Legal & Regulatory

The $300 million business combination between One Power Company and special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Tortoise Ecofin Acquisition Corp. III has been terminated, PFR has learned.

Pennsylvania state senator Gene Yaw has proposed a bill that would create a development fund based on the $10 billion Texas Energy Fund (TEF) for dispatchable energy to support the state's grid.

Bernhard Capital Partners’ acquisition of Entergy's Louisiana gas systems has been approved by the Louisiana Public Service Commission.

Brazil has created a legal framework and incentivized the development of low-carbon hydrogen in the country.

Macquarie Asset Management’s sale of the entire 940MW Lordstown Energy Center to ArcLight Capital has been held up by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

EQT Corporation’s $5.45 billion all-stock acquisition of natural gas provider Equitrans Midstream faces legal opposition from numerous Equitrans shareholders, PFR has learned.

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is seeking more information before advancing ConocoPhillips’ $22.5 billion all-stock buy of Marathon Oil.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has adopted a finalised plan for offshore wind development through 2045.

The Governor of Rhode Island, Daniel McKee, has signed an energy storage act into law, as the state aims to develop 600MW of utility-scale energy storage by 2033.

Baker Donelson has hired Stephen Luttrell in the firm’s corporate group, based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Danish energy giant Ørsted has agreed to pay New Jersey and its Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) $125 million to settle claims made against its decision to cancel offshore wind projects Ocean Wind 1 and 2 in late 2023.

The $53 billion merger between oil and natural gas giant Chevron and independent energy company Hess faces legal challenges.

Equinor can now begin construction of the 810MW Empire Wind 1 project in the New York Bight region, after receiving final approval from the New York State Public Service Commission.

Canadian power company TC Energy is appealing the Delaware Chancery Court ruling to pay $199.2 million in damages as part of an ongoing class action lawsuit related to its 2016 acquisition of Columbia Pipeline.

One Energy and special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) TortoiseEcofin Acquisition Corp III have filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission to merge ahead of being publicly traded as One Power Company.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued a regional transmission policy ruling, Order #1920, creating new interregional lines to accelerate the interconnection of new renewable energy projects.

The US has raised tariffs on a host of imported goods from China, including solar panels, batteries and EVs.

Atlantic Shores and Dominion Energy are facing lawsuits from several non-profit organizations, which claim the companies' offshore wind projects violate environmental protection laws.

Connecticut utility Eversource plans to reduce investments in the state by $500 million as it continues its 3-year rate dispute battle with the State's Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA).

Patent infringement lawsuits are becoming commonplace in the renewable energy sector as manufacturers look to take advantage of the US’ lucrative tax credit regime.

The US Treasury Department has released the final rules for the transferable tax credits of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

The Department of Energy (DOE) selected LS Power's Southwest Intertie Project-North (SWIP-North) as a fourth conditional project for the first round of its Transmission Facilitation Program.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has issued a 5-year offshore wind leasing schedule that will see 12 offshore wind energy lease sales through 2028.

Renewable developer Hecate Energy has secured a siting agreement and conditional use permit for its 150MW solar project from Cumberland County, Virginia.

Solar manufacturer Maxeon Solar Technologies has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against REC Solar Holdings regarding its PV solar cell technology in Texas.

An Arizona federal judge has rejected a request by Native American tribes and environmental groups to halt the construction of Pattern Energy's SunZia project.

Renewables developers are readying themselves for more supply chain disruption as additional tariffs on China-made panels are under consideration from the US government.

Oil, gas and NGL company Chord Energy and Canadian O&G giant Enerplus have cleared the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 for their $11 billion business combination, PFR has found.

California Independent System Operator (CAISO) has announced that 2 of the offshore wind-related transmission processes will be part of a May 2024 competitive transmission procurement.

Brazil has introduced a bill to incentivize in the use of renewable energy by offering tax benefits on the investment in equipment for generating electrical energy from renewable sources.

Brazilian project financing is rebounding with capital markets registering a record high of issuances again this year. Yet, large-scale projects are having difficulties accessing foreign capital in Brazil, a local currency market, panelists at IJLatam 2024 in Miami said.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted $2.3 billion in funding to 39 energy infrastructure and renewable energy projects in rural communities across 23 states.

Private equity firm Bridgepoint's proposed $1.1billion acquisition of energy-focused investment manager Energy Capital Partners (ECP) has been halted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) over competition concerns.

Chevron New Energies is set to develop a 5MW hydrogen production and solar project on its existing oil field in California's Central Valley.

Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association has received a key state-level regulatory approval from the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on the $75 million sale of its transmission facilities, contracts, and assets to United Power, PFR has learned.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has released the final environmental review of the 2.6GW New England Wind project off Massachusetts. The project is owned by Park City Wind, a subsidiary of Avangrid, and is expected to power over 900,000 homes.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has approved the construction and operations plan (COP) of 800MW Empire Wind 1, an offshore wind farm owned by Equinor in the New York Bight region. The BOEM's decision was the final step before the project could commence construction.

Electricity and power generation company Vistra has received approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to acquire Energy Harbor. It is the final approval needed in a $6.3 billion merger that will rebrand Vistra as renewables mega firm Vistra Vision.

Law firm Skadden has rehired the former commissioner, chairman and general counsel of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

To bolster California's offshore wind industry state legislators proposed a $1 billion bond act to help pay for the expansion of ports.

H2 Energy Group has partnered with the Redding Rancheria Tribe reservation to develop a green hydrogen production facility.

Energetic Capital has hired Steven Varady as senior vice president in the company's tax and transactional practice, PFR has learned.

Law firm Akerman has announced the formation of 3 energy and infrastructure sub-practices.

Clean energy tax credit transfer platform Crux has closed a $18.2 million series A funding led by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.

Dominion Energy has secured final approval from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) for the construction and operations of its 2.6GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project.

The US Treasury Department has released additional guidance on tax credits for electric vehicles (EVs) and associated charging technology, including alternative refueling stations.

Crowell & Moring has hired Ruta Kalvaitis Skučas as partner in the law firm's environment, energy, and natural resources practice group.

Octopus Energy company Sky Renewables is set to purchase the Ohio-sited 80MW Nestlewood and Pennsylvania-sited 16MW Gaucho solar projects from Vesper Energy, PFR has learned.

GE-owned power plant EFS Parlin has closed on the sale of all of its interconnection rights and started the decommissioning process of its 123.5MW natural gas facility following bankruptcy.

Vistra Corporation is offloading its Richland and Stryker facilities to Rockland Capital in an effort to complete its pending $6.3 billion merger with Energy Harbor, creating renewables mega firm Vistra Vision.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has drafted the environmental review of future development on the six lease areas awarded in the New York Bight tender in 2022.

The government of Mexico will order state-owned oil firm Pemex to take over a hydrogen plant at its Tula refinery currently operated by French gas company Air Liquide.

The US Treasury Department has released the proposed green hydrogen tax credit guidelines, 45V, to be available for public comment for the next 60 days. The Biden-Harris administration hopes the credits will provide over $140 billion in revenue by 2030

The US Treasury has revealed the guidelines on the 45X advanced manufacturing tax credit to incentivize the creation and use of a domestic renewables supply chain.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has proposed a Central Atlantic offshore wind lease sale for over 277,000 acres in the waters off of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. The sale is expected to take place in 2024.

Canadian province Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the federal government to become a lead regulator on offshore wind projects in 16 inland bays in the province.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed the state’s MI Healthy Climate Plan into law following its passage in early November by the House legislature.

Texas lawmakers via a two-thirds margin voted in a controversial constitutional amendment that authorizes a $10 billion Texas Energy Fund aimed at providing low-interest loans to build gas-fired power plants, develop microgrids and modernize portions of the state’s electric grid.

The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) has halted the May 2025 retirement of four peaker plants to keep New York City’s grid reliable.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has approved the 816GW Empire Wind 1 offshore wind project, owned by Equinor and BP. Empire Wind marks the sixth offshore wind project approved by the Biden-Harris administration in its goal to reach 30GW of offshore generation by 2030.

Among the many hurdles the offshore wind sector is facing, the lack of guidelines for tax credits guidelines remains one of the most convoluted.

International law practice Milbank has selected Jenna McGrath as a partner for the firm’s Project, Energy and Infrastructure Finance Group in the Washington, D.C. office.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has finalized four Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) with the potential to supply 3GW of energy for another Gulf of Mexico lease sale.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has approved Dominion Energy's 2.6GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, the largest offshore wind project in the US. Construction will begin in Spring 2024 and is expected to take around 3 years, bringing CVOW online in late 2026.

Nonprofit consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen has called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate whether Blackstone Infrastructure Partner’s (Blackstone) recently approved acquisition of a 19.9% equity stake in Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) vehicle, NIPSCO Holdings II, is legally sound.

Green hydrogen development took a giant stride towards bankability as the Department of Energy selected 7 green hydrogen hub winners across 16 states, handing out $7 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has vetoed an Equinor and BP-endorsed bill to build underground transmission lines from its offshore wind projects into the city of Long Beach. Hochul's rejection of the Planned Offshore Wind Transmission Act strikes another blow to the industry a week after the state government shot down a financial relief bill for offshore wind developers.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $3.46 billion for 38 grid-reliability projects, which will modernize and stabilize the grid, especially from extreme weather events.

Invenergy's $7 billion transmission project, the Grain Belt Express, has received approval from the Missouri Public Service Commission (MPSC), the last step in securing state approval for project enhancements.

New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) has unanimously rejected a request from a group of offshore wind developers to provide financial relief for four projects on the New York coast and 86 onshore projects. The relief would have come from increasing prices for customers, totaling $12 billion.

The Missouri Public Service Commission (MPSC) has issued an order to spur the development of virtual power plants (VPP) in the state.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has approved AB1172 on fusion energy policy as one of the 900 bills that came across his desk this week, all of which require signature or veto by Saturday.

