The Butler Firm http://www.thebutlerfirm.com A Technology and Renewables Law Firm Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:26:40 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 February 14 Power Lunch: Insights from a Utility-Scale Solar Developer in Texas http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/february-14-power-lunch-insights-from-a-utility-scale-solar-developer-in-texas/ http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/february-14-power-lunch-insights-from-a-utility-scale-solar-developer-in-texas/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:26:40 +0000 Mary http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/?p=1363 Please join The Butler Firm at the upcoming February Power Lunch:

Insights from a Utility-Scale Solar Developer in Texas

This month, Austin Power Lunch is excited to feature Michael Lumbley, business development manager of RRE Austin Solar. Hear Michael’s experiences working for a utility-scale developer and the insights he has to offer. Michael will discuss solar development in Texas, where he believes the market is going, and provide an update on RREs 60 MW Pflugerville project.

 
Speaker Michael Lumbley, Business Development Manager, RRE Austin Solar
Date Tuesday, February 14
Time 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Location Austin Chamber of Commerce (map)
 

Seating is limited to first 45 attendees to register. To RSVP, visit http://februaryaustinpowerlunch.eventbrite.com/?ref=elink or click here.

About the Austin Power Lunch Series

The Power Lunch Series is designed to provide educational lunch presentations relating to clean energy in a relaxed atmosphere at no cost to the attendees. Meals are sponsored by The Butler Firm, an Austin-based law firm focusing on clean energy law.

]]> http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/february-14-power-lunch-insights-from-a-utility-scale-solar-developer-in-texas/feed/ 0 Americans Gaining Energy Independence With U.S. Emerging as No. 1 Producer http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/americans-gaining-energy-independence-with-u-s-emerging-as-no-1-producer/ http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/americans-gaining-energy-independence-with-u-s-emerging-as-no-1-producer/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:39:52 +0000 Firm Administrator http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/?p=1359 February 6, Bloomberg

According to the Department of Energy,  the U.S. has reversed a two-decade-long decline in energy independence, increasing the demand met from domestic sources over the last six years to an estimated 81 percent through the first 10 months of 2011. The last time the U.S. achieved complete energy independence was in 1952.

More…

]]> http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/americans-gaining-energy-independence-with-u-s-emerging-as-no-1-producer/feed/ 0 CPS is Seeking to Lure Energy-tech Company http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/cps-is-seeking-to-lure-energy-tech-company/ http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/cps-is-seeking-to-lure-energy-tech-company/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:15:32 +0000 Firm Administrator http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/?p=1357 February 3, San Antonio Business Journal

San Antonio’s CPS Energy is exploring technologies, ranging from battery arrays to compressed air, that will allow it to harness and store the energy collected from solar and wind sources. CEO Doyle Beneby hopes to make an announcement about the program by the end of 2012.

More…

 

]]> http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/cps-is-seeking-to-lure-energy-tech-company/feed/ 0 Finding Work for Used Electric Vehicle Batteries http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/finding-work-for-used-electric-vehicle-batteries/ http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/finding-work-for-used-electric-vehicle-batteries/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:01:14 +0000 Firm Administrator http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/?p=1354 January 20, GreenTechMedia.com

Researchers at Nissan are investigating how old electrical vehicle batteries might be harnessed for storing electricity generated from sun and wind technologies.  If successful, their advances could help eliminate waste and make it easier to use renewables-generated electricity to run plug-in cars. Nissan hopes to develop a LEAF battery storage prototype with a capacity of at least 50 kilowatt-hours, enough to supply 15 average homes with electricity for two hours.

More…

]]> http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/finding-work-for-used-electric-vehicle-batteries/feed/ 0 Buffett’s MidAmerican Energy Holding Forms Renewables Unit http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/buffett%e2%80%99s-midamerican-energy-holding-forms-renewables-unit/ http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/buffett%e2%80%99s-midamerican-energy-holding-forms-renewables-unit/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:57:06 +0000 Firm Administrator http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/?p=1348 January 26, GreenTechMedia.com

MidAmerican Energy Holding Company, the Midwestern utility subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, announced it will form an arm dedicated exclusively to the development of renewable energy. The offshoot, named MidAmerican Renewables LLC, will have four subunits: solar, wind, geothermal and hydro. The company is betting on renewable energy as a solid business decision that will pay off in the long run.

