Environmental Evolutions

50 States, 10 Minutes, 1 Topic: Hydrogen State Tax Incentives You Need to Know About

Tax associate Ali Foyt joins host Megan Berge to share her top five insights from her recently completed 50-state survey of hydrogen state tax incentives.  Ali’s contact information is available through her bio at the link above and more information on our innovative tax practice is available at bakerbotts.com. 

One of the hosts, Ali Foyt, is no longer affiliated with Baker Botts L.L.P.

PFAS! Part Deux

Learn about the latest developments in PFAS regulation and litigation, as well as issues likely to emerge in 2022. Host Megan Berge is joined by partners Alex Dunn and Stephanie Bergeron Perdue for an update to their April podcast, “PFAS Regulations and Litigation Are Comping P(retty)FAS(t).

A Practical Conversation on Environmental Justice

In this episode, host Megan Berge talks with partners Lily Chinn and Nadira Clark about their practical approach to helping companies develop or redevelop their approach to environmental Justice. More information, including videos, on the framework Nadira and Lily developed for in-house counsel is available at bakerbotts.com/ACELAS. 

 

EJ Mapping Tools:

• California
  • CalEnviroScreen was in development for over a decade before it was first released in 2013.  Current version 3.0 was last updated in July 2018 and version 4.0 is out for public comment.
• Federal EPA  
  • Development of EJSCREEN began in late 2010 and EPA began using an early version in 2012. EJSCREEN was peer reviewed in early 2014 and released to the public in 2015.
• Examples of Other State or Local Mapping Tools
  • Colorado
  • New York
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
  • Maryland
  • Washington
  • North Carolina
  • Minneapolis-St. Paul
  • San Francisco

California 101 - Fast Facts on California's Air Regulatory Regime

Ever wonder where the authorities of the California Air Resources Board end and the authorities of the Air Quality Management Districts begin? In this next fast facts episode, California special counsel Julie Cress and partner Megan Berge provide in 15 minutes or less a primer on California's air regulatory regime. Questions about California air programs? Contact Julie Cress or Megan Berge.

Follow the ESG Road: The Next Step (and the Next) on the SEC ESG Path

In this episode Partner Bridget Moore and host Megan Berge discuss President Biden’s May 20 Executive Order on Climate-Related Financial Risks and what companies subject to disclosure requirements need to know now. For more information or assistance with this issues, please contact Bridget Moore or host Megan Berge.

Documents discussed in this episode are available at: SEC’s 2010 interpretive guidance regarding climate change, directed, new Climate and ESG Task Force, requested public input, and https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/05/20/executive-order-on-climate-related-financial-risk/.

Holy Renewable Energy Transmission Project Loans, Batman!

In this installment of our fast facts series, host Megan Berge provides a quick rundown of the recently announced availability of more than $8 billion in loans for renewable energy transmission projects. Information on the loan programs, and associated guidance from the Department of Transportation, are available at fhwa.dot.gov, wapa.gov and whitehouse.gov. 

DOE Sets the Table for Energy Efficiency Rules

In this episode, Host Megan Berge and Partner George Fibbe, former Deputy General Counsel for Litigation, Regulation & Enforcement for the U.S. Department of Energy, flag for listeners key components of the recent Department of Energy proposal revising its process for undertaking energy efficiency rulemakings.  The proposal rule is available at federalregister.gov. For a deeper drive on the proposal, please contact George or Megan.

PFAS Regulation & Litigation Are Coming P(retty)FAS(t)

In this episode, host Megan Berge and Partners Stephanie Bergeron Purdue, formerly Deputy Executive Director at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and Alex Dunn, formerly Assistant Administrator at EPA, discuss the latest developments in the regulation of and litigation about the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that are known as PFAS. For more information about these developments, please contact Stephanie or Alex.

As promised, the PFAS regulatory trackers discussed in the episode can be found at https://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-natural-resources/per-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas-state-laws.aspx and https://www.ecos.org/pfas/.

Climate Claims Come to the Federal Trade Commission

In this episode, former acting chairman and commissioner of the FTC Maureen Olhausen and host Megan Berge discuss environmental groups’ FTC petition alleging that a fossil fuel company mislead customers on the climate and environmental impacts of its operations.  This episode is the next in our “fast facts” series, which aspires to breakdown recent developments and convoluted issues in 15 minutes or less.
 
For more information regarding the petition or the workings of the FTC, please contact Maureen or Megan.  A copy of the petition is available at greenpeace.org.

California: Get your hydrogen tax credits; get your hydrogen tax credits here!

In this episode, California tax partner Will Gorrod* and environmental partner Megan Berge highlight key elements of the clean hydrogen tax credit bill recently introduced in the California legislature by Assemblyman Freddie Rodriguez—AB1312. The bill is the first of its kind in the nation. This episode is the second in our “fast facts” series. The goal of episodes in this series is to breakdown recent developments or convoluted legal issues in 15 minutes or less. 

More information on the bill is available at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. 

For a more extensive discussion of AB1312, please contact our host, Megan Berge.

*Will Gorrod is no longer practicing with Baker Botts.