Energy and Clean Tech Connections (December 2009)
12/23/2009
In the December 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 local governments to Capitol Hill, grant opportunities, and upcoming events.
This month, the Energy and Clean Technology Practice Group would like to congratulate clients EnerNOC, Inc. and INEOS Bio. EnerNOC expanded its energy efficiency capabilities with the acquisition of Cogent Energy, Inc.‚ which will allow the energy demand management firm to offer its services to facilities with lower power consumption. INEOS Bio was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy this month for a $50 million grant for its advanced bioenergy facility in Indian River County, Florida. The facility will be the first to use INEOS Bio’s feedstock flexible technology for production of both bioethanol and renewable power.
On December 15th, ExxonMobil announced its acquisition of XTO Energy, a company specializing in extracting natural gas from shale. Valued at $31 billion, the deal has led to speculation that it may be the first in a series of mergers between the world’s leading oil companies and smaller firms specializing in shale natural gas production.
This month, heads of state from around the world descended upon Copenhagen, Denmark, for a United Nations-led conference on climate change. While the conference concluded without an international agreement mandating greenhouse gas emissions reductions, President Barack Obama declared an accord reached between the United States, India, China, Brazil, and South Africa to be “a meaningful and unprecedented breakthrough.” The agreement compels each nation to list national actions and commitments regarding emissions reductions and to provide information on the implementation of those actions.
We hope that you enjoy this month’s edition of the newsletter. For weekly updates on pertinent legislation and government programs, please click here to find the most recent ML Strategies Energy and Environment Update.