North Carolina, the Commonwealth of Virginia, Maryland and Delaware have started a workforce to further offshore wind development.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law SB605, a unanimously passed bill that allows the California Energy Commission to study the potential for wave and tidal energy development, including overseeing several pilot projects.

EDF Renewables has pulled the plug on the development of a 50MW solar project in Colombia, due to delays in permitting and environmental licenses from local entities.

While the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has spurred the green energy industry since its inception in August 2022, the legislation has not come without its own difficulties and may even be causing some developers to hit pause, according to speakers at REFF Wall Street 2023.

The California wave and tidal energy development bill is headed to the Governor's desk after the State Senate passed the bill unanimously. The bill will allow the California Energy Commission to work with state agencies to study the potential for wave and tidal energy development along the state's 840-mile coastline.

The SOO Green HVDC Link transmission project, a unique underground transmission line that will follow the route of existing Canadian Pacific railroads, moved a step further towards construction after it was approved by Iowa regulators.

A bill to streamline the US energy transmission system has been introduced by Californian politicians.

The exhaustive push to deploy the 468MW Cape Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts came to a halt in early January 2015. Power purchase agreements (PPAs) fell through; banks fell away (PFR, 1/7/15). The $1.95 billion deal, the first offshore wind farm to be fully permitted by the BOEM, died after 14 years.

BC Utilities Commission, the regulator of British Columbia’s public energy utilities, has named Mark Jaccard as its chair and chief executive.

Described as “transformative legislation” and a “fantastic opportunity” the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has bolstered investment into US renewable energy at breakneck speed. Yet, one year on from its historic enactment many hurdles remain for financing renewables projects in the US. Chiefly, the permitting system.

The Department of Commerce made a final decision in its long-running investigation into whether Southeast Asian solar manufacturers are using parts made in China that should be subject to a tariff, potentially harming solar projects that rely on these overseas imports.

AES Andes is planning to retire another unit of the Ventanas coal-fired power plant in Chile two years ahead of schedule.

The Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) has reached an agreement with local legal authorities on the retirement of the San Juan coal plant under the Energy Transition Act.

Illinois governor J. B. Pritzker has vetoed a portion of a bill that would limit transmission competition and raised prices on green energy projects in the state.

The environmental protection agency of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, FEPAM, has issued a preliminary license for a 643.5MW wind project.

The FERC has unanimously passed the final rule for Order #2023, which reforms the commission's generation interconnection procedures and aims to shorten the wait time for projects to connect to the grid.

Energy Harbor has filed to renew an operating license for the company’s Perry nuclear power plant for another 20 years.

A bill in California that will allow for the development of wave and tidal energy development in the state was unanimously approved by the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy, which passed the State Senate on June 25 (2023).

The New Mexico Supreme Court has ruled to uphold the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NMPRC) decision that denies the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) sale of its minority interest in the Four Corners Power Plant.

While many column inches have been filled extolling the broad benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), the power sector has been impatiently waiting for guidance from the US Treasury for greater clarity on some tax equity fine print — most notably, the concept of transferability.

Amid the brouhaha of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), developers and investors have been impatiently waiting for guidance from the US government for greater clarity on some fine print — most notably, the concept of transferability.

Colombia's Mines and Energy Planning Unit (UPME) has granted permits to connect close to 7.5GW of renewable energy to the national grid.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has taken its next step toward its wind energy auction in the Gulf of Mexico.

EverWind Fuels has secured environmental approval for the initial phase of its green hydrogen and green ammonia projects located in Nova Scotia.

A major regulatory milestone for Dominion Energy’s 2.6GW offshore wind project off coastal Virginia was reached on December 12 (2022) as the power giant eyes construction in 2024.

The US’ Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has started the clock for construction on new renewable projects before the new wage and apprentice requirements under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) take effect.

Pattern Energy has received key approvals that will allow the construction of the SunZia transmission project and the SunZia wind projects next year (2023).

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has designated 2 Wind Energy Areas (WEA) ahead of the leasing process later this year or early next year.

Dominion Energy has filed a proposal with the Virginia State Corporation Commission for nearly 2 dozen new solar and energy storage projects.

Louisiana-based utility NuQuest Energy has submitted 6 new solar projects to the MISO queue for evaluation.

The Canadian province of Nova Scotia has set a goal of reaching 5 GW of offshore wind generation by 2030, outlining plans for an offshore leasing process.

Spanish solar developer Cox Energy has received the greenlight to trade within Colombia’s wholesale energy market.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy and Management (BOEM) has opened the environmental impact statement for an offshore wind project being developed by Orsted North America and Eversource up for public comment.

Dominion Energy has threatened to withdraw its planned 2.6 GW wind project 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach after state regulators set a performance guarantee for the project.

The US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has issued requests for interest (RFI) and competitive interest (RFCI) for the development of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine.

The Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) has given its approval for Dominion Energy to construct a 2.6 GW wind project 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach.

The US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has identified two potential wind energy areas (WEAs) off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico that it is now taking public comment for.

The governor of Rhode Island has signed a bill into law that will see the state procure up to 1 GW of offshore wind generation.

The US Department of the Interior (DOI) has announced its plan to hold offshore wind leasing auctions in two areas in the outer continental shelf offshore California, the first offshore wind auction held in the west coast.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a conditional commitment of $504.4 million in debt financing to support the construction of a green hydrogen hub in Utah being developed by Mitsubishi Power and Magnum Development.

Colombian utilities conglomerate Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) has secured a 50-year extension to its operating concession for three hydroelectric plants in northern Antioquia.

The US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has completed its environmental review of a pair of wind leasing areas off the coast of the Carolinas, triggering an auction process.

Statkraft, the Norwegian state-owned energy producer, has received approval on its 671 MW (DC) solar project in Chile.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) has approved a request from Atlantic City Electric (ACE) to alter its power purchase agreements with a pair of coal-fired projects in the state, halting the use of coal at both plants.

Ampra Ingeniera has resubmitted a 363 MW Chilean solar array for environmental evaluation after the project failed to receive regulatory approval.

Shell has filed environmental permits with the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) for its first offshore wind projects in the region.

The Virginia State Corporation Commission (VSCC) has approved Dominion Energy’s application to expand the company’s renewables fleet by 1 GW.

A consortium of sponsors has secured environmental approvals for the first utility-scale wind farm in Guyana.

The state of Louisiana has outlined plans to develop 5 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2035 under its Climate Action Plan.

The Biden administration has decided to draw out Trump-era solar tariffs for four more years, but is making an exception for bifacial solar panel technology, which has soured the outlook of some solar panel manufacturers but is considered a win for developers of solar projects.

PJM Interconnection and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) have outlined plans to interconnect about 7.5 GW of offshore wind generation to the grid by 2035, through proposed transmission projects.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has approved the construction and operations plan (COP) of the South Fork wind project off the coast of Rhode Island.

The Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) has announced an agreement with the national Center for Energy Research (Cepel) to assess locations for the installation of new nuclear plants in Brazil.

Norton Rose Fulbright announced its 2022 partner promotions on January 11, with projects attorney Rebecca Abou-Chedid making the grade.

The US Department of the Interior (DOI) has greenlit a lease sale in the New York Bight, marking the first offshore wind lease auction under the Biden administration.

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is preparing a draft environmental assessment (EA) weighing the impact of leasing offshore wind projects in the Gulf of Mexico.

Andes Solar has obtained the Chilean Environmental Qualification Resolution (RCA) for its Andino Las Pataguas solar-plus-storage project.

New York governor Kathy Hochul has outlined plans to strengthen offshore wind generation in the state, including a $500 million investment in offshore wind projects and infrastructure.

PNM, the New Mexico utility subsidiary of PNM Resources, has filed a notice of appeal with the New Mexico Supreme Court after the utility’s application to divest its interest in the Four Corners coal-fired power plant was denied by the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NMPRC).

The Department of the Interior (DOI) has completed its environmental review of the offshore leasing area in the New York Bight.

A Blackstone Infrastructure Partners portfolio company has submitted an application to develop an offshore wind transmission project to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU).

The Department of the Interior’s (DOI’s) Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has approved the construction of the South Fork Wind project off the shore of Rhode Island.

After weeks of lobbying and debate, the US House of Representatives has voted to pass the $2.2 trillion Build Back Better reconciliation bill through to the US Senate, in what could be the first rumblings of a significant upheaval in the renewables tax credit system.

The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has appointed Willie Phillips as commissioner, bringing the number of commissioners at the regulatory body back up to five after the departure of Neil Chatterjee over the summer.

The Bureau of Ocean Management (BOEM) has outlined plans to hold up to seven new offshore wind lease sales before 2025.

After two years of Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) trying to reform the country's power sector, the statesman has dealt his last card – a constitutional reform that would "decimate" the industry, according to deal watchers.

Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) has put forward an initiative that would reform the country’s constitution as it pertains to the power sector, in an effort to strengthen state-owned energy companies.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is preparing to launch an environmental review of an offshore wind project being developed by a 50:50 joint venture between Shell New Energies and EDF Renewables North America (EDFRNA), off the coast of New Jersey.

New York state has selected an $11 billion infrastructure project developed by Invenergy, energyRe and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to deliver more than 7.5 million MWh of renewables-powered electricity within the state.

The US House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee has approved a critical portion of the Democrats' proposed $3.5 trillion spending package, which includes federal tax credit extensions and a direct-pay option, but market participants have warned that some of the newer measures mixing social and energy policies could have "cataclysmic ramifications."

PJM Interconnection has requested regulatory approval to postpone its December base residual auction (BRA) for delivery year 2023/2024 by nearly two months, which would push the auction window into early 2022, and potentially delay subsequent capacity auctions.

