grade silicon producers. Hoshine has been linked to forced labor in the Xinjiang province of the People’s Republic of China (the PRC). The Order covers silica-based products and materials or goods derived from or produced using those silica-based products. Thus, CBP may use the Order to seize or exclude a variety of products, including solar photovoltaic panels.

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The Energizer – Volume 90

Jun 03 2021

By: Buck B. Endemann, Daniel S. Cohen, Molly K. Barker, Natalie J. Reid, Matthew P. Clark, Nathan C. Howe, Maeve C. Tibbetts, Oretha A. Manu

There is a lot of buzz around clean technology, distributed energy resources (DERs), microgrids, and other technological innovations in renewable energy and clean transport industries, and how these developments can contribute to solving longstanding environmental justice issues. As these innovations develop, energy markets will undergo substantial changes to which consumers and industry participants alike will need to adapt and leverage. Every other week, K&L Gates’ The Energizer will highlight emerging issues or stories relating to the use of DERs, energy storage, emerging technologies, hydrogen, and other innovations driving the energy industry forward.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Twinning Nuclear Reactors with Machine Learning
FERC Invites Post-Technical Conference Comments on RTO/ISO Credit Practices
University of Illinois Will Soon Complete Final Phase of Solar Farm 2.0 Project
Spain Passes Carbon Neutrality Legislation that Bans Fossil Fuel Vehicles from Circulation within Nation’s Borders by 2050

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The Energizer – Volume 76

Oct 09 2020

By: Buck B. Endemann, Daniel S. Cohen, Molly K. Barker, Olivia B. Mora, Abraham F. Johns, Natalie J. Reid, Matthew P. Clark

A biweekly update on clean technology applications, distributed energy resources, and other innovative technologies in the renewable energy and clean transport sector.

There is a lot of buzz around cleantech, distributed energy resources (“DERs”), microgrids, and other technological innovations in the renewable energy and clean transport industries. As these innovations develop, energy markets will undergo substantial changes to which consumer and industry participants alike will need to adapt and leverage. Every other week, K&L Gates’ The Energizer will highlight emerging issues or stories relating to the use of DERs, energy storage, emerging technologies, hydrogen, and other innovations driving the energy and clean transportation industries forward.

IN THIS ISSUE:

FERC Finds ESRs Can Be a “Load-Shape Modifying Device” for Demand Response
Spanish Government Sets a New Standard for Hydrogen Industry Investment
Another Major U.S. Utility Commits to Net Zero Emissions By 2050
Floating Solar Panels Could Pair with Hydropower Projects to Increase Energy Generation

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The Energizer – Volume 72

Aug 17 2020

A biweekly update on clean technology applications, distributed energy resources, and other innovative technologies in the renewable energy and clean transport sector.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Canadian Provinces Expand Planned Development of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors
NREL Announces DER-Optimizing Software
Researchers Develop Catalyst to Efficiently Convert Carbon Dioxide to Ethanol
The World’s Largest Floating PV Park Outside of China Comes Online

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The Energizer – Volume 67

Jun 04 2020

By: Buck B. Endemann, Daniel S. Cohen, Molly K. Barker, Olivia B. Mora, Abraham F. Johns, Natalie J. Reid, Matthew P. Clark

A biweekly update on blockchain technology applications, distributed energy resources, and other innovative technologies in the energy sector.

There is a lot of buzz around blockchain technology, distributed energy resources (“DERs”), microgrids, and other technological innovations in the energy industry. As these innovations develop, energy markets will undergo substantial changes to which consumer and industry participants alike will need to adapt and leverage. Every other week, K&L Gates’ The Energizer will highlight emerging issues or stories relating to the use of blockchain technology, DERs, and other innovations driving the energy industry forward. To subscribe to The Energizer newsletter, please click here.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Hawaiian Electric Companies Select Plus Power to Build Grid-Scale Battery Project
UK’s Largest Solar Farm is on the Horizon
The IRS Issues Proposed Rules for Earned Carbon Capture Tax Credit
MIT Study Analyzes Use of Spent EV Batteries for Utility-Scale Storage
Vodafone and Energy Web Partner to Identify and Secure Distributed Energy Assets

To view more information on these topics in Volume 67 of The Energizer, CLICK HERE.