More…

]]> http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/buffett%e2%80%99s-midamerican-energy-holding-forms-renewables-unit/feed/ 0 Renewable Energy Deals Hit Record High in 2011-PwC http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/renewable-energy-deals-hit-record-high-in-2011-pwc/ http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/renewable-energy-deals-hit-record-high-in-2011-pwc/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:11:03 +0000 Firm Administrator http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/?p=1333

January 29, Reuters

Global renewable energy deals climbed 40 percent to a record high of $53.5 billion last year from $38.2 billion in 2010. Solar and energy efficiency deals accounted for 79 percent of the $15.3 billion rise in the total value of renewables deals. However, overcapacity in China and increasing cost pressure in the U.S. and Europe could make 2012 a challenging year for manufacturers.

More…

]]> http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/renewable-energy-deals-hit-record-high-in-2011-pwc/feed/ 0 Energy Tax Breaks Proposed, Despite Waning Support for Subsidies http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/energy-tax-breaks-proposed-despite-waning-support-for-subsidies/ http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/energy-tax-breaks-proposed-despite-waning-support-for-subsidies/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:31:50 +0000 Firm Administrator http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/?p=1325 January 26, The New York Times

The cost of wind and solar power has fallen sharply in recent years. So much so that the two industries say that they can sometimes deliver cleaner electricity at prices competitive with that of  fossil fuels.  Even so, renewable energy companies are requesting that Congress continue investing in government support to ensure a competative market and job creation. Without the new breaks, industry executives fear they will be forced to scale back production and eliminate jobs in a still-weak economy.

More…

]]> http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/energy-tax-breaks-proposed-despite-waning-support-for-subsidies/feed/ 0 Texas’ Wind Power Boom Could Head for Bust if Congress Doesn’t Extend Tax Credit http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/texas-wind-power-boom-could-head-for-bust-if-congress-doesnt-extend-tax-credit/ http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/texas-wind-power-boom-could-head-for-bust-if-congress-doesnt-extend-tax-credit/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:00:41 +0000 Firm Administrator http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/?p=1323 January 27, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

According to the American Wind Energy Association, 2012 will be a big year for added wind generation in Texas. However, if Congress fails to approve an extension of a federal production tax credit for wind power, the same will not be said for 2013 and beyond. Texas was  added during with 297 megawatts in 2011.  It will nearly triple that amount under construction in 2012.

More…

 
 
]]> http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/texas-wind-power-boom-could-head-for-bust-if-congress-doesnt-extend-tax-credit/feed/ 0 Super Bowl XLVI Goes Green http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/super-bowl-xlvi-goes-green/ http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/super-bowl-xlvi-goes-green/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:34:26 +0000 Firm Administrator http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/?p=1317 January 23, GreenMountain.com

Green Mountain Energy was selected to supply 15,000 megawatt hours of renewable energy certificates to help power six major NFL venues during Super Bowl XLVI. The RECs are being generated at wind farms located in North Dakota and will play a role in avoiding more than 14,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions associated with Super Bowl electricity consumption.

More…

 

 

 

]]> http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/super-bowl-xlvi-goes-green/feed/ 0 Ten Years of Texas Electric Utility Deregulation http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/ten-years-of-texas-electric-utility-deregulation/ http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/ten-years-of-texas-electric-utility-deregulation/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:15:45 +0000 Firm Administrator http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/?p=1315 January 24, GreenTechMedia.com

On January 1, 2002, deregulation was rolled out by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT,) allowing Texans to choose their electricity provider and their preferred source of electricity. It has since become the oldest and most successful deregulated electricity marketplace in the U.S. Perhaps most importantly, renewable energy in Texas grew from one percent in 2002 to more than 8.5 percent in 2011 and created nearly 10,000 wind industry jobs in the process.

More…

]]> http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/ten-years-of-texas-electric-utility-deregulation/feed/ 0