US Senate Finance Committee chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore) has proposed a slate of tax reforms that could freeze the use of the partnership flip structure in the tax equity market.

Tesla has filed an application with the Public Utility Commission of Texas to sell power into the ERCOT market.

Neil Chatterjee, the former chairman of the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, has taken up a new role at Hogan Lovells.

The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved Exelon Corp’s plan to spin its competitive generation and retail power businesses off into a separate publicly-traded company.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has outlined plans to conduct an environmental review of an offshore wind project being developed by Orsted North America and Eversource off the coast of New York state.

To download a PDF version of this Q&A, click here.

Brazilian power regulator Aneel has authorized the start of commercial operations for a 33.6 MW wind farm in the state of Bahia.

Now that the Biden administration's $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill has passed muster in the Senate, market participants are turning their attention to a larger $3.5 trillion reconciliation package that the Progressive Caucus is attempting to tie it to. The reconciliation package contains a slew of tax credit incentives for renewable energy projects. So what lies ahead in Washington, DC? PFR spoke to three project finance attorneys to find out.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has completed its environmental review of the 130 MW South Fork Wind project off the coasts of New York and Rhode Island.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has issued a notice of intent to conduct an environmental impact study of Avangrid Renewables' Kitty Hawk North offshore wind project off the coast of North Carolina.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is issuing a call for information and nominations to develop offshore wind projects in two new federal lease areas off the coast of California.

FirstEnergy Corp has agreed to pay a $230 million penalty as part of a deferred prosecution agreement that it has struck to disentangle itself from a long-running Ohio bribery scandal.

Colombia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy and Panama’s National Secretariat of Energy have signed an agreement laying out the terms for an electrical interconnection project between the two countries.

Energy storage developer Daybreak Power has secured a preliminary permit from the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a 2.65 GW pumped hydro storage project in Washington state.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has drawn up a 60-point plan to improve grid reliability in the state, the highlights of which include purchasing more reserve power, asking CEOs to sign weatherization certification and reviewing the need for on-site fuel supplies, among other things.

The Brazilian government will offer new shares in Eletrobras in the first half of 2022, after the law permitting the sale of the company received presidential approval.

PJM Interconnection's board of managers has approved a proposal that aims to address the concerns surrounding the use of the Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR), and scale it back ahead of the Base Residual Auction (BRA) for delivery year 2023/2024, which is scheduled to take place five months from now.

New York state is to explore green hydrogen production as part of its decarbonization strategy.

Avangrid has submitted a series of project proposals to the US Department of Energy (DOE), including for hydrogen production facilities that will be powered by offshore wind generation and co-located at an existing gas-fired power plant.

The US Department of the Interior is planning to issue a Request for Interest (RFI) for the development of offshore wind projects on the Gulf of Mexico's outer continental shelf.

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has kicked off its environmental review of Ørsted and Eversource’s Revolution Wind project off the coast of New England.

The Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul has reversed the judicial decision that suspended the privatization of state-owned power distribution company CEEE-D.

The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law has ruled in favor of the Colombian government in a dispute over its 2016 seizure of regional utility Electricaribe from Spain's Naturgy Energy (then Gas Natural Fenosa).

Mexico's competition authority, Cofece, has urged Congress not to pass a bill that would unwind the country's landmark energy market reforms of 2014.

Mexico's state-owned Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) has said it will reduce the amount of renewable power injected into the grid after blaming intermittent generation sources for an outage on December 28.

A subsidiary of Engie in Brazil has suspended construction on a transmission line because of a judicial decision.

The new administration in the Dominican Republic has announced plans to update the regulatory framework for renewable energy to create a more favorable environment for private investors.

Colombia's Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) says it is preparing to file a Ps$9 trillion ($2.38 billion) lawsuit against the construction firms in charge of its 2.4 GW Ituango hydro project in the department of Antioquía.

Chile’s Environment Commission of the Chamber of Deputies is moving forward with a bill that seeks to prohibit the development and operation of coal-fired plants by 2025.

Brazilian law firm Mattos Filho has announced it will open a new office in the city of Campinas, in São Paulo state.

Mining conglomerate Grupo Mexico has been granted a temporary suspension of the increase in transmission fees for old self-supply contracts for its 74 MW wind project in Oaxaca.

Mexico's Supreme Court has granted a temporary suspension of a restrictive government policy on renewable energy development in a case brought by competition authority Cofece.

After denouncing Mexico's policy on permits for renewable energy projects in May, Mexico's competition authority Cofece has argued that it is unconstitutional in a lawsuit filed before the Supreme Court aimed at overturning the measure.

Mexico's Business Coordinating Council has hit back at transmission fee hikes by state-owned utility Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), describing the policy as “illegal and inadmissible” and "indefensible."

An infrastructure and energy lawyer is among six attorneys recently promoted to partner by Brazilian law firm Mattos Filho.

Market participants in Mexico say new transmission costs imposed on power projects approved before the 2014 Energy Reform – known as proyectos legados – will have a trickle-down effect in the sector harming the asset's developers, equity investors, lenders and off-takers.

Greenpeace and the Mexican Center for Environmental Law (CEMDA) have secured a temporary suspension of policies introduced by Mexican grid operator Cenace and the Secretariat of Energy (SENER) that threaten to delay the interconnection of renewable energy projects in the country.

Argentinian independent power producer Stoneway Capital Corp has secured a forebearance agreement from its creditors, who had been discussing foreclosure in mid-March.

A group of renewable energy developers in Mexico have won a legal reprieve against grid operator Cenace' suspension of interconnections for wind and solar projects.

Development finance institution IDB Invest is preparing a debt package for Naturgy Energy's distribution companies in Panama, which are facing liquidity problems as a result of the government's response to Covid-19.

Mexico's Secretariat of Energy (SENER) has officially announced a measure to limit the development of renewable projects in the country, prompting a backlash from industry groups.

Mexico's competition authority, Cofece, has denounced grid operator Cenace's suspension of the interconnection of renewable energy projects as an unclear, unfair policy that is harmful to future investments.

An Argentinian power industry association has warned that the sector could face bankruptcies as the government implements the pesification of power contracts and denies inflation adjustments to struggling generators.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has sued a former Goldman Sachs banker over his role in an alleged scheme to obtain a power purchase agreement for a Ghanaian power plant through bribery.

Project finance bankers in New York are eyeing PMGD (Pequeños Medios de Generación Distribuida) solar portfolios in Chile, which have become attractive investments—at least until the law changes.

Chile’s National Electric Coordinator (NEC) has asked power companies in the country to submit plans to confront possible disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, as Chile sees the number of patients rise.

Colombia's National Authority of Environmental Licenses (ANLA) has refuted a claim by Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) that the company had received approval to move forward with the construction of its 2.4 GW Ituango hydro project.

As the Colombian government prepares to sell Electricaribe back into private ownership, a municipality within its service territory is attempting to take matters into its own hands.

Seven companies have presented bids for a transmission project in a procurement process arranged by Panama's state-owned transmission company Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica (Etesa).

As the Mexican government upends incentives, self-supply contracts and the market for clean energy certificates, project finance and investment bankers in New York and developers in Mexico City are attempting to gauge the impact and decipher the administration's motives.

Spain's Naturgy Energy Group has devalued its stake in power distributor Electricaribe and initiated suits against insurers, as it waits for a resolution of its arbitration claim against the Colombian government.

New Energy Solar Manager, the manager of US Solar Fund, has claimed in a statement issued on Jan. 30 that it has been the victim of a $6.9 million contracted construction payments fraud.

Changes to Mexico's clean energy certificate program could spell trouble for renewable energy developers in the country that had banked on selling certificates in the open market, but most of the wind and solar assets being considered for project finance had already locked in a fixed price, say market participants.

Colombian public utility regulator SuperServicios has postponed the auction to sell struggling power distributor Electricaribe until Feb. 2020.

A new bill to freeze consumer power prices in Chile has some project finance bankers worrying about the potential impact on projects with older, higher-priced power purchase agreements.

Uruguay has set a new date for the sale of state-owned company Gas Sayago, which was set up to develop a failed offshore regasification project in the country.

Colombian public utility regulator SuperServicios has set dates for an auction to sell struggling power distributor Electricaribe.

"I am back in Houston,” reads a Jeffrey K. Skilling LinkedIn profile apparently created in September of last year, shortly after the former Enron executive was transferred from a minimum security federal prison camp in Alabama to a halfway house under the supervision of RMM Houston, a residential reentry management field office of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

A former client has hit Norton Rose Fulbright with a $20 million lawsuit, alleging that the firm's attorneys helped others to swindle him out of a stake in a decommissioned gas-fired cogeneration facility, a few months after a related case was dismissed.

Exelon Corp. subsidiary Exelon Generation Co. has filed a lawsuit against First Energy Solutions to prevent it from backing out of the $140 million sale of its retail and wholesale load-serving business, which was signed in July.

A recent court decision relating to a wind project financing in 2010 has injected a dose of uncertainty into valuations used in renewable project deals, especially those involving investment tax credits.

The ceo of Albanesi Group, an Argentine generation company, has been arrested as part of a federal bribery investigation.

The final version of the Republicans’ signature tax reform bill puts to rest many of the fears expressed by the renewable industry, but leaves unclear how the broader tax equity market will adapt to the new rules, writes Eli Katz, partner at Latham & Watkins in New York.

A proposed change to spot market bidding rules in PJM Interconnection could raise power prices, according to a report by Moody’s Investors Service.

Policymakers in Europe are considering tinkering with regulatory capital rules to allow banks to hold less capital against “green” assets, such as renewable project finance loans.

The fact that the Suniva 201 trade case is now moving to the remedy phase has the potential to slow or stop solar projects in the works, write John Marciano, Shana Hofstetter and Greg Lavigne of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.

