Orrick advised the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonpartisan nonprofit that puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet’s most pressing problems, in a range of infrastructure development consisting of the following: (1) evaluating private activity bond provisions and other bonding provisions applicable to zero emission vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure in the in the Moving Forward Act and other bills; (2) evaluating proposed state bonding legislation applicable to zero emission vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure in Minnesota and select other states; and (3) assisting in the development of policy positions on bonding opportunities applicable to zero emission vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure investments.

Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP is working with the Renewable Energy Legal Defense Initiative, which is based out of Columbia Law School and supports community groups that are trying to facilitate renewable energy projects.  The Renewable Energy Legal Defense Initiative provides legal support to groups that are working to develop solar farms, wind farms, and other renewable energy facilities.  These projects often face stiff local opposition and litigation that can derail projects for years.

Morrison & Foerster lawyers have provided a variety of IP, technology transactions, corporate, tax, and regulatory advice to nonprofit Climate Neutral. Climate Neutral works to decrease global carbon emissions by getting brands to measure, offset, and reduce the carbon they emit, through a simple set of tools and a certification.

Latham & Watkins is working with the Restore the Earth Foundation, which works to restore land in the Mississippi River Basin.  Latham is providing them with contractual advice to restore approximately one million acres of degraded land in the Mississippi River basin. Latham is also providing compliance advice on carbon sequestration, carbon markets, and carbon trading.

Morrison & Foerster is providing legal support for a microenterprise, Lillian Augusta Hair, started by two University of Michigan students that aims to use an invasive species to create an environmentally friendly hair product for Black women.

Latham & Watkins is working with Nanogrid, a start-up public benefit corporation with a mission of reducing greenhouse gases from the electricity sector and lowering customer utility bills. Nanogrid provides a patent-pending software api that bridges smart meter data, utility rate data, and advanced modeling software to personalize home energy products and reduce electricity use during peak demand.

Beveridge & Diamond provided critical legal support to United Solar Initiative, a small non-profit based in North Carolina. United Solar works with partners in the solar industry to provide solar power and clean water pumps to underserved communities across the world. Beveridge & Diamond helped United Solar stand up to a patent troll who threatened to drain resources from this volunteer-run organization, and we continue to advise United Solar on other issues related to its core mission.

Hogan Lovells represents the Walker River Paiute Tribe that has reservation lands in Nevada that were contaminated with bomb ordnance by the Navy from a neighboring air base (Nevada Fallon Naval Air Station).  We worked with the Tribe to craft a legislative solution to address the contamination with agreement from the Navy and support from Nevada’s congressional delegation to be included in the NDAA legislation—we were poised to have it adopted in conference this session but it will likely be moved to the next Congress for adoption.  The solution includes protection of a sacred area on BLM lands, replacement lands for the Tribe that have geothermal energy capacity, and monetary payment for the lost use of its reservation lands due to the contamination, which is so pervasive and volatile that it cannot be cleaned up.

Nixon Peabody worked with New Partners Community Solar, the renewable energy nonprofit co-founded by two former partners of Nixon Peabody, to add a suite of creative resiliency solutions at a Washington, D.C. elementary school this year. At Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School, New Partners’ installed a sophisticated electricity management system, battery storage, and an innovative solar canopy, providing protected learning and play space for students. This setup increases the school’s resiliency in the event of climate change impacts and possible disasters. The school is already equipped with a 230 kW solar array through an earlier New Partners project.

Nixon Peabody assisted Common Energy in developing its community solar subscriber agreement, which enables homeowners and renters to support new, local renewable energy projects. This document is the key agreement describing the relationship between subscribers and community energy projects, enabling subscribers to prevent up to 15,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year and receive clean energy credits on their utility bills, which lower their energy costs.

Beveridge & Diamond provides pro bono assistance to WE ACT for Environmental Justice, a New York City-based non-profit that is dedicated to ensuring that people of color and low income residents participate meaningfully in the creation of sound and fair environmental health and protection policies and practices.  B&D’s pro bono assistance includes helping WE ACT secure Section 501(c)(4) non-profit registration, and handling transactional and permitting issues relating to a building that WE ACT owns.