Global Power Law & Policy

Legal and Policy Developments Affecting the Global Power Industry.

 

1
The Energizer – Volume 104
2
Lessons To Be Learned from FERC’s Investigation of a New Power Project’s Participation in the New England Capacity Market
3
Carbon Quarterly – Volume 6
4
The Energizer – Volume 103
5
The Energizer – Volume 102
6
Declaration Of Emergency And Authorization For Temporary Extensions Of Time And Duty-Free Importation Of Solar Cells And Modules From SE Asia
7
The Energizer – Volume 101
8
EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESENTS REPOWEREU PLAN
9
The Energizer – Volume 100
10
2022 Offshore Wind Handbook Now Available

The Energizer – Volume 104

By: Buck B. EndemannMolly K. BarkerMatthew P. ClarkNathan C. HoweNatalie J. ReidMaeve C. TibbettsDavid Wang

There is a lot of buzz around clean technology, distributed energy resources (DERs), microgrids, and other technological innovations in the renewable energy and clean transport industries, and how these developments can contribute to solving longstanding environmental justice issues. As these innovations develop, energy markets will undergo substantial changes to which consumers and industry participants alike will need to adapt and leverage. Every other week, K&L Gates’ The Energizer will highlight emerging issues or stories relating to the use of DERs, energy storage, emerging technologies, hydrogen, and other innovations driving the energy industry forward. To subscribe to The Energizer newsletter, please click here.

IN THIS ISSUE

  • Federal Highway Administration Proposes Minimum Standards and Requirements for Federally-Funded Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
  • Department of Energy Offers Funding to Combat Climate Change Impacts to Grid System
  • Colorado’s Transition from Coal is Several Years Ahead of Schedule

Lessons To Be Learned from FERC’s Investigation of a New Power Project’s Participation in the New England Capacity Market

By: Ruta K. SkucasKimberly B. FrankJennifer L. Mersing

On 28 June 2022, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued an order approving a Stipulation and Consent Agreement stemming from an enforcement investigation with Salem Harbor Power Development, LP (Salem Harbor or DevCo) in Docket No. IN18-18. Around a week prior to FERC issuing its Order, grid operator ISO New England, Inc. (ISO-NE) issued a notice to the market regarding the forthcoming settlement, then issued a second statement shortly thereafter. FERC’s Order, and any related forthcoming settlements, illustrate the consequence of failing to exercise the diligence necessary to ensure the accuracy of information reported by a market participant to an independent system operator/regional transmission organization (ISO/RTO), and sends a strong signal regarding the amount of discretion that ISO/RTO staff may exercise in implementing the market rules of its organization’s tariff.

For more information, please contact our Energy Infrastructure and Resources lawyers or visit our practice page.

Carbon Quarterly – Volume 6

By: Ankur K. TohanMolly K. BarkerTad J. MacfarlanSamuel R. BodenDavid J. RaphaelMatthew P. ClarkAlyssa A. MoirMelissa M. MalstromLaurie B. PurpuroBrianna K. Marshall

No matter your views on climate change policy, there is no avoiding an increasing focus on carbon regulation, resiliency planning, and energy efficiency at nearly every level of government and business. Changes in carbon—and more broadly greenhouse gas—policies have the potential to broadly impact our lives and livelihoods. The Carbon Quarterly offers a rundown of the latest developments.

IN THIS ISSUE:  

Carbon Policy

  • The 2023 Farm Bill and the Growing Climate Solutions Act

Carbon Litigation and Regulation

  • Supreme Court Advances Major Questions Doctrine and Limits EPA’s Authority to Regulate Power Plant Carbon Emissions
  • The Courts Again Allow Agencies to Weigh Carbon
  • USDA to Invest US$1 Billion in Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry

Carbon Business

  • Continuing Carbon Offset Opportunities in Agriculture and Forestry

Carbon Spotlight

  • Weyerhaeuser’s Climate Change Solutions

The Energizer – Volume 103

By: Buck B. EndemannMolly K. BarkerMatthew P. ClarkNathan C. HoweNatalie J. ReidMaeve C. TibbettsDavid Wang

There is a lot of buzz around clean technology, distributed energy resources (DERs), microgrids, and other technological innovations in the renewable energy and clean transport industries and how these developments can contribute to solving longstanding environmental justice issues. As these innovations develop, energy markets will undergo substantial changes to which consumers and industry participants alike will need to adapt and leverage. Every other week, K&L Gates’ The Energizer will highlight emerging issues or stories relating to the use of DERs, energy storage, emerging technologies, hydrogen, and other innovations driving the energy industry forward.

