RenewNewEngland.com

Webinar: Renewable Energy in 2010

Tomorrow, January 20, Pierce Atwood will host a lunchtime webinar on the outlook for renewable energy development in 2010.  The webinar is part of a monthly series of events presented by the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) in collaboration with the Renewable Energy Resources Committee of the American Bar Association's SEER Section and the Energy Bar Association's Renewable Energy Committee.  

We hope you can join us for a lively and provocative discussion concerning financing, development, legislative and regulatory initiatives that will shape the future of renewable energy in 2010.

For more information on the webinar - or to register to attend at our offices in Portland, ME, Portsmouth, NH or Boston, MA, please contact Bill Hewitt or click here. 

From New England to the World: Report from WFER IV

Pierce Atwood’s John Gulliver and Julia Weller recently participated in the World Energy Regulatory Forum IV in Athens, Greece.  WFER, as it is known, was created about a decade ago to provide a triennial platform for energy regulators from around the world, regulated energy companies, unregulated energy companies, policy makers, ministers and cabinet members, and other participants in the energy sector including investors, consultants, and customers, to gather and discuss topics of mutual interest.  This event was hosted by the Greek energy regulator, RAE.  Over 1,000 delegates from literally every continent attended.  The importance of independent, principled, non-politicized, cost-based regulation designed to create a favorable investment climate, appropriate consumer protections, and long-term economic and environmental benefits, has gained considerable acknowledgment and support over the 15 years as economies have moved from state-control to private investment, market-driven, competitive economies.  One of the important aspects of the World Forum is that regulators in emerging markets who are new to the job can gain insights from regulators such as those in the U.S., U.K., Australia or Europe who have decades of experience in balancing these important, complex and competing interests.

John chaired a panel of international regulators on Efficiency of CO2 Emission Reduction Mechanisms.  (In the photo above, he's second from the right.)  Julia participated in a separate panel on Regulatory Benchmarking.  Both found it to be an extremely rewarding, engaging, and challenging professional experience.  The planning for WFER IV took almost three years, and John had the opportunity to sit on the Program Planning Committee.  During the three years, of course, the world economy went from boom to bust, so the program was continually reoriented to address current pressing needs.

Three days of meetings are impossible to summarize in one blog entry, but John offers some general takeaways:

• We all share more problems than we think.  Volatile and high energy costs, security of supply, environmental concerns and fundamental fairness are global issues.
• The global appetite for energy, particularly electricity and transport fuels will be significant.  We are already seeing signs of renewed consumption levels coming out of the current economic crisis, especially in China, India, Brazil and other emerging powerhouses.  Recovery of oil from appropriately $35 a barrel to approximately $80 a barrel within a four month span is indicative of this trend.
• Everyone talks sincerely about renewables, but when it comes down to the brass tacks of pricing, it’s difficult not to shy away.  Photovoltaics at 25¢ a kilowatt hour are simply unaffordable for just about everyone.  Wind at 10¢ a kilowatt hour is hard for most people even in rich countries, if deployed on a widespread basis.  These prices are simply the generation price, and do not include transmission, distribution and other costs, which can add another 8-10¢ a kilowatt hour.  Feed-in tariffs have stimulated investment in renewables, but have also pushed average electricity prices to very high levels in some countries.  (For more on feed-in tariff developments in New England, see our previous post.)
• Global warming and greenhouse gas emissions are a huge concern.  Many experts think that the ultimate solution will come not just from switching from coal or other carbon emitting generation sources to clean sources (simply because more and more coal plants will be built in China and India that will outstrip any gains made elsewhere in terms of coal reduction), but instead will be driven by increased efficiency in consumption, retrofitting of existing buildings, and transport fuel change.
• Extension of basic utility services including electricity, water, gas and telephone, at affordable rates to people who are currently not connected to these services remains a significant priority in much of the world.
• There are numerous opportunities for U.S. companies to participate in global energy investment and business development.  The forecasted demand, even in light of the current global recession, is enormous.  Billions and billions of dollars will need to be invested in new generation, new transmission, distribution, and new technology.  U.S. companies have a competitive advantage due to their technical know-how, flexibility, and competitive dollar valuations.