The U.S. International Trade Commission has found injury to the domestic crystalline silicon solar cell industry based on a petition bought by bankrupt manufacturers Suniva and SolarWorld.

Two new commissioners on the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission have been confirmed by the U.S. Senate, breaking a six-month deadlock due to a lack of quorum.

The White House announced two nominations for the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last week.

The #PowerTweets feature tracks trends in power project finance and M&A in the Americas on Twitter.

The U.S. President has selected two prospective Republican commissioners to sit on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the White House announced on Monday.

Solar and Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) experts at the IMN Green Investing Conference on Thursday noted that both markets will see more participation as issuance accelerates and the sectors become more sophisticated.

Sungevity filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware on Monday. The Oakland, Calif.,-based distributed solar sponsor has agreed to sell its assets to a group of investors.

Bankers are blaming a slow start to the year in U.S. renewables project finance on uncertainty around corporate tax reform, but activity could pick up once developers get their heads around the risks.

The controversial 11 GW Belo Monte hydro project in Brazil’s Amazonian state of Pará has received an $826 million-equivalent financing to build the first of two transmission lines to siphon generation to the country’s South East.

The board of supervisors of an Arizona county has issued a request for proposals for up to 1.5 GW of utility-scale solar projects.

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has issued an order delegating additional authority to its staff in lieu of quorum.

The Supreme Court of Chile has revoked the environmental permit for the Penco Lirquén offshore regasification terminal, one of two commercially-linked projects, collectively known as Octopus LNG, that obtained debt financing at the end of last year.

Dayton Power & Light, a utility owned by AES Corp., has committed to sell three coal projects, shutter two others and buy or develop at least 300 MW of wind and solar generation in a settlement with several Ohio entities in relation to its rate case before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will be unable to issue orders from Friday until at least one commissioner is nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

The #PowerTweets feature tracks trends in power project finance and M&A in the Americas on Twitter.

GE Capital's Homer City coal-fired project in Indiana County, Pa., has filed for a pre-packaged restructuring under Chapter 11, as expected.

Homer City Generation, a GE Capital subsidiary that owns a 1,884 MW three-unit coal-fired plant in Indiana County, Pa., has reached an agreement with its bondholders regarding a “comprehensive financial restructuring plan” as it prepares to file for bankruptcy this week.

Speakers and attendees at the 20th Annual Platts Mexican Energy Conference on Nov. 14 expressed surprise at the speed and success of reforms to the energy market, but warned that some of the renewables projects that won contracts in the country’s first two power auctions may not materialize.

The #PowerTweets feature tracks trends in power project finance and M&A in the Americas on Twitter.

The future of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Power Plan and tax credits for renewable generation are all up in the air following Donald Trump's presidential win in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The #PowerTweets feature tracks trends in power project finance and M&A in the Americas on Twitter.

The #PowerTweets feature tracks trends in power project finance and M&A in the Americas on Twitter.

SunEdison is under investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which has issued the company with a subpoena for emails and other electronic documents sent or received by current and former heads of the company and its two yield companies, TerraForm Global and TerraForm Power.

The chairmen of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance and House Committee on Ways and Means have embarked on a fact-finding mission into how incentives for solar projects have been applied.

In this week’s Industry Current, Bernays ‘Buz’ Barclay, managing partner at Rimon P.C. and senior adviser to Marathon Capital, calls on the power industry to engage with blockchain technology.

The #PowerTweets feature tracks trends in power project finance and M&A in the Americas on Twitter.

Sponsors with gas-fired projects in New York are facing the new reality that nuclear projects in the state could stay online for longer than previously thought.

In this week’s Industry Current, David Burton of Mayer Brown and Richard Page of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld discuss the latest tax incentives for solar generation in Idaho, which could encourage additional solar developments in the state.

Covanta Energy is seeking authorization from the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend its lease of a waste-to-energy facility in Union County, N.J. into the second half of the twenty-first century.

SunEdison has obtained $300 million of debtor-in-possession financing from its creditors and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the company announced on April 21.

A company owned by funds of Ares-EIF and Power Plant Management Services have agreed to pay $7.2 million in fines and civil penalties after pleading guilty to tampering with emissions equipment at the 245 MW gas-fired Berkshire Power project in Agawam, Mass., and lying to environmental and energy regulators for three years.

Beleaguered renewables sponsor Abengoa is seeking Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection in the U.S., having obtained the support of a majority of its creditors for a standstill agreement in Spain.

SunEdison has settled a lawsuit brought against it by the shareholders of Latin America Power after SunEd pulled out of a deal to acquire the Chilean wind and hydro sponsor last year.

Draft legislation which would extend the production tax credit for wind projects by two years would lead to an increase in wind project development if it is passed, say deal watchers.

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved a divestiture plan proposed by Talen Energy, which was challenged by Macquarie Infrastructure Corp.

The causes and consequences of the recent yield company turmoil, the impact of the Clean Power Plan and hopes to resurrect the production tax credit were all topics of conversation at the American Wind Energy Association Wind Energy Finance and Investment Seminar in at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York.

As a Brazilian law passed to increase solar development comes into effect, three former wind power developers are targeting growth in the commercial and industrial space.

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission’s decision to reduce the length of so-called PURPA contracts by 90% will halt renewables development in the region, warns the Solar Energy Industries Association.

This Industry Comment is written by Paul Forrester, a partner in the Chicago office of Mayer Brown. Here, he examines the swap reporting requirements that result from the recent rise of non-utility renewables offtakers.

The announcement of the results of the 2018/19 base residual auction for capacity in PJM on Friday will spur merger and acquisition activity in the region in the coming months.

In the second instalment of this feature, Benjamin Israel, a partner at Kaplan, Kirsch & Rockwell, explores the political and market implications of the U.S. Court of Appeals' decision in the case of the Energy & Environment Legal Institute v. Joshua Epel et al.

Obama has set the first ever federal limits on U.S. power plant carbon emissions in a move that is expected to lead to a deluge of renewables projects.

Benjamin L. Israel, a Kaplan, Kirsch & Rockwell partner discusses renewable energy mandates in the context of the EELI v. Epel case--in his capacity as a representative of the Interwest Energy Alliance, an intervening party in the case.

SunEdison is the latest to join the bandwagon of private players investing in Brazil in spite of concerns over a nationwide economic lull and the declining contribution of the country's development bank to project financing.

This Industry Current is written by John Thomas, executive vice president and cfo at Tennessee Valley Authority in Knoxville, Tenn. Thomas discusses the scope for distributed generation in the context of electric utilities.

Market watchers say that the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling on emissions regulations enacted by the Environmental Protection Authority could delay the retirement of coal-fired plants.

Yield companies are set to circumvent the challenge of new competition if the Master Limited Partnerships Parity Act, recently reintroduced by Delaware and Kansas senators Chris Coons and Jerry Moran, passes muster.

This Industry Current is written by Keith Martin, a Washington, D.C.-based partner at Chadbourne & Parke. Martin’s narrative analyzes the IRS’ guidelines for partnership flip transactions in the context of benefits to solar developers and tax equity players.

The U.S. offshoot of Spain's Iberdrola is planning to launch a partial IPO once it completes its merger with Orange, Conn.-based United Illuminating Holding Co.

Sempra Energy is gearing up to launch an IPO of Sempra Partners LP, a master limited partnership, as it focuses on ramping up its LNG projects.

Allianz is planning to make its maiden tax equity investment in the U.S. wind market, and is talking to sponsors about prospective deals.

PJM is proceeding with its annual capacity auction this summer following the FERC’s approval of its capacity performance proposals late on Tuesday, June 9.

After 15 years at Duke Energy Progress, Bruce Barkley is exiting the company to join Piedmont Natural Gas as vp of regulatory affairs.

Organización Soriana, which was able to secure a grandfather permit before Mexico's new energy reforms kicked in, has raised $260 million to construct a pair of wind farms totalling 99 MW in Tamaulipas.

At least three large utilities are coming to market this week against the backdrop of an expected rise in short-term interest rates during the fourth quarter.

BHE Renewables is scouting the purchase of a partnership interest in a 251.6 MW natural gas-fired cogen facility in New York from GE Capital.

A $900 million debt, which Moxie Energy is hoping to raise, is the latest among several financings that industry observers say areunlikely to close until the delayed PJM capacity auction for delivery year 2018-2019 takes place.

The Tennessee Valley Authority aims to issue up to $1 billion by issuing power bonds after summer, partly to finance a portion of two CCGT projects totaling 1.7 GW.

A SCANA subsidiary is prepping for an RFP aimed at contracting at least 50% of 84 MW in planned solar capacity from utility-scale facilities in South Carolina.

This week's Industry Current is written by Benjamin L. Israel, a Washington, D.C.-based partner at Kaplan, Kirsch & Rockwell. This feature provides context for what the Tesla Powerwall means for retail consumers and wholesale generation, transmission and distribution.

Mississippi Power is evaluating alternatives to offset the impact of South Mississippi Electric Power’s withdrawal from a planned investment in a 582 MW coal-fired facility in Kemper County, Miss.

David Burton, partner, and Richard Page, associate, at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in New York, survey the renewables landscape in North Carolina, which has put a decrease in renewable energy tax credits on ice and could freeze the proportion of renewables that state-controlled utilities are required to buy.

Keith Martin, partner at Chadbourne & Parke expounds the framework laid out by the IRS for companies aiming to operate as master limited partnerships.

Invenergy is shopping for debt to finance its 1.3 GW Lackawanna gas-fired project, in Pennsylvania, pegged at a cost of $900 million.

SunEdison has tapped four banks as bookrunners for an IPO of its emerging markets yield company.

Cheniere Energy is planning to add two additional trains at one of its LNG export projects, and plans to finance these trains in 2017.

