Energy and Clean Tech Connections (May 2010)
5/19/2010
In the May edition of 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 and Metal Oxygen Separation Technologies Inc. Earlier this month, EnerNOC secured a multi-year contract to provide Tucson Electric Power with up to 40 megawatts of demand response capacity. Meanwhile, Metal Oxygen Separation Technologies was named a winner in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Energy Efficiency Grand Challenge, taking home a prize of $260,000.
In Washington this month, Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) unveiled their long-anticipated energy and climate legislation. The legislation aims to cut emissions of greenhouse gases by 17% by 2020; it also includes increased protections for offshore drilling, and would, for the first time, set a price on carbon dioxide emissions produced by some major polluters. For the most up-to-date information on the legislation and other federal programs, please click here to find the most recent ML Strategies Weekly Energy and Environment Update.
Last month, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar formally approved the Cape Wind project. Located off the coast of Massachusetts in Nantucket Sound, Cape Wind would be the first offshore wind farm in the United States if completed.
In financing news, Mintz Levin has teamed with the law firm Krieg DeVault and the investment bank Stern Brothers to develop a bond-oriented approach for financing commercial biofuels projects. The platform has received favorable initial reaction from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and could help resolve the funding delays and other issues presently facing the commercialization of biofuels.