The Energizer – Volume 65

May 08 2020

By: Buck B. Endemann, Daniel S. Cohen, Molly K. Barker, Olivia B. Mora, Abraham F. Johns, Natalie J. Reid, Matthew P. Clark

A biweekly update on blockchain technology applications, distributed energy resources, and other innovative technologies in the energy sector.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Researchers Develop New Technique to Extract Alternative Fuel Source from Biomass
Southern California Edison Announces Historic Energy Storage Procurements
Australian Researchers Achieve Breakthrough in Solar Window Concept
Researchers Develop Self-forming Membrane to Improve Carbon Capture
Several European TSOs Join to Launch a Cross-border, Blockchain-based Energy Platform

To view more information on these topics in Volume 65 of The Energizer, CLICK HERE.

The Energizer – Volume 64

Apr 27 2020

By: Buck B. Endemann, Daniel S. Cohen, Molly K. Barker, Olivia B. Mora, Abraham F. Johns, Natalie J. Reid, Matthew P. Clark

A biweekly update on blockchain technology applications, distributed energy resources, and other innovative technologies in the energy sector.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Researchers Develop Ultraflexible Solar Cell with 13% Efficiency
Long-Duration Solar Energy Storage to Power Mines in Latin America
Ansaldo Nuclear Developed a Machine Retrieval System to Handle Nuclear Waste
Power Ledger Partners with Perth Residential Communities for Blockchain-based Energy Trading

To view more information on these topics in Volume 64 of The Energizer, CLICK HERE.

Join us for a Webinar: COVID-19: Impacts on Solar Supply Chain

Mar 16 2020

Join us for a webinar on Tuesday, March 17, discussing the impact of COVID-19 on the solar supply chain. Industry leaders will be hosting a discussion on the impact of COVID-19 related measures on the solar supply chain. Moderated by K&L Gates’ Elizabeth Crouse, panelists will discuss the improving situation in Asia, the Europe travel ban, and concerns about labor and components availability in the United States, with an emphasis on (1) troubleshooting supply chain and development disruption now and as the global manufacturing industry comes back online, and (2) the broader impact of the pandemic on the American solar industry.

For more information and to register, please click here.

For more information on our response to COVID-19, please click here.

Loose Lips Sink Ships: Public Statements and the Contractual Rights to Renewable Energy Credits in Solar Power Purchase Agreements

Jun 19 2018

By William H. Holmes and Kristen A. Berry

This post is one of a series of “practice tip” articles about renewable energy power purchase agreements.

There is a well-known Chinese proverb: “All problems derive from your big mouth.” These are words of wisdom for parties who are negotiating renewable energy PPAs.

In due diligence, we regularly come across on-site solar power purchase agreements (PPAs) that state that the seller is reserving all environmental attributes and selling only the project’s electricity to the buyer. This type of reservation is common in states like Maryland and Massachusetts, where environmental attributes may have a fairly high market value and may be monetized by the seller to make the project more marketable by effectively reducing the delivered price of electricity. However, despite this environmental attribute reservation, these PPAs too often go on to say, quite expressly, that the buyer has the right to announce that it is using “solar energy” or “renewable energy” produced by the project. This seemingly innocuous provision, intended to enable the buyer to brag about its renewable energy purchase, can create problems in PPAs where the seller also reserves environmental attributes.

Federal Court Rejects California Public Utilities Commission’s Re-MAT Program as Non-Compliant with PURPA

Dec 20 2017

By Buck B. Endemann, William M. Keyser, Molly Suda, and Toks A. Arowojolu

On Wednesday, December 6, 2017, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California (“the Court”) issued a decision in Winding Creek Solar LLC v. Peevey (“Winding Creek decision”),[1] finding that the California Public Utilities Commission’s (“CPUC”) Renewable Market-Adjusting Tariff (“Re-MAT”) program violated the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (“PURPA”). The Court also found that the CPUC’s “Standard Contract” for generators less than 20 MW failed to comply with PURPA, throwing into question the effectiveness and pricing associated with a significant amount of renewable energy generation currently under contract.

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