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Saudi Arabia Pursuing Nuclear Energy to Maximize Energy Diversity

Saudi Arabia Pursuing Nuclear Energy to Maximize Energy Diversity

By: Bandar Altunisi, Associate Known as global powerhouse of fossil fuels, Saudi Arabia has focused on diversifying its energy sources in the last 10 years. Saudi Arabia considers solar energy to be a leading alternative energy source with an approximate potential 2,200 thermal kWh of solar radiation (sunshine) per square meter.[1] Furthermore, Saudi Arabia intends to pursue other alternative energy sources like wind power, waste to energy, biomass, and other viable sources of clean energy. King Abdullah City for Atomic…

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Is the Smart Grid Better Protected?: Nine Months After NIST Releases Cybersecurity Framework

Is the Smart Grid Better Protected?: Nine Months After NIST Releases Cybersecurity Framework

By: Sandra Zegarra, Associate             As the United States’ power infrastructure transitions from the current electric grid to the Smart Grid, an assortment of new security and reliability concerns, notably in the cyber security arena, have been introduced.[1] Although the objective of the Smart Grid includes heightened security, the implementation of supplementary technologies such as smart meters, sensors, and advanced networks present new vulnerabilities.[2] In order to address these cyber security concerns, in February 2014 the Obama administration released voluntary…

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Not So-Sweet Tea: A Legal Fix for Managing the Organoleptic Effects of Lake Hartwell’s Drinking Water

Not So-Sweet Tea: A Legal Fix for Managing the Organoleptic Effects of Lake Hartwell’s Drinking Water

By: Adam Shaw, Associate Planktonic or “blue-green” algae are single-celled bacteria that are normally “a beneficial component of the food chain.”[i] In warm, nutrient-rich environments, however, they can produce dense blooms that result in toxic substances known to cause sickness in livestock, wildlife and humans.[ii] In the summer of 2014, Lake Hartwell, located between Georgia and South Carolina at the northern segment of the Savannah River, experienced just such a dense algal bloom. What caused it? The “dramatic end of…

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Commercial Nuclear Reactor Licensing Hurdles — New York v. NRC

Commercial Nuclear Reactor Licensing Hurdles — New York v. NRC

By: Scott Farnin, Associate More than two years ago, the D.C. Circuit vacated and remanded the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (“NRC”) Waste Confidence rule in New York v. NRC.[1] As a result of that decision, the NRC suspended all licensing issuances for commercial nuclear power plants until the court’s remand was appropriately redressed.[2] On September 19th, 2014 the NRC issued its Final Rule on Waste Confidence, addressing the concerns of D.C. Circuit. Now, licensing issuances are set to start up again after…

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The U.S. Supreme Court Passes on Chance to Weigh in on California’s Climate Change Initiative

The U.S. Supreme Court Passes on Chance to Weigh in on California’s Climate Change Initiative

By: Christina Tabacco, Associate On June 30th the Supreme Court of the United States declined to grant the petition for certiorari by plaintiff-appellees in the case Rocky Mountain Farmers Union v. Corey, 730 F.3d 1070 (9th Cir. 2013), cert. den’d 134 S.Ct. 2875 (June 30, 2014) . The plaintiffs sought to strike down a major component of California’s climate change initiative (AB 32),[1] arguing that certain regulations violated the dormant Commerce Clause. The question at the heart of the lawsuit…

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Subcontractor Coverage Under the Christian Doctrine

Subcontractor Coverage Under the Christian Doctrine

By: John Kashuba, Associate   Problem: Recent litigation has produced ambiguity as to whether subcontractors are covered under the Christian doctrine. If this is indeed the case, practitioners advising clients bidding or negotiating for procurement work containing clauses espousing requirements as to the kinds of materials that must be used, or other clauses containing compliance mandates with environmental laws and regulations are strongly encouraged to be hyper-vigilant as to the wording, text, form, and structure of the contract. Any omissions…

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Solving the Goldilocks Problem: A Market Based Proposal for a More Efficient Feed-in Tariff in Japan

Solving the Goldilocks Problem: A Market Based Proposal for a More Efficient Feed-in Tariff in Japan

By: Caleb Rosenberg, Article Editor  During the midday hours of May 25, 2012, Germany accomplished an impossible task: nearly fifty-percent of the energy generated in the country came from solar power.[1] Humming along at twenty-two gigawatts, Germany’s solar power plants pumped out electricity with the force of twenty nuclear power stations.[2] Germany’s stunning achievement came with unsustainably high, incentive-based costs. Just over one month later, on June 28, 2012, the German legislature approved cuts to their solar incentives program to…

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The Hidden Environmental Impacts of Photovoltaic Panels

The Hidden Environmental Impacts of Photovoltaic Panels

By: Adam S. Carlesco, Associate It is an undeniable fact that renewable sources of energy have been rising tremendously over the past decade and are continuing to grow with nearly one in three new power projects being renewable in nature.[1] While wind energy is leading the pack of renewable technology, solar energy has seen a 52.2% growth between July 2012 and July 2013.[2] While many solar energy proponents continue to portray solar energy sources as a panacea for the growing…

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Recent Decisions Affecting EPA’s Ability to Enforce PSD/NSR Violations

Recent Decisions Affecting EPA’s Ability to Enforce PSD/NSR Violations

By: Claire Brown, Associate Recent decisions by the Court of Appeals for the Third, United States v. EME Homer City[1] and Seventh, United States v. Midwest Generation,[2] Circuits are the newest additions to the growing body of case law concerning the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) enforcement power under the Clean Air Act’s Prevention of Significant Deterioration and New Source Review Program (PSD/NSR Program). The EPA alleges nearly identical claims in both cases; former operators made substantial modifications to the power…

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The Red River Compact: State Sovereignty and Water Interdependence

The Red River Compact: State Sovereignty and Water Interdependence

By: Katryn Hurtado, Associate Interstate compacts regarding water allocation could face increasing scrutiny since the Supreme Court issued its decision in Tarrant Regional Water District v. Hermann this June.[1] Tarrant resolved a longstanding dispute between Texas and Oklahoma over cross-border rights to the Red River and its tributaries under the Red River Compact of 1980.[2] Drought and rapid population growth in the Dallas-Forth Worth area has led to increased water scarcity, and has caused Texas to intensify its efforts to…

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