Foley Hoag Hosts Solar in Boston/Solar in America
Boston, MA - March 18, 2009
On March 4, 2009 more than 300 people took part in the summit, Solar in Boston/Solar in America held at Foley Hoag’s Boston office, broadcasted to the firm’s Emerging Enterprise Center in Waltham and via webcast.
This summit was created in reaction to Solar Boston’s first stakeholder meeting in January 2008. The question was posed: What could the City of Boston do to “think big” about solar development and address barriers to local solar expansion? Now in its second and final year of funded support, Solar Boston aims to ensure that the City has responded to stakeholder concerns and laid the groundwork for a robust solar energy market. In this half-day workshop, representatives from state government, federal government, and the utilities joined Solar Boston staff and Peter Rosenblum of Foley Hoag LLP to discuss progress to date and the outlook for future market growth given the financial and political environment in 2009. Key topics included:
Market growth: How has solar energy growth within Boston compared with market growth in other cities and towns under the state’s Commonwealth Solar program? To the extent that Boston lags behind other cities, why is this the case?
Barriers: What are the remaining key barriers to solar energy growth within Boston specifically?
Municipal policy initiatives: How can the City of Boston eliminate barriers to solar market growth using available tools such as permitting and zoning codes? What best practices from around the country could guide the City?
Other initiatives: What can the Solar Boston partners, including the utilities and the Commonwealth, do to address barriers to solar market growth?
Future policies: How can the City best position itself in the short- and long-term to take advantage of the emerging federal and state policy environment?
Speakers were Jim Hunt, Chief of Environmental and Energy Services; Brad Swing, Director of Energy Policy, City of Boston; Wilson Rickerson, Solar Boston Coordinator; Ed White, National Grid Solar Energy Program; Jan Gudell, NSTAR Solar Energy Program; Peter Rosenblum, Foley Hoag LLP; Dwayne Breger, Commonwealth Solar and the Green Communities Act and John Bartlett, US Department of Energy.
About Foley Hoag LLP
Foley Hoag LLP is a leading national law firm in the areas of dispute resolution, intellectual property, and corporate transactions for emerging, middle-market, and large-cap companies. With a deep understanding of clients’ strategic priorities, operational imperatives, and marketplace realities, the firm helps companies in the life sciences, high technology, energy technology, financial services and manufacturing sectors gain competitive advantage. 225 lawyers located in Boston, Washington, and the Emerging Enterprise Center in Waltham, Massachusetts join with a network of Lex Mundi law firms to provide global support for clients’ largest challenges and opportunities. For more information visit www.foleyhoag.com.
CATEGORIES
Energy Technology and Renewables