United States: Renewables

The USDA's Rural Business-Cooperative Service has finalized significant revisions to its Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Program, introducing new safeguards designed to prevent fraud and ensure long-term project viability. These changes will impact how loan guarantees up to $250 million are administered for facilities developing advanced biofuels and renewable chemicals.

California's renewable energy sector continues to advance with breakthrough geothermal technology at The Geysers promising to unlock over 200 MW from idle wells, while Peak Energy prepares to launch America's first sodium-ion battery gigafactory in Sacramento. Major solar and storage projects across the state are moving forward, including the 600-acre Starlight Solar project and Terra-Gen's expanded 365 MW Lockhart facility, as the Department of Energy releases its draft National Transmission Needs Study to

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has issued a landmark decision limiting local zoning boards' authority to deny solar energy special permits, establishing that municipalities operate within only a "narrow ambit" when blocking solar development. While the ruling strengthens protections for solar projects by rejecting pretextual denials based on tree removal and general community character concerns, the subjective nature of the new standard may still leave room for continued disputes between developer

Baker Botts Partner Michael Harrison examines the global drive toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions through P2N0, a monthly publication tracking policy developments and project advancements. This edition provides concise summaries of major international news items focused on the transition to net-zero emissions.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels and Feedstocks Office will conduct a comprehensive peer review of its bioenergy and hydrogen technology portfolio in April 2027. Technical experts from industry, academia, national laboratories, and federal agencies will evaluate active research projects and exchange insights on cutting-edge developments. The independent feedback will shape future investment decisions and research priorities in domestic feedstocks, fuels, and chemicals production.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has published a final rule revising technical guidelines for quantifying carbon intensity of agricultural commodity crops used in biofuel production. These revised guidelines establish a framework for farm producers to measure net emissions changes from authorized farming practices and track emissions data throughout the biofuel supply chain.

During the 2026 ACORE Finance Forum, McDermott’s co-head of Energy & Project Finance, Ed Zaelke, moderated a panel on “Making Markets: Sources of Capital to Meet the Challenge” with Alain Halimi of Nomura...

As the United States grapples with unprecedented electricity demands from AI data centers, electric vehicle adoption, and industrial electrification, the nation faces a critical infrastructure crossroads.

For decades, energy policy debates in the United States have largely centered on a familiar tension: economic growth versus environmental protection. Today, however, that framing increasingly feels incomplete.