Energy Efficiency

In March this year, the European Commission adopted the Delegated Act on a common rating scheme for data centers (“Delegated Act”) in the European Union (“EU”).  The Delegated Act implements the Energy Efficiency Directive (“EED”) and details the energy key performance indicators (“KPI”) that data center operators must report to the European database on data centers (“European database”), how to calculate them, and to what extent this information will be publicly disclosed. Continue Reading New Sustainability Reporting Requirements for Data Centers in the EU

Electronic devices and their components marketed in the European Union and European Economic Area are subject to a morass of environmental and product safety requirements that is only likely to increase with the EU’s implementation of its Circular Economy Strategy in the near future.  The requirements apply to all types of equipment, from sophisticated information technology equipment, to military equipment, aircraft components, electronic medical devices, household electronics, consumer devices, and industrial tools.
Continue Reading Environmental and Safety Requirements Affecting the Marketing of Electronic Devices and their Components in the European Union and European Economic Area

As part of an ongoing effort to address issues raised by, and encourage the entry of, distributed energy resources, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) last week issued a Policy Statement clarifying the flexibility electric storage resources have regarding rate designs to recover their costs.  FERC earlier proposed rules to remove barriers to the participation of storage and other distributed resources in the organized wholesale electricity markets administered by Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs).  These policies and rules are of interest to storage operators and investors, grid managers, other participants in RTO markets and consumers of storage services.

Storage resources, such as large-scale batteries and flywheels, are able to both absorb and discharge electricity.  These resources can provide multiple services almost instantaneously and thus may fit into more than one of the traditional asset functions of generation, transmission, and distribution.  The Policy Statement provides guidance for storage resources that want to charge rates for providing multiple types of services.
Continue Reading FERC Clarifies Cost Recovery Flexibility for Electric Storage Resources

On June 5, 2014, the European Union’s Energy Efficiency Directive (“EED”) will become applicable in all EU Member States. This Directive establishes an EU-wide framework aimed at promoting energy efficiency and will provide important challenges and opportunities for companies doing business in Europe.

What is the purpose of the Directive?…
Continue Reading The EU’s New Energy Efficiency Directive Becomes Applicable Across Europe

Last week, the White House announced a goal of acquiring $2 billion in energy efficiency upgrades at federal buildings over the next three years.  This $2 billion goal is in addition to existing commitments that the Obama Administration made in 2011, under which $2.7 billion has already been committed to…
Continue Reading White House Announces $2 Billion Goal for Energy Efficiency Performance Contracts

The Department of Energy (“DOE”) issued a draft solicitation yesterday for a new Renewable Energy and Energy Efficient Projects Loan Guarantee Program.  Once finalized, the Program is expected to make as much as $4 billion in loan guarantees available to innovative clean energy technology projects that are not currently in…
Continue Reading DOE Issues Draft Solicitation to Provide $4 Billion in Financial Assistance for Clean Energy Technology

On March 28, His Serene Highness, Prince Albert II of Monaco bestowed innovation awards for excellence in the field of environmental technology to three emerging technology companies — Mango Materials, Frigesco, and One Earth Designs — out of a field of 22 companies from 11 countries that participated…

Continue Reading CleanEquity Monaco Recognizes Three Innovative Energy and Environmental Technology Companies

On March 19, 2014, the California Energy Commission, the state’s primary energy policy and planning agency, announced that it was initiating a regulatory process leading to the regulation of 15 categories of consumer appliances as to usage of electricity, natural gas, and water.  This comes in part in response to…
Continue Reading California Announces Timing/Process for Issuing New Regulations on Appliance Efficiency

Tonight’s State of the Union highlighted that energy and environmental issues will continue to play a central role in the Washington agenda over the next year.  From the President’s early reference to workers building fuel efficient cars, to his extensive discussion of next steps on energy and the environment, it…
Continue Reading President Obama’s State of the Union Continues a Central Focus on Energy and the Environment