Blog

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.

SJC's Sunpin Decision: A Win for Solar Development, But Not the Last Word
Blog July 17, 2026
On July 14, 2026, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (“SJC”) issued its decision in Sunpin Energy Services, LLC v. Zoning Board of Appeals of Petersham, holding in favor of solar development and reaffirming that local zoning boards have only narrow authority to deny solar special permits…
What Regulators Can’t See: The American Efficient Case and the Future of Demand-Side Oversight
Blog May 28, 2026
On April 15, 2026, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) imposed a $722 million civil penalty against American Efficient, LLC (“American Efficient”) and its affiliates in one of the largest enforcement actions in FERC’s history…
New York Senate Passes ASAP Act to Increase Solar Funding and Reduce Deployment Costs
Blog April 29, 2026
On April 21, 2026, the New York State Senate passed the Accelerate Solar for Affordable Power (ASAP) Act (2025-S6570A)…
Maine PUC Votes to Reopen Bid Window for Northern Maine Renewable Energy Generation & Transmission RFP
Blog April 28, 2026
On April 28, 2026, the Maine Public Utilities Commission (the “Commission”) voted unanimously during its public deliberations session to reopen the bid window and issue an amended Request for Proposals (“RFP”) for Renewable Energy Generation and Transmission Projects under the Northern Maine Renewable Energy Development Program…
Court Annuls New York’s Wetlands Regulations for Failure to Comply with SEQRA
Blog April 14, 2026
On April 8, 2026, Albany County Supreme Court Justice Richard M. Platkin made a splash when he annulled 6 NYCRR Part 664 – New York State’s wetlands permitting regulations promulgated under the 2022 adoption of amendments to New York State Environmental Conservation Law Article 24, the Freshwater Wetlands Act – in its entirety for noncompliance with the State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”)…
Full Steam Ahead: Financing Geothermal 2.0
Blog March 20, 2026
Among renewable resources, few offer the benefits of geothermal –reliable, firm power that provides a stable base for intermittent resources like solar and wind and that is produced from an abundant domestic resource accessed using well-established equipment and methodologies…
New Daylight for Geothermal: How Federal Support and Bipartisan Permitting Reform Are Fueling a Geothermal Boom
Blog March 16, 2026
As wind and solar development faced political and regulatory headwinds over the past year, the Trump Administration signaled renewed momentum for geothermal energy development…
Massachusetts AGO Rejects Yet Another Municipal Solar and Battery Storage Moratorium
Blog March 13, 2026
On March 11, 2026, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (“AGO”) disapproved a proposed temporary zoning moratorium on large-scale solar installations and battery energy storage systems (“BESS”) in the Town of Blandford…
Massachusetts Finalizes Clean Energy Siting and Permitting Rules
Blog March 11, 2026
After more than a year of hard work by regulators and stakeholders, Massachusetts has finalized the bulk of the regulations needed to implement the siting and permitting reforms enacted in the 2024 Climate Act…
1 of 11

ABOUT

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.