Legalized cannabis use is rapidly sweeping the nation. Currently, 29 states have legalized some form of cannabis, effectively turning the majority of the United States green. In this post, we will take a closer look at some of these green states and discuss cannabis real estate trends across both state…
Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law Blog
Colorado Supreme Court Interprets TABOR, Holding City’s “Waste Reduction Fee” is Not a Tax
Municipalities wield considerable power over local businesses as a recent Colorado Supreme Court decision demonstrates.On May 21, the Colorado Supreme Court decided the case of Colorado Union of Taxpayers Foundation v. City of Aspen. The Court held, in a 4 to 3 ruling, that a City of Aspen ordinance imposing…
New Federal Register Notices (May 30, 2018)
The following notices were published yesterday: 1. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will be taking another look at its implementation of FAST Act Section 61003 regarding the security and resilience of energy infrastructure in the face of emergencies. EEI asked that FERC reconsider the rules it promulgated in November…
Fifth Circuit Upholds Dismissal of Complaint for Actions and Inactions of City of Houston
On May 22, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in an unpublished ruling, affirmed the District Court’s dismissal of a complaint that the actions and inactions of a City of Houston tax reinvestment zone, as well as the City of Houston, resulted in multiple serious flooding incidents that damaged…
Experts Discuss Technological, Logistical and Regulatory Factors Affecting Energy Storage Growth
At the Deutsche Bank/Pillsbury Energy Storage Forum, held in New York on March 14, our colleague Rob James discussed battery technologies and the forces driving an increase in energy storage investment and innovation. Click here to download the presentation or watch the video.
EPA Offers Companies Path to Manage Risks from Upstream Oil and Gas Transactions
Recently, our colleagues Matt Morrison and Brendan Hennessey published their Client Alert titled A New Path to Managing Risks from Upstream Oil and Gas Transactions, EPA incentivizes new owners to conduct compliance audits by offering penalty forgiveness for violations found. Takeaways include: The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) newest enforcement proposal…
District Court Confirms that City of Oakland Breached its Development Agreement with Coal Terminal Developer
On May 15, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California held that the City of Oakland’s attempt to apply a new “coal ban” ordinance to a coal handling terminal was invalid. The District Court concluded that the record evidence placed before the City Council did not satisfy the ”substantial evidence”…
Forecast Sunny for Solar Contractors in California
On May 9, the California Energy Commission announced that it has “adopted building standards that require solar photovoltaic systems starting in 2020.” The 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards are expected to “reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an amount equivalent to taking 115,000 fossil fuel cars off the road.” California will…
New Rule Prohibits Use of Funds For Certain DoD Construction and Infrastructure Programs and Projects
Recently, our colleague Glenn Sweatt published their Client Alert titled DFARS Clause Blocks Funding for Unsafe Projects in Afghanistan, Recently published regulation implements the FY17 NDAA to prohibit use of funds for DoD construction and infrastructure programs and projects in Afghanistan that cannot be safely accessed by U.S. Government personnel.…
Proposed Department of Defense Guidance May Fuel Bid Protests
Today, our colleagues Dick Oliver and Glenn Sweat published their Client Alert titled New Proposed DoD Cyber Guidance May Fuel Bid Protest Docket, Newly published draft DoD Guidance for Reviewing System Security Plans (SSP) and the “NIST SP 800-171 Security Requirements Not Yet Implemented” answer some questions but may also…