Xcel Energy is eyeing an acquisition of the 200 MW Courtenay wind farm near Jamestown, N.D., from Geronimo Energy.

This week’s Industry Current is written by Chadbourne & Parke attorneys David Jiménez Romaro and Javier Félix Muñoz from Mexico City, and Raquel Bierzwinsky from New York. The authors examine the evolving regulatory framework for geothermal exploration and production in Mexico.

Alliant Energy Corporate Services is inviting bids to contract up to 200 MW of wind projects across Iowa.

Freeport LNG has clinched a $4.56 billion deal in senior debt and mezzanine financing backing its third LNG train near Freeport, Texas.

A peregrine falcon dubbed Houdini may be the answer to the perennial bird-versus-wind turbine controversy.

This week’s Industry Current is written by Jake Seligman, associate at Chadbourne & Parke in Washington, D.C. Seligman evaluates the opportunities for municipalities to tap into tax-exempt lease purchases for financing the purchase of U.S. distributed solar projects.

Scores of project financiers, investors and sponsors descended on The Wynn Las Vegas for one of the largest events in the power industry calendar: the Platts’ 30th Annual Global Power Market Conference.

California-based Lightbeam Electric has floated an S-1 with the SEC, aiming to raise $100 million in its initial public offering as a yield company.

Project financiers at Platts’ 30th Annual Global Power Markets are competing for business as lenders continue to surge into power and energy deals in the Americas.

A pair of PPL Corp. affiliates is in talks with banks to finalize book runners for an issuance of up to $1.05 billion in senior secured first mortgage bonds.

MUFG Union Bank subsidiary Bankers Commercial Corp. is selling its stakes in a pair of wind farms totaling 98 MW in Kern County, Calif., to investors.

LNG export facilities in the U.S. and gas pipeline projects in Mexico will help balance a growing surplus of natural gas in North America, Bentek Energy presenters noted at Platts' 30th Annual Global Power Markets conference in Las Vegas on April 13.

Fortis is selling its interests in a portfolio of hydro projects in New York to an affiliate of the City of Ottawa.

This week’s Industry Current is written by David Burton, partner, and Richard Page, associate at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in New York. Burton and Page examine the effects of the New York State budget on solar tax incentives.

A consortium of at least five creditors is looking to acquire minority stakes in Longview Power as it looks to convert the debt held by its lenders to equity interests.

Pattern Energy Group is acquiring a trio of wind projects from Wind Capital Group and Pattern Development for a combined purchase price of $372 million.

AES Corp. has secured a fixed coupon of 5.5% to refinance its existing debt through $575 million in senior unsecured notes.

Apex Clean Energy has closed a $397 million construction loan for its 299 MW Kay wind project in Kay County, Okla.

This week’s Industry Current is written by Mona Dajani, partner, and Michael Reed, associate of the North America energy, banking & finance group at Baker & McKenzie. The feature provides insights into Mississippi's Court ruling mandating Mississippi Power Co. to refund $281 million to ratepayers.

Duke Energy Progress is buying back 700 MW nuclear and coal-fired stakes from the North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency in exchange for a wholesale contract from the agency.

A GE Energy Financial Services unit has agreed to purchase a stake in a portfolio of renewable and thermal projects totaling 579 MW from an affiliate of Enel Green Power North America.

Eversource Energy is looking to sell roughly 1 GW of hydro and thermal plants in New Hampshire through an auction.

Morgan Stanley is launching a $275 million term loan package for Longview Power at a bank meeting in New York tomorrow.

Apex Clean Energy is looking for financing for 450 MW of wind projects in Oklahoma.

Duke Energy Florida is looking to buy Calpine Corp.’s 599 MW Osprey combined cycle plant in Auburndale, Fla., for $166 million.

Utilities and operators of U.S. coal-fired generation are planning to shutter hundreds of assets against the backdrop of stringent emissions regulations and heavy plant maintenance costs.

We Energies has scrapped the sale of its 431 MW coal-fired facility in Michigan to Upper Peninsula Power Co.

Abengoa and EIG Global Energy Partners are looking to finance their 924 MW Norte III combined cycle project in northern Mexico.

Dynegy is open to buying Ohio coal-fired generation from AEP Ohio, if the American Electric Power Co. subsidiary opts to sell the assets.

8minutenergy Renewables and D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments seek to raise over $1 billion in financing for a portfolio of utility-scale solar projects in California.

Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator has issued a request for proposals for 565 MW of renewable generation.

First Solar and SunPower have filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed an initial public offering backing their new yield company 8point3 Energy Partners.

Northland Power is in talks with lenders to arrange more than $1 billion in senior secured loans for two wind farms on either side of the Atlantic.

Quantum Utility Generation has closed a $95 million construction and term loan facility for the 40 MW Passadumkeag wind project in Maine.

Khosla Ventures has bought 100% of the equity in a 50 MW geothermal project owned by a subsidiary of EIG.

Larry Kellerman, former ceo of Quantum Utility Generation is poised to grow his new venture, Twenty-First Century Utilities as he looks to wed utilities to the latest technology. In this exclusive, Senior Reporter Olivia Feld spoke to him about his company's plans for acquisitions and his take on the future of the utility model.

This week’s Industry Current is written by Jake Seligman, associate at Chadbourne & Parke in Washington, D.C. Seligman evaluates investor attraction to community solar projects and offers insights into key opportunities, risks and challenges.

Deepwater Wind Block Island, a subsidiary of Deepwater Wind, has closed the first financing for an offshore wind project in the U.S.

Dynegy is canceling a process to sell its 2.7 GW California portfolio after concluding a strategic evaluation with advisors Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Barclays.

Affiliates of 8minutenergy Renewables and D. E. Shaw Renewable Investments are in the market for $130 million in debt for the 133 MW Springbok solar project in Kern County, Calif.

This week’s Industry Current is written by David Burton, partner, and Richard Page, associate, at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in New York.

As executive v.p. of North America utility and global wind for SunEd, Paul Gaynor is looking to leverage the new wind business over SunEd’s existing global reach. Senior Reporter Olivia Feld sat down with Gaynor to discuss his new role and strategy for wind projects at SunEd.

First Solar and SunPower are in advanced talks to launch a joint yield company.

Southern Company’s subsidiary Southern Power has acquired two of Tradewind Energy’s solar photovoltaic projects totaling 99 MW in Georgia.

Technology companies are providing a bright spot in the perennial hunt for power purchase agreements this month.

In the second installment of this PFR Exclusive, Andrew Platt, head of project finance Americas at BNP Paribas sits with Senior Reporter Olivia Feld to discuss the bank's take on deal flow in Latin America, and trends in M&A and LNG export facility financing.

This week’s Industry Current is written by David Burton, partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in New York. Burton, who focuses on tax matters with an emphasis on project finance and energy transactions, examines the now delayed Sol-Wind IPO and compares it to traditional yield companies and master limited partnerships.

Prospective yield company Sol-Wind Renewable Power has indefinitely pushed back its initial public offering.

Rabobank pulled out of a financing backing the 298 MW Kingfisher wind project in Oklahoma just before the transaction closed.

Dino Barajas, partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, explores investor interest in Mexico's renewables sector and highlights related prospects and opportunities.

Mona Dajani, partner at Baker & McKenzie, explains how a recent U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission policy statement could, if adopted, have a significant impact on valuations of large regulated utility mergers and swaps of generation asset portfolios.

Renewable developers RES America and Blackstone Group-backed OffshoreMW have won leases in the largest U.S. offshore wind auction to date.

American Electric Power Co. is considering strategic options for up to 10,393 MW of merchant generation in Ohio and Indiana, including a sale or retaining assets if the company garners regulatory approval for long-term contracts.

Enel Green Power North America has scooped tax equity investment for its 150 MW Osage wind project in Oklahoma.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill to expedite the approval process for liquefied natural gas export permits to countries with non-free trade agreements with the U.S.

Jay Worenklein, former partner and co-head of global projects at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, has left the firm and launched US Grid Co., which is focusing on enhancing, developing and financing distribution systems.

PPL Corp. and Riverstone Holdings have agreed to sell a package of assets in PJM to garner approval from the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to form their proposed independent power producer Talen Energy.

Institutional investors are increasingly looking to make direct investments in generation and gas-related infrastructure, according to panelists at Infocast’s 7th Annual Projects & Money conference in New Orleans.

The proliferation of distributed generation, energy efficiency measures and technologies that enable demand conservation, are putting significant pressure on the traditional utility business model.

Tax equity investors keep picking up stakes in wind projects, as the window for production tax credit eligibility continues to close.

Utilities are contemplating real estate investment trusts for transmission assets, as a ruling from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service earlier this year further opens REITs to non-traditional sectors and potential candidates digest the structure.

Wind developers, financiers and attorneys are focusing on Washington D.C. as Congress negotiates an extension of the production tax credit, an incentive that impacts billions of dollars of development projects and deals.

Autumn is a time for pumpkin-flavored everything, breaking out cozy sweaters and fresh starts for Entegra Power Group and Lincoln Renewable Energy.

This week’s Industry Current is the transcript of a discussion between a group of seasoned investment bankers that focused on new financing trends, including the term loan B market, green bonds, state green banks, yield companies, financing for merchant plants and other topics.

Developers are preparing to submit bids in the next few weeks for roughly $2 billion of gas pipelines in Texas and Mexico in tenders hosted by the Comisión Federal de Electricidad.

The debt capital markets were flooded with power and utility paper this week, as issuers sent $1.85 billion in notes to bond buyers.

About 7.8 GW of solar projects have applied for permitting before the Comisión Reguladora de Energia in Mexico, representing just more than half of the 15 GW of applications before the Mexican regulator.

After years of legal battles, regulatory struggles and a documentary film, the Cape Wind offshore wind project has arrived in the project finance market.

