Developers of renewable energy projects, many of which are built on agricultural land, should understand local laws and restrictions on foreign ownership and investment in these parcels.  Roughly half of US States have express limits on foreign investment in or purchase of privately held agricultural land. A large swath of the Midwest, plus states in the mid-Atlantic and Florida, among others, have some restrictions. Between January and June of 2023, fifteen states enacted restrictions on foreign ownership of land.

The Inflation Reduction Act’s broad tax incentives for certain investments in renewable energy sparked a flood of capital investment, hastening the development of clean energy infrastructure nationwide.  According to an August 16, 2023 White House Press Release, private companies have announced over $110 billion in clean energy manufacturing investment since the enactment of the…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), which administers the federal renewable fuels program known as the Renewable Fuel Standards (“RFS”), has been grappling with the best approach to incorporating electric vehicles (“EVs”) into the RFS. Specifically, the EPA has been evaluating ways to adapt the RFS (under which renewable energy developers can generate marketable credits…

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Consumers’ increasing awareness of the advantages of nutrient-rich foods has prompted global food and beverage companies to begin enhancing their products with nutritional additives, leading to the creation of new products—and new categories of products—targeting consumers’ changing health and wellness needs.

On November 17, 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (the “NPRM”) with respect to Proposed Regulations under section 48 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”).  The NPRM addresses the Investment Tax Credit (“ITC”) framework, as amended under the Inflation Reduction Act (the “IRA”).  This blog…

Among the benefits afforded the renewable energy sector by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the ability to monetize 11 new or expanded clean energy tax credits via direct transfer was especially interesting to developers because of its potential to eliminate costly, drawn-out tax equity transactions.

Investors were also eager to participate in the newly…

This blog post is the second part of a series on incentives available to Missouri solar developers in the wake of Johnson v. Springfield Solar 1, LLC, 648 S.W.3d 101 (Mo. 2022). For part one on Missouri Chapter 100 bond abatements and the Springfield Solar 1, LLC decision, click here.

Enhanced Enterprise Zones …

Water pipe in water field, discharge. Clear Water flowing from a pipe, closeup.

Virginia developers take note: changes to the Virginia stormwater construction permitting program have been made over the last few years, and more changes are expected in upcoming months. While navigating those changes, Virginia developers will also want to be aware of all the requirements when applying for stormwater construction permits in Virginia to expedite the process and ensure a timely-issued permit.

As discussed previously in this blog, physical attacks against substations have been on the rise. However, the U.S. power grid[1] is also vulnerable to cyberattacks from U.S. adversaries, which includes hostile foreign governments, as well as individual bad actors such as insiders and criminals. Although there have been more physical attacks than cyberattacks…

Earlier this summer, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) introduced a groundbreaking order—Order No. 2023—aimed at reforming the generator interconnection process in response to the evolving landscape of energy resources, market dynamics, and emerging technologies across the nation.

Industry reaction to the substance of the new rules has been mixed, but it is…