For one reason or another, not every parcel of land originally targeted for a renewable energy project is able to be included in a final site plan. Typically, developers try to secure private easements from contiguous landowners, but landowners are not always willing to execute easements.
Riley Nickel
A love for complex problem-solving led Riley to the practice of law.
Growing up watching his parents, a nurse practitioner and an electrician, Riley always liked the idea of helping people with complex issues and working within a system bigger than himself. The opportunity to help build something that would last and see a tangible outcome drew him to the practice of real estate law.
As the managing editor of the Kansas Law Review, Riley developed the multi-tasking skills necessary to meet deadlines timely and effectively. Today in his law practice, Riley knows being able to work effectively on multiple projects is key to his work on behalf of clients.
The Thacker Pass Lithium Mine: Implications for Utility-Scale Energy Storage
On Friday, February 24, 2023, a Nevada federal judge issued an order in Bartell Ranch LLC et al. v. McCullough et al., rejecting emergency requests for injunction by Plaintiffs, among which are Native American Tribes, various environmental groups, and a rancher to block construction of the Thacker Pass lithium mine, pending their current appeal to the 9th Circuit.[1] The Plaintiffs maintain that the Bureau of Land Management failed to acknowledge concerns about the impacts of the mine and that the permits were illegally granted. The District Court ruled in favor of the Defendants, the Bureau of Land Management and Lithium Nevada Corp., with the Court only requiring a re-approval of permits covering 1,300 of the approximately 6,000-acre mineable area. The Plaintiffs sought an injunction while their appeal to the 9th Circuit is ongoing. However, the Court ruled in favor of the Defendants, ruling that “the requisite strong showing of a likelihood of success on the merits of their appeal” had not been met, opening the door for the project to proceed.…