The #PowerTweets feature tracks trends in power project finance and M&A in the Americas on Twitter.

This Industry Current is written by David Burton, partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in New York

The second installment of this Industry Current is written by Anne Hampson, project manager, and Jessica Rackley, senior associate at ICF International in Washington D.C. For the first installment, click here.

Power industry players circle a bundle of tenders in Mexico and the wind sector regroups stateside after the IRS unveils clarifications to the production tax credit.

Entegra Power Group is preparing for a prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing that would make Wayzata Investment Partners and Luminus Management its majority owners.

Energy Capital Partners has received first round bids for EquiPower Resources Corp.—the portfolio company for which it’s considering both an initial public offering and a sale.

Mexico continues to roll forward with its landmark energy reforms this week, as the Senate passed a set of provisions that would essentially create a competitive wholesale power market in the country.

A bankruptcy court-run sale for Optim Energy’s coal-fired plant in Robertson County, Texas, is scheduled for Aug. 4.

Aon Risk Services, a risk management and brokerage firm, is offering an insurance policy to safe guard tax equity investors from uncertainty about whether a wind project will qualify for the production tax credit.

Second lien creditors have closed the takeover of MACH Gen via a Chapter 11 bankruptcy pre-packaged reorganization.

Attorneys and wind developers have met with representatives of the U.S. Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service to petition for further clarification on the safe harbors under the production tax credit as the wind industry faces looming operational deadlines and wary tax equity investors and lenders.

The U.S. Department of Energy is seeking applications for up to $4 billion of innovative renewables and energy efficiency projects in the latest iteration of the loan guarantee program.

The impact of distributed solar generation on the market is challenging the traditional utility-centric model and piquing financier interest, according to panelists at Platts’ 29th Annual Global Power Markets conference at the Wynn Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nev., April 8.

Developers and financiers are keeping an eye on Washington as the expiration of the solar investment tax credits begins to impact financings for projects with longer construction periods.

Optim Energy, the independent power producer backed by Bill Gates’ Cascade Investments, is looking to sell its three generation facilities totaling 1,455 MW in a court-run bankruptcy sale process.

A unit of Energy Capital Partners will have voting power in MACH Gen via a derivative contract with second-lien debt holder Deutsche Bank.

Check out Power Finance & Risk's special report focusing on the burgeoning LNG export industry in the U.S. and the latest opportunities in development and financing.

The owners of MACH Gen have agreed to a pre-packaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing with second lien creditors.

A California court has annulled a decision to allow Pacific Gas & Electric to acquire Radback Energy and Wellhead Electric’s 614 MW Oakley gas-fired project upon completion.

Dialogue is needed between developers and financiers on renewable projects that involve communities and First Nation groups, according to speakers at the 5th Annual Canadian Power Finance Conference in Toronto Jan. 29.

In this week's round-up: Exelon launches first B loan of 2014 whiel FGE Power mandates Goldman Sachs to advise on financing for a merchant combined cycle project in Texas.

Longview Power, LLC is set for a bankruptcy court hearing in February for final approval on a plan that converts debt held by affiliates of three heavyweight creditors to equity.

Entegra Power Group is working on several fronts to restructure its finances, including proceeding with an asset sales agreement, inking a tolling agreement and scoping a second lien refinancing.

Use of the phrase yieldco to describe three recent share flotations by NRG Yield, TransAlta Renewables and Pattern Energy Group masks very different business arrangements.

Rockland Capital has terminated its agreement to buy five gas-fired assets totaling 433 MW from Maxim Power Corp.

The $990 million financing of the 614 MW Oakley gas-fired project has been temporarily put on hold as co-developers Radback Energy and Wellhead Electric await a court ruling on the merits of a petition challenging the facility’s power purchase agreement.

NRG Energy has emerged as the stalking horse bidder in the bankruptcy court-run sale of Edison Mission Energy with an agreement to pay $2.635 billion for 7.5 GW and a trading and marketing subsidiary.

The U.S. government shutdown is jeopardizing billions of dollars of wind projects that are aiming to qualify for the production tax credit before it expires Dec. 31.

A Union Bank subsidiary is taking over 54% of the tax equity in Noble Environmental Power’s underperforming Great Plains wind farm in Texas.

Longview Power, LLC, the independent power producer backed by First Reserve, has filed for Chapter 11 protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court District of Delaware.

Edison Mission Energy is marketing coal, gas and wind generation assets as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.

This week’s Industry Current is the transcript of a panel of industry officials focused on the market for portfolio sales of generating assets and consolidation in the power industry.

Duke Energy expects a ruling in its petition to the Ohio Public Utilities Commission regarding how its roughly 7.5 GW Commercial Power fleet recovers maintenance costs in the fourth quarter.

Longview Power has detailed a pre-pack bankruptcy filing proposal with its creditors, deal watchers say.

Renewable project financing options beyond the expiration of the production and investment tax credits was the focus at Euromoney Energy Events Renewable Energy Finance Forum Wall Street at the Waldorf Astoria in New York this week.

Edison Mission Energy has hired JPMorgan as co-advisor to run a strategic sale process for its generation assets.

President Obama will issue an executive memo to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calling for new regulations on power plants as part of a goal for the U.S. to cut carbon emissions 17% from 2005 levels by 2020.

Wells Fargo has committed to investing $100 million in tax equity in 2013 and 2014 to distributed generation solar projects developed by SunEdison in 13 states and Puerto Rico..

Edison Mission Energy has filed a petition with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Illinois seeking a unilateral extension of the Midwest Generation sale leaseback agreements.

Entergy Corp. and ITC Holdings have received approval from the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on the $1.78 billion deal for ITC to buy transmission assets from Entergy in a spin-off.

Tenaska has shelved plans to build the Taylorville carbon-capture coal-fired project in Taylorville, Ill., given lack of support from Illinois legislators.

Duke Energy is planning a 230 MW wind project near Searchlight, Nev., that will cost north of $500 million.

Invenergy has received approval from the West Virginia Public Service Commission to move forward with the 33-wind turbine expansion to its Beech Ridge farm in Greenbrier County, W.Va

LS Power and Riverstone Holdings encountered investor resistance to their respective B loan packages as the market softened on broader economic jitters.

Edison Mission Energy is talking with the lessors on its Midwest Generation coal-fired plants about extending the negotiation window for their contracts.

While most bankers may be aware of Energy Investors Funds' Pio Pico plant because of the financing opportunity, they’re probably missing its significance, though indirect, in endocrinological history.

The U.S. Department of Energy signaled that it would proceed cautiously before approving any more applications to export U.S.-produced liquefied natural gas after granting only the sec¬ond export license in May.

The Nevada legislature has passed a bill that allows NV Energy to replace about 1 GW of coal-fired generation with 600 MW of utility-owned renewables and gas-fired generation.

NYISO forecasts the state will not need new generation until 2019 given sluggish demand growth.

Appalachian Power has asked Virginia officials to approve a $65 million project to convert the Clinch River coal-fired plant in Russell County to gas-fired.

Nearly 100 active borrowers, asset acquirers and sellers, lenders, attorneys and advisors voted in our new and expanded awards process.

Financing the massive transition of the U.S. military to renewable energy resources presents a tremendous opportunity, coupled with significant challenges, to developers, lenders, and investors in renewable energy power projects serving the military.

Sunflower Electric has lost an appeal to the D.C. Circuit Court to overturn a ruling against its $2.8 billion, 895 MW Holcomb coal-fired expansion project in Kansas.

The results of PJM capacity auction for 2015-16 could impact whether the West Virginia Public Service Commission approves FirstEnergy Corp.’s $1 billion plan for Mon Power, a utility subsidiary, to buy 80% of the Harrison coal-fired plant from another subsidiary.

Exelon will look to grow its retail footprint in ERCOT over the next five years and be on the lookout for acquisition targets, Chris Crane, ceo, said on the earnings call.

The Minnesota legislature is considering a bill that would increase the state’s requirements of distributed solar generation to 4% by 2025.

CAISO expects to see 2 GW of new gas-fired generation come online this year, including NRG Energy’s 720 MW Marsh Landing project and Calpine Corp.’s Russell City and Los Esteros.

Developers have filed applications with the North Dakota Public Service Commission for five wind projects totaling about 685 MW in North Dakota as a way to try to qualify for the production tax credits by year-end.

Edison Mission Energy has taken pitches from investment banks to sell its 7.5 GW generation portfolio.

Renewable energy projects traditionally attract financing only after securing a long-term contract to sell the electricity to a creditworthy offtaker at a relatively fixed price. The project development is hard enough, but in today’s market, finding a power contract is becoming exceedingly difficult.

Energy Future Holdings and its private equity sponsors have failed to reach an agreement with first lien creditors for a prepackaged bankruptcy filing.

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has released the criteria clarifying what beginning of construction means for a facility looking to qualify for the production tax credit under its latest extension.

The annual bacchanal in Las Vegas holds center stage for many in the industry as a place to pick up on trends, do business and relax. Last week’s event was no exception. But there was also a real sense of the industry being at something of a watershed as how to deal with the unprecedented flood of cheap natural gas in the U.S.

The arrival of plentiful and cheap natural gas in the U.S. has changed the game in the power sector and the ramifications were a constant topic throughout Platts Global Power Markets Conference in Las Vegas last week.

Longview Power, the owner of a merchant 695 MW supercritical pulverized coal-fired facility in Maidsville, W. Va., is reportedly facing a potential debt covenant breach.

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has paved the way for Native American tribal governments to use renewal energy investment tax credits, which they’d been barred from deploying in the past.

This week’s Industry Current is written by Kerin Cantwell and Miles Killingsworth, partner and associate, respectively, at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld’s global project finance practice in Los Angeles and George “Chip” Cannon, Jr., partner at the firm’s energy regulatory practice in Washington D.C.