The next World Energy Regulatory Forum – WFER V - will be in 2012 in the City of Quebec, Canada, and is sure to be as informative and thought-provoking as WFER IV proved to be.  Best of all for those of us in New England, it will be easy to attend and participate.  For more information about WFERs past and future, please contact John Gulliver or Julia Weller.

Energy Bar Association Panel: Renewable Energy in Europe and the US

On Tuesday, September 29, 2009, Pierce Atwood’s Julia Weller will be serving as moderator of a panel discussion on recent renewable energy legislative and policy developments in Europe and the US.  The panel, hosted by the International Energy Law & Transaction Committee of the Energy Bar Association, will take place in Washington DC from 12-1:30 (eastern) and will be teleconferenced.

To register to attend in person or participate by phone, please contact the EBA. 

DOE Funding Webinar

On Thursday, September 24th, from 1-5 PM eastern, the Department of Energy will host a webinar on DOE loan guarantees and other funding opportunities.  Speakers will include Under Secretary Kristina Johnson, Steve Spinner of DOE's Small Business Loan Guarantee Program, and representatives from almost 30 DOE Program and Field offices.  Matt Rogers, Senior Advisor for Recovery Act Implementation, will provide the keynote address.

Billed as a "Business Opportunity Session" (BOS), the webinar is intended to provide technical information for small businesses interested in doing business with DOE.  Under the Recovery Act, DOE was granted nearly $40 billion in recovery funds for financial assistance and contracting opportunities.  Opportunities are listed by here by state.  To participate in the webinar, register at DOE. 

Renewable Energy Project Finance Seminar - Boston

Pierce Atwood is co-sponsoring a half-day seminar in Boston on June 11, focusing on Renewable Energy Project Finance, with special attention to the new opportunities offered by the renewable energy provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, including DOE loan guarantees and changes to tax incentives. William Hewitt and John Gulliver of Pierce Atwood, as well as other renewables experts from the private and public sectors throughout New England, will provide their insights on opportunities and strategies for getting renewable energy projects financed. We hope you will be able to join us for this informative session. 

Location
University of Massachusetts Club
225 Franklin Street
Boston, MA 02110

Date
Thursday, June 11, 2009

Time
7:30 AM - Registration & Continental Breakfast
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Program

For full program details and to register, please click here.

Renewable Energy Project Finance Seminar

Pierce Atwood is proud to be co-sponsoring a half-day seminar in Boston on June 11, focusing on Renewable Energy Project Finance.  William Hewitt and John Gulliver of Pierce Atwood, as well as other renewables experts from the private and public sectors throughout New England, will provide their insights on opportunities and strategies for getting renewable energy projects financed.  Please join us! 

Location
University of Massachusetts Club
225 Franklin Street
Boston, MA 02110

Date: Thursday, June 11, 2009
Time: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM

RSVP to this event

Upcoming CLE: Renewables in Transition

Pierce Atwood's Renewable Energy Group will host an American Bar Association webinar on April 15, 2009 in its Portland ME, Portsmouth NH and Boston MA offices.  Entitled Renewables in the Transition to the Modern Energy Economy: How It Will Affect Today's Legislative Issues, the program's distinguished panel will explore how the Modern Energy Economy will be shaped by these core trends:

1. Incorporation of Social Costs into Energy Economics (i.e. environmental markets)
2. Regionalism, Federalism, and Energy

   Independence

3. Globalization, both waxing and waning
4. Capital Markets Restructuring and what the implications are for the development of renewables.

This session has been approved for 1.5 Maine CLE credits.

To register to attend in Portland or Boston, click here.  To register to attend in Portsmouth, please contact Amber Elliott at aelliott@pierceatwood.com. 

There's Something in the Water

The Global Marine Renewables Conference is just two weeks away:  April 15-16 in Washington, DC.  Among the distinguished presenters at the conference will be Pierce Atwood's own Lib Butler.    Lib's a great advocate of public-private collaboration and will be moderating a panel on "Perspectives of the NGO Community."  A full agenda for the conference is available here.