Energy & Cleantech Counsel

Last month, the Illinois General Assembly passed a bill establishing prevailing wage requirements and tax incentives for high voltage transmission line and utility-scale battery storage projects.

The initial weeks of the second Trump Administration has seen fast and furious changes to US government policies touching nearly every aspect of policy.

The Trump Administration has issued a memo directing a temporary freeze on all environmental litigation to allow for review and potential reconsideration by the new Administration of its position in these matters.

Many parties are rightly concerned about the impact of yesterday’s announcement that nearly all federal funds will be frozen for an indeterminate period. Minutes before it was intended to go into effect today, a federal judge in Washington, DC, temporarily ordered the freeze to be lifted until at least Monday February 3, when a full hearing will occur as to whether the freeze is permissible under federal administrative procedure laws and the First Amendment.

The first day of any presidential administration is filled with both ceremony and bureaucracy. The first day of the second Trump Administration was no different.

As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to assume office on January 20, numerous tariff proposals have already been put forward that could significantly impact the electric vehicle (EV) and battery supply chain industry. Differentiating between the potential for immediate tariff actions and those requiring more time to implement is critical for companies that are in preparation of such actions.

As President-elect Trump prepares to take office on January 20, the construction industry must anticipate shifts in trade policy, particularly concerning tariffs. These changes are expected to have significant implications for various sectors, including energy and clean technology.

As President-elect Trump prepares to take office for a second term, his presidency will undoubtedly reshape US international trade policy, impacting US and foreign manufacturing. We can expect that his administration will implement new and increased tariffs. Whether those tariffs come in the form of universal tariffs, tariffs targeted to a few countries, industries or products, or tariffs targeted to certain companies will likely be known once Trump assumes office. The solar industry, particularly solar products originating from China, is expected to be a focus point of potential future tariff measures.

The incoming Trump Administration’s approach to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and tax policies is generating significant interest within the electric vehicle (EV) sector.

In the environmental space, 2024 has been a memorable year with regulatory efforts and court decisions touching on every aspect of environmental and energy regulation, capped out by a closely divided election.

In a departure from past jurisprudence, a recent DC Circuit decision questioned whether the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) had the legal authority to issue key regulations under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The decision, which evaluated federal planning related to tourist flights over national parks, interpreted CEQ’s NEPA regulations, which prescribe how federal agencies must comply with NEPA and have set the standards for federal agencies’ consideration of the environmental impacts of major federal actions for decades. The decision could impact how many agencies conduct and interpret environmental assessments in areas including biotechnology and agriculture.

With terms like “net zero” and “carbon positive” proliferating in marketing jargon across industries, the US Department of Energy (DOE) has recently stepped in to clarify what constitutes a “zero emissions” building.

Policy debates normally focus on substance. Is climate change real? How can business entities weigh environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into their decision-making?

Beyond being no fun, handwashing dishes wastes water. And according to a colonel from the Montana Highway Patrol, dishwashers that complete a normal cycle in one hour or less “are desirable in the bunkhouse setting.”

Nuclear power has long been a core component of the Illinois energy sector. A new law seeks to enable nuclear power to play an increased role in the energy transition by allowing construction of new “small modular reactors” in the state.

Renewable energy developers have one final opportunity to comment on changes to the rules that govern the procurement of renewable energy credits in Illinois.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way we live and work. At its core, AI is the ability of machines to think and learn without encoded commands, mimicking our own cognition.

Energy Podcast

Already among the most widely used battery chemistry, lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) batteries are experiencing a rapid increase in use and demand.

The Ninth Circuit recently weighed in on whether localities’ natural-gas infrastructure bans are preempted by federal laws including the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA).

Five Questions, Five Answers

A new set of environmental policies embraced by the Biden Administration ― environmental justice (EJ) ― may soon spur litigation in the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) space.

On Friday, January 27, 2023, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed a new law, Public Act 102-1123, which refines county governments’ ability to regulate new commercial wind and solar energy facilities. Specifically, PA 102-1123 prohibits counties from banning or establishing moratoriums on wind.

As Illinois’ implementation of the Energy Transition Act, PA 102-0662 — commonly referred to as the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) — continues, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) is developing a Renewable Energy Access Plan to help achieve the law’s renewable electricity goals.

On December 15, the White House added a new Guidebook to the Inflation Reduction Act to its clean energy webpage.