Harry Clark has spent more than two decades working on government contracting.

Tucson Electric Power is trying to buy out the lessors of the Springerville 1 coal-fired plant in Arizona.

This week’s Industry Current is the transcript of a panel of industry officials focused on the U.S. Army’s solicitation for renewable projects.

This week’s Industry Current is written by Paul Kaufman, partner in corporate and project finance at Chadbourne & Parke in Los Angeles.

The risk that generation will be forced to reduce output is throwing a wrench in project finance and M&A deals in Ontario.

A subsidiary of Chevron that owns half of two gas-fired cogeneration facilities in Bakersfield, Calif., via joint ventures with Edison Mission Energy is suing the company for the right to buy out EME’s stakes at book value as a consequence of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.

Diamond Generating has sold its stake in the Kiowa combined cycle facility in Oklahoma to co-owner Tenaska.

More natural gas-fired, nuclear and biomass generation opportunities could result from increased coal-fired retirements in the U.S., according to panelists at Infocast’s 5th Annual Projects & Money conference executive briefing in New Orleans.

BluEarth Renewables, a Calgary-based independent renewable power producer, is talking to lenders for financing backing its 60 MW Bow Lake wind farm in Algoma district, Ontario.

European lenders will likely increase participation in project finance deals due to the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision’s decision to delay and water down Basel III requirements, according to bankers and executives.

Andrew Redinger is managing director and group head of utility, power and renewable energy at KeyBanc Capital Markets. He sat down with Sara Rosner, PI’s managing editor, to discuss the lender’s strategy and what lies ahead for power project finance and M&A in North America.

Increased liquefied natural-gas exports from the U.S. would have a positive economic benefit, according to a new report prepared by NERA Economic Consulting, paving the way for new deals.

Exelon has completed the sale of three coal-fired plants in Maryland to Raven Power Holdings, a portfolio company of Riverstone Holdings.

Clarity on government incentives and international cooperation on financings would help alleviate some of the issues faced by financiers of renewable energy projects, according to the International Energy Agency.

A subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources that owns merchant hydro facilities in Maine may miss an interest payment on its bonds next quarter, according to NextEra’s third quarter financial report.

With all of the shopping, prepping, cooking and familial mediating that goes in to Thanksgiving, it’s easy to forget about what’s really required for producing that crown jewel of the Thanksgiving table in terms of kilowatt hours.

Simply to keep the lights on, Chile needs to increase generation by 6% per year, but developers have put the Chilean government in a difficult position by suspending several large-scale power projects and attributing the delay to government policies.

Entergy Corp. has received final approvals from the Mississippi Public Service Commission and New Orleans City Council it need to join MISO.

Pacific Power, PacifiCorp’s utility subsidiary in Oregon, has brought the 2 MW Black Cap solar project online—the first of 8.7 MW the utility will need to acquire by 2020.

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has banned the trading arm of JPMorgan from receiving competitive prices for the power it sells for six months beginning in April as a penalty for allegedly providing false information.

Edison Mission Energy missed a $97 million interest payment on its unsecured bonds that could lead to a bankruptcy filing next month if it does not make the payment during the grace period that ends Dec. 17.

The U.S. Department of Justice has given the final approval for two Entergy Corp. utility subsidiaries to buy gas-fired plants from K-Gen Power.

Abengoa and Impsa are each working on financing wind projects in Uruguay.

The Brazilian government’s move to renew offtake contracts several years ahead of schedule and at lower rates is making sponsors and investors wary of developing projects in the country.

Homer City Funding LLC, a financing vehicle for the Homer City coal-fired plant in Pennsylvania filed for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Delaware.

In this week’s Industry Current the authors take a look at President Barack Obama’s order requiring a Chinese company to sell its stakes in four wind projects in Oregon and its potential implications for other projects.

GE Capital Corp. is moving toward a Chapter 11 pre-packaged bankruptcy filing for a special purpose vehicle, Homer City Funding, that is affiliated with its 1,884 MW Homer City coal-fired plant in Pennsylvania.

Sponsors and developers are looking to establish master limited partnerships as a means for financing midstream and natural gas liquefaction assets.

The merits and detractors of 144A and private placements made headlines in the past month as project financiers and sponsors look for ways around a constrained bank loan market. That hurdle has not stopped some sponsors, such as BrightSource and Freeport LNG, from sniffing out billion dollar-plus deals, which could include bond components. In M&A, the specter of initial public offering in Canada for a renewables developer continues to shine in the Pattern Energy saga.

A huge pipeline of projects to export liquefied natural gas from the U.S. is in the works with a combined development price tag of more than $50 billion.

Taking Entergy’s Indian Point nuclear facility in New York offline could increase the cost of power by $2.2 billion a year, according to a study from the think tank Manhattan Institute.

The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity estimates that 204 coal-fired units across the country totaling 31 GW could be shuttered under new regulations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may need to issue a rulemaking to facilitate the communication and schedule synchronization between natural gas suppliers and power generators as the industry increases its reliance on gas-fired generation, according to Philip Moeller, a FERC member.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has voted to move forward a plan, CleanPowerSF, which would give residents the option to buy all of their power through a renewables-only program with Royal Dutch Shell’s North American power business.

Hess Corp. has received an air pollution control operating permit from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for its planned 655 MW gas-fired in Newark.

Duke Energy has shelved the strategic evaluation of its Midwest generating fleet.

As the presidential campaign heats up, details of each candidate’s energy policies have emerged to shed light on potential impact on future energy investments and transactions.

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has made what some observers say could be a landmark ruling: it has ordered NY-ISO to recalculate which plants participate in the capacity auction, or the mitigation exemption test.

While several wind industry players say production tax credits will be extended for another year, many are looking at other financing options.

This week’s Industry Current is written by Ben Davidson and Christopher Gladbach, managing associates of energy infrastructure for Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe in Washington, D.C.

State congressmen from upstate New York are opposed to the planned 330-mile Champlain-Hudson Power Express transmission line from Quebec to New York, saying that the line would increase foreign energy dependency and that it would cost jobs in the state.

Exelon has shelved plans to develop a nuclear power plant near Victoria, Texas, due to economic and market conditions, including low natural gas prices.

George Wurtz, ceo of Soundview Paper Co., is considering building a gas-fired facility at a New Jersey paper plant to combat the cost of industrial power in the state, which he says is among the highest in the nation.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is reviewing its policy on the mandatory quiet period in the time leading up to an initial public offering in response to claims that small investors were not able to access information about the Facebook’s financials before its IPO because of the limitations.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is planning to spend up to $1 billion on pollution controls at its Gallatin coal-fired plant near Nashville, Tenn., to meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations.

Compete Coalition, a national group advocating power market deregulation, has filed comments with the Wisconsin Public Service Commission urging the state to reconsider deregulation to mitigate rising utility rates.

Sister companies Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power have submitted petitions to the West Virginia Public Service Commission to issue up to $415 million in bonds to recover costs associated with a rise in coal prices a few years ago.

Bondholders in Edison Mission Energy affiliate Midwest Generation are in the early stages of retaining an advisor.

Transmission users are looking to clamp down on investor owned utilities’ return on equity in transmission projects, with four complaints filed with the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury is facing criticism from sponsors and attorneys who say it is increasingly assigning lower values to projects seeking cash grants than the numbers submitted by sponsors.

Invenergy is planning a 502 MW wind project in Morrow County, Ore., although there are questions about whether the project will go forward if production tax credits are allowed to expire at the end of the year.

Developers of hydro, biofuel and solar projects are concerned a plan to reduce pricing in wind power purchase agreements proposed by Idaho utilities will broadly impact renewables in the state.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will not issue new licenses and license renewals for nuclear power facilities with waste fuel questions until it decides how to handle spent nuclear fuel.

Generation assets sales were down in the second quarter compared to the same time last year, though solar trades increased, according to PI’s Generation Sale Quarterly Report.

Hawaii Electric & Light is partnering with Aina Koa Pono on a biofuel supply contract that will provide 16 million gallons of renewable biofuel to Keahole Power Plant and 8 million gallons to sell to Mansfield Oil Co.

The U.S. Senate Finance Committee agreed to renew the tax credit for wind power for another year with a 19-5 bipartisan vote, adding a cost of $3.3 billion.

Exelon Corp., the nation’s largest owners of nuclear power plants and one of the top wind power owners, is lobbying against the U.S. Senate Finance Committee’s plan to extend the tax subsidy another year.

Algonquin Power & Utilities subsidiary, Liberty Utilities, has finally completed the acquisition of Atmos Energy’s natural gas assets after the acquisition was originally announced in May 2011.

The Mississippi Supreme Court unanimously agreed to deny Southern Co. subsidiary Mississippi Utility’s request for a $55 million rate increase to cover costs for its coal-gasification Kemper County plant that is under construction.

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power has approved a bill that would curtail lending under the U.S. Department of Energy’s loan guarantee program and affect billions of dollars of existing and future guarantees.

Edison International will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for its Edison Mission Energy and Midwest Generation subsidiaries if its current efforts to restructure debt are not successful, Ted Craver, chairman and ceo of EIX, said on the second quarter earnings call Tuesday.

Luminant Generation lost its appeal against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s jurisdiction over of state clean-air laws.

Exelon Power’s 28-turbine Criterion wind project, the first industrial scale wind project in Maryland, will be required by a federal plan to slow its turbines at particular times of year to limit the number of bats that might be killed.

The U.S Commerce Department placed new tariffs on Chinese wind turbine towers after complaints from the Wind Tower Trade Coalition claiming anticompetitive behavior.

Chile’s environmental evaluation office approved EIA’s second 158 MW phase of the Lebu Sur wind project.

The Public Service Commission in West Virginia issued an order preventing Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power customers from receiving any more rate increases.

