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Energy & Climate Counsel

Your one-stop resource for timely analysis of legal and policy developments affecting the energy and climate sectors. We focus on the issues that matter most to you, from federal and state policy and judicial decisions to business trends and financing news.

Rising Cyberattacks on U.S. Water Infrastructure: Federal Guidance and Next Steps for Operators
Blog August 17, 2026
Rising Cyberattacks on U.S. Water Infrastructure: Federal Guidance and Next Steps for Operators
Recent guidance issued by Federal agencies warns that malicious cyber actors are targeting internet-facing operational technology (“OT”) used by water and wastewater utilities, particularly PLCs…
A Fossil-Forward U.S. Energy Policy Begins to Take Shape under Trump
Blog January 23, 2025
A Fossil-Forward U.S. Energy Policy Begins to Take Shape under Trump
President Trump began his second term by issuing a barrage of executive orders, memoranda, and other directives, many of which targeted U.S. energy policy and the federal employees who implement it…
Massachusetts Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change Releases Far-Reaching Draft Legislation
Blog February 13, 2018
Massachusetts Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change Releases Far-Reaching Draft Legislation
Yesterday, February 12, 2018, the Massachusetts Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change released a Proposed Draft of legislation staking out an ambitious and far-reaching set of policies across a wide range of sectors. There is a lot in the proposal and we are still reviewing the details, including the differences among mandates, targets, goals and discretionary authority. For now…
Leaked DOE Grid Report Not What Trump Administration Wants to Hear So Will They Change It?
Blog July 25, 2017
Leaked DOE Grid Report Not What Trump Administration Wants to Hear So Will They Change It?
In April, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry ordered the Department of Energy (DOE) to perform a 60-day review and produce a report regarding the reliability of the energy grid and potential concerns regarding early retirement of baseload generators. Perry's request explicitly solicited information concerning “[t]he extent to which continued regulatory burdens, as well as mandates and tax and subsidy policies, are responsible for forcing the premature retirement of baseload power plants.”…
Draft Released of Highly Anticipated Massachusetts Energy Bill
Blog May 25, 2016
Draft Released of Highly Anticipated Massachusetts Energy Bill
This week a draft of the long-awaited Massachusetts energy bill was reported out of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy. The bill would require the Commonwealth's distribution companies to competitively solicit long-term, fifteen- to twenty-year contracts for large-scale offshore wind and hydroelectric power. Notably absent from the bill are provisions addressing resources such as solar, onshore wind, nuclear, energy storage, and energy efficiency. The bill…
Massachusetts Updates Its Climate Song: I Can Get By With A Little Help From My (Canadian) Friends
Blog January 22, 2016
Massachusetts Updates Its Climate Song: I Can Get By With A Little Help From My (Canadian) Friends
Earlier this week, Massachusetts released its updated Massachusetts Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2020.  The headline for the press release was “Massachusetts on Track to Meet 25% Greenhouse Gas Reduction Target for 2020”.  The slightly more nuanced version is that we can do it, but only with a large dose of Canadian hydropower. While that's the main take-away, it really is a useful report…
Perhaps Massive Purchases of Canadian Hydropower Would Not Be a Panacea
Blog September 17, 2015
Perhaps Massive Purchases of Canadian Hydropower Would Not Be a Panacea
Governor Baker recently submitted Senate Bill No. 1965 to the Legislature.  It calls for utilities to solicit long-term purchases of renewable energy.  We are talking about as much as 1/3 of Massachusetts' annual electricity use over a 15-25 year period.  Two rationales are often provided to justify the large purchase of Canadian hydropower.  First, cheap hydropower will ameliorate the high cost of electricity.  Second, it will help Massachusetts attain its initial Global Warming Solutions…
DOE Releases Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Northern Pass Project
Blog July 27, 2015
DOE Releases Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Northern Pass Project
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Northern Pass Transmission, LLCs proposed 187-mile transmission line across the United States-Canada border in New Hampshire. If approved, the line would have the ability to deliver 1200 MW of hydroelectric power from Quebec into southern New England—a potentially tantalizing amount of power for policymakers seeking to diversify the regions generation portfolio and lower its GHG…
The Baker Administration looks to Hydropower to meet GHG goals
Blog July 16, 2015
The Baker Administration looks to Hydropower to meet GHG goals
The Baker Administration announced on July 9 that it filed a bill for sourcing long-term hydroelectric power in the Commonwealth.  Hydroelectric power currently provides a small portion of electricity consumed  in Massachusetts. According to the Energy Information Administration, it ranks behind natural-gas, nuclear, coal and other renewable energy sources. The bill, titled “An Act Relative to energy sector compliance with the Global Warming Solutions Act,” would require the State's…
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Foley Hoag’s Energy & Climate Counsel blog aims to be your one-stop resource for timely analysis of legal and policy developments affecting the energy and climate sectors. We focus on the issues that matter most to our readers, from federal and state policy and judicial decisions to business trends and financing news.

Our authors, comprised of attorneys from the firm’s Energy & Climate practice, have been active in the energy and climate space for decades, counseling clients across the spectrum – from new, innovative technology companies to large utility-scale power projects. Recognizing early on the common concerns of the renewable and traditional energy fields, we established one of the first integrated practices to serve all segments of the energy and clean technology sectors. We believe this tight integration provides us with the insight to analyze the pressing issues, trends and opportunities that those in this industry have come to expect.

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