IN THIS ISSUE

  • FERC Initiates Rulemaking Aimed at Helping New Electric Generation Facilities Connect to the Grid
  • FERC Announces Two Proposed Rules Aimed at Improving Power System Resiliency against Extreme Weather
  • The U.S. Department of Energy Awards US$57.9 Million to Clean Energy and Emissions Reduction Projects Targeting Manufacturing Sector

The Energizer – Volume 102

By: Buck B. EndemannMolly K. BarkerMatthew P. ClarkNathan C. HoweNatalie J. ReidMaeve C. TibbettsDavid Wang

There is a lot of buzz around clean technology, distributed energy resources (DERs), microgrids, and other technological innovations in the renewable energy and clean transport industries and how these developments can contribute to solving longstanding environmental justice issues. As these innovations develop, energy markets will undergo substantial changes to which consumers and industry participants alike will need to adapt and leverage. Every other week, K&L Gates’ The Energizer will highlight emerging issues or stories relating to the use of DERs, energy storage, emerging technologies, hydrogen, and other innovations driving the energy industry forward.

IN THIS ISSUE

  • Department of Energy Announces the Creation of the Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange.
  • New Legislation Expands New York Power Authority’s Ability to Purchase, Construct, and Operate Renewable Energy Projects.
  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory Develops Affordable Pathway for Hydrogen Generation.

Declaration Of Emergency And Authorization For Temporary Extensions Of Time And Duty-Free Importation Of Solar Cells And Modules From SE Asia

By Stacy J. Ettinger

On June 6, 2022, President Biden issued a declaration of emergency and authorization for temporary extensions of time and duty-free importation of solar cells and modules from SE Asia under 19 USC 1318(a). The basis for the declaration of emergency is the need to ensure electric resource adequacy and address the unavailability of solar cells and modules that is jeopardizing new, planned solar installations.

In short, there is an emergency because the US is unable to import solar modules in sufficient quantities to ensure solar capacity additions necessary to achieve US climate and clean energy goals, ensure electricity grid resource adequacy, and help combat rising energy price.

Statutory authority. The statutory authority cited in the declaration (19 USC 1318(a)) is a catch-all provision that allows the president to authorize CBP to permit duty free entry of certain items if the president declares the existence of an emergency.

Specifically, the statute provides for “the importation free of duty of food, clothing, and medical, surgical, and other supplies for use in emergency relief work.” Expect arguments from stakeholders that solar products don’t fit within the list, but this law is about as good as gets if you want to find a way to stop the application of antidumping and/or countervailing duties (“ADCVDs”).

Here’s how this is going to work—

New Commerce regulation. Commerce likely will publish an interim final regulation – before the date of the preliminary determination in the solar circumvention proceedings – that will allow Commerce to instruct CBP to not collect duties on cells/modules from the four SE Asian countries for a period of 24 months (starting from the date of the proclamation). The new regulation will not apply to the current ADCVDs on imports of Chinese or Taiwanese solar cells/modules.

Current regulations (19 CFR Part 358) set forth the procedures for importation of supplies for use in emergency relief work free of ADCVDs, as authorized under 19 USC 1318(a). These regulations were published in 2006 (71 FR 63230 (October 30, 2006)). 

Commerce will continue with the circumvention inquiries. Commerce officials put out a press release on June 6 clarifying that the agency will continue the ongoing circumvention inquiries. The release states that “whatever conclusion Commerce reaches when the [circumvention] investigation concludes will apply once this short-term emergency period [24 months] is over. In accordance with the President’s declaration, no solar cells or modules imported from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam will be subject to new antidumping or countervailing duties during the period of the emergency. Existing duties on Chinese and Taiwanese imports of solar cells and modules remain in effect.”

Commerce could still go negative at the prelim or final. Commerce is proceeding with the circumvention inquiries related to imports of cells/modules from the four SE Asian countries. Commerce’s preliminary determination is due no later than August 29, 2022; Commerce’s final determination is due by January 26, 2023. Commerce could still issue a negative determination at the prelim or final stage of the circumvention inquiries.

What happens if Commerce goes affirmative? If Commerce goes affirmative, per its regulations it must direct CBP to suspend liquidation and require a cash deposit of estimated duties. Pursuant to the emergency declaration and new regulation, Commerce would have the authority to not follow its regulations. In other words, Commerce would instruct CBP to not suspend liquidation or collect cash deposits for imports of solar cells/modules from the four SE Asian countries.

What could go wrong with this plan? Possible risk is that an interested party to the circumvention inquiries (such as the domestic manufacturer that requested the inquiries) will sue on the new regulation and/or Commerce’s application of the current regulation (19 CFR Part 358), arguing duty free treatment of solar cells/modules is beyond the scope of products covered under the statute (19 USC 1318(a)). The litigation could take at least a couple years to play out.