Securitization bankers and solar players are still trying to figure out how to bring to market the first solar asset-backed securities deals.

Southern Co., the largest utility consumer of coal, has put a cap of $16.3 billion to be spent on environmental pollution spending from 2012-2014.

A Chilean bill to create a power highway connecting the two major grids in Chile and increase capacity to 30GW will head for government approval by September or October.

Following the North Carolina General Assembly passage of the 2002 Clean Smokestacks Act, the state has seen a 70% reduction in mercury emissions from coal-fired plants.

The federal government will be auctioning off Atlantic Ocean offshore wind rights to developers.

Biomass plants generate 11% of alternative energy production, but out of the 107 biomass plants operating in the U.S. 85 have been cited for emissions violations in the past five years.

Biomass plants generate 11% of alternative energy production, but out of the 107 biomass plants operating in the U.S. 85 have been cited for emissions violations in the past five years.

The federal government will be auctioning off Atlantic Ocean offshore wind rights to developers.

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency will review its mercury, soot and other emission standards for new coal-burning power plants.

The Duke Energy merger investigation will continue with North Carolina utility regulators requiring requested documents to be with the commission by month-end.

Bill Johnson, former ceo of combined Duke Energy, testified before North Carolina regulators Thursday stating during the merger process between Duke and Progress Jim Rogers wanted to renegotiate contracts but that would lead to a $675 million break-up fee.

The Martin Drake coal-fired plant, outside Colorado Springs, Colo., has been the subject of a debate on whether to close down to 87 year old 256 MW plant, but the City Council decided to install new pollution equipment instead.

Dallas-based Luminant, part of Energy Future Holdings, has been accused by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of failing to install modern pollution control devices as part of modifications to coal-fired plants.

Last week the Braidwood twin-unit 2,600 MW nuclear plant in northeastern Illinois received special permission from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to continue operating after its cooling pond rose to 102 degrees, making it the second request the plant has made since opening 26 years ago.

Florida’s Public Service Commission has called Duke Energy ceo Jim Rogers to testify Aug. 13 to discuss the 35-year-old Crystal river nuclear plant that has been off line since 2009.

E.CL, a Chilean utility, placed a $36.6 million air pollution control order with Fuel Tech to modernize six coal-fired units.

The North Carolina Utilities Commission is expected to bring in outside expertise to help with the Duke Energy merger case.

Jonathan Feipel has been named executive director of the Illinois Commerce Commission, which regulates power companies and other state utilities.

Utilities in Idaho are looking to rework qualifying facility PPAs—a move that could slash revenues from hundreds of megawatts of contracted wind projects, leaving the facilities unable to service debt.

Wind projects are racing to complete projects before the December 31 tax credit expiration, that if not renewed could drop new wind capacity as much as 93% next year according to American Wind Energy Association.

The North Carolina Division of Air Quality announced mercury emissions from coal-fired plants have reduced 70% in the last decade.

Bill Johnson, former Progress Energy ceo, has been called by North Carolina utility regulators to testify before the committee next week to discuss the manner in which he left Duke Energy, and if the committee was mislead prior to the Duke, Progress merger.

DTE Energy plans to close its coal-fired Harbor Beach Power Plant on Lake Huron at the tip of Michigan’s thumb region due to increase in emission standards

In this week’s Industry Current, several solar company executives shared lessons learned from closing recent financings in a roundtable organized and moderated by Keith Martin partner at Chadbourne & Parke in Washington, D.C.

The Wisconsin Public Utilities Commission approved Wisconsin Power & Light’s plan to build a 200 MW wind farm in southern Minnesota despite The Citizens Utility Board and Wisconsin Industrial Energy Groups opposition.

Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Economico e Social has frozen financing for turbines claiming equipment companies are not meeting the requirement for 40% of components to come from Brazilian suppliers.

After power outages that left 911 emergency systems offline for three days in Fairfax County, Va., council members in both Virginia and Maryland purposed two bills to force Pepco to switch from above ground power lines to underground power lines.

Duke Energy Ohio, a subsidiary of Duke Energy Corp., has filed a request with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio for an $86.6 million increase for power rates, and $44.6 million increase for gas rates to implement in January 2013.

A joint venture between GE, Spanish firm Duro Felguera S.A, and Argentinean firm Fainser were rewarded a turnkey contract for Vuelta de Obilogado 800 MW combined-cycle power plant to be built on the same site as General San Martin Plant.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has asked the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to review an air pollution permit it gave Tenaska in April for a purposed coal-to-gas plant near Springfield, Ill.

Southern Co. subsidiary Mississippi Power is appealing a denial by the state supreme court in June for a $55 million six-month rate increase linked to its 582 MW Kemper County Plant that is under construction.

Brazil’s Mining and Energy Ministry authorized two startup wind farms totaling 41.2 MW of installed capacity.

Acciona’s Windpower generator-assembly plant in Iowa is on its last U.S order due to the production tax credit expiry set for December.

North Carolina regulators have launched an investigation after the Duke-dominated board ousted Bill Johnson, Progress Energy’s ceo and planned ceo after merger.

Duke Energy Carolinas has withdrawn a request for proposals for up to 300 MW of wind projects and renewable energy credits after receiving minimal interest.

A bevy of renewable assets went on the block in June and project finance players are buzzing about the next generation of funding options.

Progress Energy and Duke Energy have finalized their $26 billion merger to create the country’s largest utility, serving 7.1 million customers in six states.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s administrator Lisa Jackson has given New Mexico state and Public Service Co. of New Mexico officials 90 days to find a solution that will curb haze-causing pollution from the 1,800 MW San Juan Generating Station.

Pacific Gas & Electric has submitted a request to the California Public Utilities Commission to collect an additional $5.25 billion from its customers over the next three years.

Dairyland Power, a La Crosse, Wis.-based utility, paid nearly $156 million to settle allegations from the U.S Environmental Protection Agency claiming that two of Dairyland’s coal-fired plants have not obtained proper permits or installed the best pollution equipment.

Oklahoma is allowing utilities to enter into long-term natural gas contracts that will lock in low gas prices for generation.

South Carolina Electric & Gas has filed a request for a 6.61% rate increase, for the first time since January 2010, to help cover the costs of $300 million spent on upgrades and improvements.

Abound Solar Inc., in Loveland, Colo., is seeking bankruptcy court protection after receiving $68 million in U.S. government-backed loans under President Barack Obama’s energy policy.

The Long Island Power Authority has approved a feed-in tariff program to encourage companies to develop medium-scale solar projects, with a total program cap of 50 MW.

Texas regulators increased the power price cap by 50% from $3,000 per MWh to $4,500 to encourage new investments in power plants.

Cape Wind has reached a settlement with Martha's Vineyard / Dukes County Fishermen's Association, a group of fishermen long opposed to the development of the 420 MW MW project in the Nantucket Sound.

BrightSource Energy and NextEra Energy Resources have each been cleared to buy solar projects from Solar Trust of America.

Creditors are gearing up to take control of two Bicent Holdings generation assets as part of its pre-pack bankruptcy.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie plans to sign a bill this week that will jump start solar projects and prevent job loss in the industry.

NextEra Energy’s proposed 750 megawatt McCoy solar project outside the city of Blythe, Calif., is receiving mixed reviews from the locals worrying about environmental effects.

A Chilean environmental commission suspended Endesa’s $1.4 billion, 740 MW Punta Alcalde project in Chile’s Atacama region due to findings in an environmental impact report.

Pacific Gas & Electric is facing hundreds of millions of dollars in fines from the California Public Utilities Commission relating to the San Bruno pipeline explosion in September, 2010.

A three-judge panel on a federal appeals court ruled unanimously in favor of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s emission regulations, stating that the EPA is allowed to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.

Gregory Jaczko, the outgoing chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, allegedly contradicted statements made to Congress when talking to other agency officials, according to a report that was compiled at the request of Senator James Inhofe.

Pattern Energy’s Ocotillo wind project, consisting of 112 turbines on 10,000 acres of public land near San Diego, is facing its fourth lawsuit.

An initiative to increase the renewable portfolio standard to 25% from by 2025 from 10% by 2015 in Michigan is facing opposition due to the estimated corresponding $10 million increase in utility bills.

Duke Energy Corp. and Progress Energy have agreed to the conditions set out by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in its approval of the deal earlier this month.

Uruguay has increased its estimate of wind installments in the country to 1,000 MW by 2015, with over half of that capacity going under construction this year.

The hunt is on for the next generation of project financing options, including master limited partnerships, real estate investment trusts, project bonds and securitizations, according to executive and financiers at the 9th annual REFF-Wall Street conference in New York last week.

The California Public Utilities Commission has approved San Diego Gas & Electric’s proposed $435 million substation project on 58-acres in Jacumba and refurbishment of an existing plant in Boulevard.

BrightSource Energy and NextEra Energy Resources have each agreed to acquire projects from Solar Trust of America.

The U.S. Natural Resources Defense Council condemned AEP, Ameren, DTE Energy, Energy Future Holdings, FirstEnergy, GenOn, PPL, and Southern Co., for spending a combined $67 million since 2010 for lobbying against stricter pollution regulations in the Clean Air Act.

The U.S. Senate blocked a bill proposed by Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., that would have overturned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired plants.

The bankruptcy court-run auction of Solar Trust of America’s four assets that could solidify the stalking horse bid for one asset will be held Thursday.

Conduit Capital Partners’ financing of two 20 MW solar projects in Peru were approved by the U.S. Board of Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corp., a branch of the U.S. government that provides development financing.

Shareholders of CH Energy Group approved Fortis’ buyout offer of $65 a share with 91% voting in favor, having Fortis buy CH Energy at $65 a share.

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., wants the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to give power companies five years to implement the new emissions regulations on coal-fired plants instead of three.