Energy & Clean Tech Connections (June 2011)
6/29/2011
In the June edition of Energy & 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 & Clean Technology Practice Group would like to congratulate Mintz Levin’s client, PurposeEnergy, Inc. and ML Strategies’ client Solar Trust of America. Based in Waltham, Massachusetts, PurposeEnergy addresses by-product and energy issues in the brewing industry with its Biphase Orbicular Biodigester System, which turns brewery waste into a clean-burning biofuel. Earlier this month, PurposeEnergy was selected as a “Brilliant Company” in Entrepreneur’s top 100 ideas and innovators. On June 17, the third annual SolarDay, Solar Trust of America celebrated the groundbreaking of its Blythe Solar Power Project, a Department of Energy (DOE) loan guarantee recipient that, when completed, will generate enough electricity to power 300,000 homes. After the groundbreaking ceremony, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar applauded that just the first phase of the Blythe project will put 1,000 people to work during construction and create about 200 permanent jobs. In addition to the Blythe project, Solar Trust of America currently has 2,000 MW of solar-energy power plants in advanced stages of development throughout California and Nevada.
On Capitol Hill, the budget deficit talks that have dominated Washington for the last month remain at an impasse with Democrats insisting increased revenues be part of any final deal and Republicans reaffirming that tax increases would not pass Congress. In energy, the Obama administration and several Democratic congressmen have expressed opposition to four Republican bills intended to speed the development of renewable energy on public lands by allowing some projects to avoid National Environmental Policy Act requirements. The House Natural Resources Subcommittee has been presented with Democratic alternatives, one being a bill introduced by Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) that would increase to 25% the percentage of electricity from renewables that the federal government is required to purchase by 2025. At the Subcommittee’s June 23 hearing on these bills, representatives of environmental groups suggested the committee focus on providing financial stability for the renewable-energy industry through the extension of existing incentives such as a Treasury grant program.
Mid-July will be busy with events in Singapore, San Francisco, Boston, and North Carolina. Clean Technology Investment World Asia 2011 takes place July 11–14 in Singapore, and Semicon West 2011, the flagship annual event for the microelectronics industry including semiconductors, photovoltaics, and LED lighting, takes place July 12–14 in San Francisco. Also July 13–14, the New England Clean Energy Council will partner with the Clean Economy Network with its Washington, D.C. CEO Fly-In involving high level visits and engagement with new congressional leadership. The following weekend, July 19–21, the Green Data Center Conference Boston will address corporate energy consumption and efficiency improvements and Plug-In 2011, in Raleigh, North Carolina, the future of plug-in hybrid and electric transportation.
We hope that you enjoy this month’s edition of the newsletter. For the most up-to-date information on federal legislation and programs, read the most recent ML Strategies Energy & Environment Update and check back for weekly updates. We are also excited to report that we have been named among the Top 10 U.S. law firms for clean tech in 2011 by CleanTechies!
