Energy & Telecommunications

Climate Strategy

At Preti Flaherty, we believe we have a duty to help our civilization meet the challenge of climate change, the most pressing issue of our time. So we have founded the Climate Strategy Group to help businesses, government and NGO's reduce society's greenhouse gas emissions quickly, effectively and at the lowest reasonable cost.

Climate change will significantly affect many aspects of North America's environment. This, in turn, will have far-reaching impacts on businesses and our business climate. The international community is vigorously seeking comprehensive action to address the issue, and the U.S. government has become markedly more aggressive in establishing related policies.

As governments accept the reality of climate change, businesses and other institutions face two complex risks: climate change itself, and the reactions of many levels of government to the threat of climate change. Both risks have serious implications. Preti Flaherty's Climate Strategy Group believes that these risks can and should be mitigated by sound strategies.

What Our Climate Strategy Attorneys Can Do For Your Business
With key expertise from our energy, environmental, intellectual property, business and legislative practice groups, the Climate Strategy Group helps clients deal with both the risks and the opportunities presented by climate change:

  • Providing clients with information on the scientific aspects of climate change, as well as public and political opinion about climate change;
  • Helping clients understand, affect and benefit from greenhouse gas regulation laws and policies, such as imminent legislation.
  • Offering changes in both proposed government actions and existing policies and clients' business operations to reduce costs and maximize potential revenue streams;
  • Utilizing the legal system, legislation and policy making to bring those changes to fruition;
  • Forming multi-faceted teams of legislative, corporate, international, environmental, and energy attorneys to anticipate and meet complex challenges for clients;
  • Access State and Federal grant, loan and guarantee approvals for energy generation or conservation technologies, including SmartGrid technologies;
  • Restructure your energy consumption so less fuel is burned and you are paid for the benefit your restructured consumption confers on the electric grid;
  • Develop, permit and finance renewable energy and micro-cogeneration projects to reduce your energy costs and your carbon footprint;
  • Design projects eligible for energy conservation funding from and negotiate contracts with Efficiency Maine Trust, Efficiency Vermont, Mass Renewable Energy Trust and other State and Federal entities.

The Climate Strategy Group has already built a climate of success assisting business and government to "fight climate change right" by helping:

  • Large energy consumers reform the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cap and trade carbon reduction program covering nine states, including Maine, to more effectively reduce carbon emissions and to minimally affect consumers' electric rates.
  • New England consumers supply hundreds of megawatts of "demand response" to reduce peak power needs in New England – and to be paid for their sacrifices.
  • Consumers reduce energy consumption by more than one hundred million kilowatt hours, saving millions of dollars for them.
  • Conceive, develop and finance SmartGrid technologies, such as Gridsolar's revolutionary use of solar power arrays to "intercept" peak air conditioner-driven demand before it hits and hurts the transmission grid.
  • Permit and finance community wind projects at reasonable costs.

There is so much more to be done, by all of us. Preti Flaherty's Climate Strategy Group is honored to do its part. Climate change is real. We will help you with the risks and the opportunities.

Firm Highlights

Publication

USCIS Announces H-1B Registration Period for FY2025: New “Beneficiary Centric” Registration Process and Increased Fees

USCIS has recently announced a series of changes that will impact the FY2025 H-1B registration system and cap filing season. H-1B Registration Period and Organizational Accounts As in prior years, under this process, prospective petitioners...

Event

Sigmund Schutz to moderate panel at 36th Annual Media and the Law Seminar: Under Attack! Existential Threats to Journalism and Free Speech

From unlawful searches and seizures of newsrooms and highly contentious litigation to physical harassment and calls for violence online, journalists and news organizations are under attack like never before. At the 36 th Annual...

Publication

November 7, 2023 Election Results

Maine’s November 2023 statewide elections were exclusively referendum questions, four were citizen initiatives, and four were proposed amendments to the Maine Constitution. Of these, Questions 5, 7 and 8 were placed on the ballot...

News

Benchmark Litigation Names Preti Flaherty 2024 “Maine Firm of the Year"

Benchmark Litigation has named Preti Flaherty as 2024 Litigation Firm of the Year in the State of Maine. Through extensive peer- and- client reviewed research, as well as analysis of casework; the Benchmark Awards...

News

David Van Slyke Named to 2024 Lawdragon Green 500: Leaders in Environmental Law

Preti Flaherty’s Managing Partner David Van Slyke has been recognized by Lawdragon as one of the top 500 environmental lawyers in the U.S. It’s the third time he has been named to this prestigious...

Publication

Failure to Follow Your Contract's Notice Requirements Can be Costly

In Kinetic Systems, Inc. v. IPS-Integrated Projects Services, LLC et. al., No.: 20-cv-1125 (D.N.H. February 6, 2024), the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire granted summary judgment for a general contractor...

News

Attorney Jeffrey Thaler Named to 2024 Lawdragon Green 500: Leaders in Energy Law

Preti Flaherty’s attorney Jeffrey Thaler has been recognized by  Lawdragon  as one of the top 500 Leaders in Energy Law. This is Jeff’s third time named to this prestigious list since the first publication...

Event

Accessing Police Misconduct Records

Preti’s Sigmund Schutz will be one of the Maine panelists in New England First Amendment Coalition’s Accessing Police Misconduct Records series. This series continues NEFAC’s freedom of information lessons and builds on the information...

Publication

Helping Employers Navigate the New Independent Contractor Rule and Compliance Challenges

On March 11 th , the United States Department of Labor’s (DOL) new Independent Contractor Rule goes into effect.  As your organization readies itself for compliance, it’s imperative to scrutinize your independent contractor classifications...

News

Preti Flaherty Welcomes Trust and Estate Attorney Elise Salek to the Firm

Preti Flaherty is pleased to announce that Elise Salek has joined the firm’s Trusts & Estates Practice Group. Practicing out of the firm’s Concord, New Hampshire office, Elise brings nearly three decades of experience...