On January 30, 2018, Arizona Corporation Commissioner Andy Tobin proposed a new “Energy Modernization Plan” for the state of Arizona. The proposed plan seeks to implement a comprehensive approach to develop clean energy resources for Arizona’s electricity infrastructure. Even though Tribes are not mentioned in the plan, Tribes and clean energy proponents should consider the …
Tribal Clean Energy Development: 2017 Changes and 2018 Opportunities
Executive Orders and Agency Changes to Watch During 2017 there were several key sets of action – at the federal, state, local, and industry levels –that have, or will, directly impact Indian clean energy development opportunities. Some of these actions will benefit Indian tribes seeking to develop clean energy resources or becoming more energy self-sufficient. …
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DAPL Developer Sues Environmental Groups
In a remarkable development around the contentious Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), the developer of the project, Energy Transfer Equity and Energy Transfer Partners, sued the environmental groups that opposed DAPL. Energy Transfer sued Greenpeace International, Greenpeace Inc., Greenpeace Fund, Inc., BankTrack, and Earth First! alleging that the: group of co-conspirators (the “Enterprise”) manufactured and disseminated …
The Eclipse Will Test Utilities’ Solar Grid Integration
On Monday, August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will sweep across the continental United States from Oregon to South Carolina. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves between the Earth and the sun, thereby obscuring the sun from Earth’s view and creating a shadow on Earth’s surface below. While a partial solar eclipse …
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NV Energy’s Latest Net Metering Filing Offers a Cost-Based Solution to the Distributed Generation Industry
Pursuant to the timelines set forth in Assembly Bill 405, NV Energy has recently filed new tariffs that affect Nevada’s net metering (NEM) and full requirement customers. Passed by the Nevada Legislature in June 2017 and supported by the rooftop solar industry, Assembly Bill 405 is the latest manifestation of Nevada’s policy to support rooftop …
Nevada’s Quiet Solar Revolution
The next time you are flying in or out of McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas, take a look at the valley that spreads just southeast of the city. Over there, just behind the mountain range that rims the edge of Las Vegas, lies El Dorado Solar Energy Zone – the epicenter of Nevada’s solar revolution …
A Clean Energy Conundrum
A recent New York Times article (“Windmill and Solar Panels, or Nuclear Reactors”, NY Times, 11/14/16) highlights what could be an interesting dilemma for both developing and industrialized nations seeking to de-carbonize in tandem with the Paris Accord. The article describes the tension between the development of concentrated solar power (CSP) and the potential use …
Court Approves Volkswagen Partial Consent Decree: Tribes Entitled to $50 Million for NOx Emission Mitigation
On October 25, 2016, the federal district court in the Northern District of California approved the United States’ Amended Consent Decree to resolve claims against German automaker Volkswagen AG and related entities (VW) and to settle allegations of cheating emissions tests, deceiving customers, and excess nitrous oxides (NOx) emissions from VW and Audi diesel engine …