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Energizing the Future With Blockchain: How the Environment and Energy Sectors Can Benefit From the Technology Behind Bitcoin

Sep 06 2018

Please Join K&L Gates and ELI and use our Sponsor Discount Code!

Join K&L Gates’ Buck B. Endemann and Ben L. Tejblum, along with an expert panel in San Francisco, CA for a detailed seminar on how blockchain operates as well as how it can be applied in the environmental and energy sectors.

Panelists:

Buck B. Endemann, Partner, K&L Gates LLP (Moderator)
Leslie R. Katz, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Dat Nguyen, Vice President of Special Projects, Sagewise
Dave Rejeski, Director; Technology, Innovation and the Environment Project, Environmental Law Institute
Ben Tejblum, Associate, K&L Gates LLP

Click here to learn more about the event and to register.

K&L Gates is pleased to offer a registration discount to colleagues and friends of the firm. To receive the discount code, please email janina.quilacio@klgates.com.

FirstEnergy: Bankruptcy Court Asserts Primacy Over FERC; Approves Rejection of Power Purchase Agreements

Sep 05 2018

By Charles A. Dale III, William M. Keyser, David A. Mawhinney, and Michael L. O’Neill

In a closely watched battle between FirstEnergy Solutions (“FirstEnergy”) and the Ohio Valley Energy Corporation (“OVEC”) that could have significant implications for the U.S. power sector, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Ohio asserted its primacy over the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) in deciding whether to allow FirstEnergy to repudiate certain FERC-regulated power purchase agreements (“PPAs”). In a decision with significant implications for all participants in rapidly evolving wholesale power markets, the bankruptcy court applied the highly deferential business judgment standard instead of the more stringent standard applied by FERC when evaluating proposed changes to PPAs featuring mutually agreed-upon filed rates. The court’s decision is now the subject of a direct appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the outcome may inspire additional action by Congress and the president.

To read the full alert, click here.

Trump Administration Releases Clean Power Plan Replacement Proposal

Sep 04 2018

Advancing President Trump’s campaign promise to end the “war on coal,” on August 21, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) proposed a new rule to replace the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan (“CPP”). Unlike the CPP, the proposed Affordable Clean Energy Rule (the “ACE Rule”) does not set numerical standards or targets for greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions. Instead, the ACE Rule would give states flexibility to set their own standards of performance for existing coal-fired power plants. EPA asserts that the ACE Rule will eventually reduce GHG emissions to a similar extent as the CPP would have; however, according to EPA, the ACE Rule would reduce GHG emissions by 1.5% by 2030, compared to 32% by 2030 under the CPP. Interested parties will have 60 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register to comment on the ACE Rule.

To read the full alert, click here.

The Blockchain Energizer – Volume 34

Aug 23 2018

By Buck B. Endemann, Benjamin L. Tejblum, Daniel S. Cohen

There is a lot of buzz around blockchain technology and its potential to revolutionize a wide range of industries from finance and health care to real estate and supply chain management. Many institutions and companies are forming partnerships to explore how blockchain ledgers and smart contracts can be deployed to manage and share data, create transactional efficiencies, and reduce costs.

While virtual currencies and blockchain technology in the financial services industry have been the subject of significant debate and discussion, blockchain applications that could transform the energy industry have received comparatively less attention. Every other week, the K&L Gates’ Blockchain Energizer will highlight emerging issues or stories relating to the use of blockchain technology in the energy space. To subscribe to the Blockchain Energizer, please click here.

IN THIS ISSUE

Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources holds Hearing to Discuss Energy Efficiency and Cybersecurity of Blockchain Applications.
Energi Mine and Jem Energy Partner to Incentivize Consumers to Reduce their Energy Use.
Petroteq is Collaborating with MetzOhanian to Develop Blockchain Applications for Oil and Gas Blockchain PetroBLOQ.
China’s Largest Electric Bus Operator to Raise Capital through Asset-backed Digital Products Distributed via Blockchain.

To view more information on theses topics in Volume 34 of the Blockchain Energizer, click here.

The Blockchain Energizer – Volume 33

Aug 09 2018

By Buck B. Endemann, Benjamin L. Tejblum, Daniel S. Cohen

IN THIS ISSUE

Four New York Utilities Will Collaborate to Develop “Transformative” Use Cases for “Shared Blockchain Infrastructure.”
Franklin County Public Utility District (“PUD”) Becomes Third Washington PUD to Place a Moratorium on Cryptocurrency Miner Applications for Electricity.
Green Power Exchange and bitcoinClean Developers Partner to Promote a Green Energy Trading and a Green bitcoin Hardfork.

