The energy industry has been at the forefront of the 2020 election, and energy development is an issue that polarizes Americans and our businesses and political leaders in choosing the path for the future. Energy developments are inextricably linked to our economy and national security, and the decisions and policies that will be implemented over the next four years are critical to the nation and our participation and role in world affairs.
Please join us for the webinar, The Energy Industry after the Election: What to Expect in 2021 and Beyond, on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. EST, where thought leaders from Blank Rome LLP and Blank Rome Government Relations LLC will provide their perspectives and insights on the following post-election topics:
- The energy agenda of 117th Congress
- Tax incentives
- Hydraulic fracturing
- Renewables
- Climate change
- The energy priorities of the next presidential administration
- Energy policy
- Regulatory developments impacting energy development and growth
- Impacts of climate litigation and the ESG movement
- Transactions and energy development: Impact of the election on the markets
The ingenuity of the renewable energy industry and the energy-oriented financial players is never to be doubted. Within the past few years, several creative financial tools have emerged to support the development of new wind and solar projects as well as further advances in large-building energy efficiency. The traditional regulatory and financial incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects—investment tax credits, production tax credits, mandated renewable portfolio standards, mandated energy efficiency targets—remain in place (at least for now). However, there is a new incentive at play, one which until recently the industry has not tried to monetize. The new incentive is the desire, indeed the perceived need, of certain companies to “go green,” to demonstrate a commitment to improving the climate in the face of growing public concerns about climate change. Companies that produce consumer products—beer, bread, computers, pharmaceuticals, etc.—and companies that provide services—telecommunications, online shopping, search engines—have concluded that there is ascertainable value to putting words like “100% Renewable Energy” on bags, cans, and packaging; on social media advertising; and on bricks and mortar. Building owners perceive ascertainable value in labeling their buildings as “green” buildings. What the creative minds of the energy and financial industry players have done is develop vehicles to capture and quantify those values, and put them to use.