If the plaintiff were to prevail (and assuming an affirmative final regarding circumvention), suspension of liquidation and estimated duty payments would kick in. It is unclear whether suspension/duty payments would be retroactive (ie, to date of affirmative preliminary determination) or prospective (eg, from the effective date of the final court decision). The latter seems more likely.

The bottom line. Implementation of the Declaration should provide a two year window during which developers and other solar system providers should be able to import panels from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam without the risk of retroactive tariffs.

Relevant documents

Declaration of Emergency and Authorization for Temporary Extensions of Time and Duty-Free Importation of Solar Cells and Modules from Southeast Asia | The White House

FACT SHEET: President Biden Takes Bold Executive Action to Spur Domestic Clean Energy Manufacturing | The White House

President Biden Invokes Defense Production Act to Accelerate Domestic Manufacturing of Clean Energy | Department of Energy

Department of Commerce Statement on President Biden’s Proclamation on Solar Cells and Modules | U.S. Department of Commerce

The Energizer – Volume 101

By: Buck B. EndemannMolly K. BarkerMatthew P. ClarkNathan C. HoweNatalie J. ReidMaeve C. Tibbetts

There is a lot of buzz around clean technology, distributed energy resources (DERs), microgrids, and other technological innovations in renewable energy and clean transport industries, and how these developments can contribute to solving longstanding environmental justice issues. As these innovations develop, energy markets will undergo substantial changes to which consumers and industry participants alike will need to adapt and leverage. Every other week, K&L Gates’ The Energizer will highlight emerging issues or stories relating to the use of DERs, energy storage, emerging technologies, hydrogen, and other innovations driving the energy industry forward.

IN THIS ISSUE

  • Department of Energy Announces US$25 Million in Funding to Study Clean Hydrogen for Electricity Generation
  • Department of Energy Announces US$3.5 Billion Carbon Capture Program
  • Hawai‛i Lawmakers Considering a Cap on Renewable Energy

EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESENTS REPOWEREU PLAN

Policy and Regulatory and Energy, Infrastructure, and Resources Alert

By: Tariq A. FeddaMiguel A. Caramello AlvarezGiovanni CampiInês S. Mendes, Paula Esteban Gomez

The European Commission (the Commission) presented on 18 May 2022 details of its plan to repower Europe and to reduce, and ultimately end, Europe’s reliance on Russian fossil fuels (the REPowerEU Plan or the Plan)1 that was announced on 8 March 2022. 

It aims to do this with three pillars: energy conservation; diversifying supplies; and quickly substituting fossil fuels by accelerating Europe’s clean energy transition, all while smartly combining investments and reforms.

The Plan acknowledges that the shift away from Russian fossil fuels will also require targeted investments for security of supply in gas infrastructure and very limited changes to current oil infrastructure, alongside large-scale investments in the electricity grid and an EU-wide hydrogen backbone. As such, the different elements of the Plan, which comprise a series of proposals, communications and guidance documents, will be of interest to anyone participating in the energy markets in Europe, including developers of renewable and conventional energy projects, buyers and sellers of commodities, and even households. 

The Energizer – Volume 100

By: Buck B. EndemannMolly K. BarkerMatthew P. ClarkNathan C. HoweNatalie J. ReidMaeve C. Tibbetts

There is a lot of buzz around clean technology, distributed energy resources (DERs), microgrids, and other technological innovations in renewable energy and clean transport industries, and how these developments can contribute to solving longstanding environmental justice issues. As these innovations develop, energy markets will undergo substantial changes to which consumers and industry participants alike will need to adapt and leverage. Every other week, K&L Gates’ The Energizer will highlight emerging issues or stories relating to the use of DERs, energy storage, emerging technologies, hydrogen, and other innovations driving the energy industry forward.

IN THIS ISSUE

  • Department of Energy Announces $3.1 Billion in Matching Grants Toward Development of Domestic Battery Supply Chain
  • ACES Project is Greenlit by U.S. Department of Energy
  • National Laboratory Makes Headway in Long-Term Rechargeable Batteries

2022 Offshore Wind Handbook Now Available

U.S. Offshore Wind Handbook Helps Navigate Technical and Regulatory Issues

We are pleased to announce the release of the 2022 edition of the Offshore Wind Handbook, a collaboration between K&L Gates, Mainstream Renewable Power, and Kent plc., written to help guide investors and new market entrants through technical and regulatory issues in a fast-paced developing U.S. offshore wind market.

To view the 2022 Offshore Wind Handbook, click here.

Copyright © 2022, K&L Gates LLP. All Rights Reserved.