To view more information on theses topics in Volume 33 of the Blockchain Energizer, click here.

K&L Gates Advises innogy on Acquisition of More Than 2,000 MW Onshore Wind Projects

Aug 03 2018

3 August 2018

A team of lawyers from K&L Gates advised German-based energy company innogy SE and its Chicago- based US subsidiary Innogy Renewables US on the acquisition of EverPower Wind Holdings from UK private equity investor Terra Firma Capital Partners. The companies signed the purchase agreement at the end of 2017, but the project has now successfully completed with approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

Through the acquisition, innogy became the owner of more than 20 projects totaling in excess of 2,000 MW currently in various stages of development across eight states (Maine, Maryland, Montana, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wyoming), giving innogy a strong foundation for expansion into the U.S., one of the company’s key strategic growth areas. innogy’s first U.S. onshore wind project at Scioto Ridge in Ohio is targeted to start full construction in early 2019.

The K&L Gates team advising innogy Renewables US was led by partner Andrea Lucan, assisted by partners David Benson, Sang-yul Lee, Karrie Diaz, Will Keyser, William Holmes, David Hattery, Elizabeth Crouse, Steven Hill, Charles Purcell, James Lynch, and Alyssa Moir, and supported by associates Mark Hammes, Nolan Thomas, Virginia Chiao, Ben Tejblum, Erica Bakies, and Tad MacFarlan.

The cross-office, cross-practice team included lawyers from K&L Gates’ power, labor, employment and workplace safety, employee benefits, tax, environment, land and natural resources, international trade, and corporate/M&A practice groups from the firm’s offices in Orange County, Seattle, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Portland, Los Angeles, and Harrisburg.

The Blockchain Energizer – Volume 32

Jul 27 2018

By: Buck B. Endemann, Benjamin L. Tejblum, Daniel S. Cohen

IN THIS ISSUE

The Arizona Corporation Commission Opens the First Blockchain-focused Utility Regulatory Docket.
Energy Web Foundation and LO3 Energy Partner to Standardize Data on Tobalaba.

To view more information on theses topics in Volume 32 of the Blockchain Energizer, click here.

Powering America: The Role of Energy Storage in the Nation’s Electricity System

Jul 18 2018

By Kathleen Nicholas and Tim Peckinpaugh

Today, the House Energy and Commerce Committee convened its eleventh hearing in its “Powering America” series. The series goal is to examine all aspects of the U.S. electricity sector, and today the focus was on energy storage. Members on both sides of the political divide agreed utilization of battery and other storage systems presents an opportunity to better optimize the country’s electricity system, and help bolster vulnerable places like Puerto Rico and rural areas.

The witnesses today were:

Dr. Keith E. Casey, Vice President, Market and Infrastructure Development, California ISO (Opening Statement)
Mr. Mark Frigo, Vice President and Head of Energy Storage, E.ON North America (Opening Statement)
Mr. Kiran Kumaraswamy, Market Applications Director, Fluence (Opening Statement)
Dr. Zachary Kuznar, Director, CHP Microgrid and Energy Storage Development, Duke Energy Corporation (Opening Statement)
Mr. Kushal Patel, Partner, Energy and Environmental Economics, Incorporated (Opening Statement)

A variety of topics were broached during the hearing, including ways the federal government can be helpful to the storage industry and how large-scale storage can be applied to the grid in ways that increase resiliency and reliability, and are beneficial to ratepayers.

You can view an archived video of the webcast here.

Blockchain Energizer – Volume 31

Jul 13 2018

By: Buck B. Endemann, Benjamin L. Tejblum, Daniel S. Cohen

IN THIS ISSUE

New Era Energy is Preparing to Launch a Blockchain-based Carbon Credit Market Pilot Program
WePower Unveils “Alpha” Version of its Clean Energy Financing and Trading Platform.

To view more information on theses topics in Volume 31 of the Blockchain Energizer, click here.

K&L Gates Blockchain Energizer – Volume 30

Jun 29 2018

By Buck Endemann, Ben Tejblum, and Daniel Cohen

IN THIS ISSUE

Walmart Patent Application Envisions Blockchain-based Demand Response, Internet-of-Things Ecosystem.
Clean Energy Blockchain Network Partners with Silicon Valley Power to Advance California Low Carbon Fuel Standard Goals.
Hydro-Québec Temporarily Halting Service Requests from Cryptocurrency Miners.

To view more information on theses topics in Volume 30 of the Blockchain Energizer, click here.

Author:admin