Sustainability Law Blog

Covers issues important to businesses looking to create a sustainable future for their organizations, their communities and the environment. Topics range from climate change and renewable energy issues to commentary on green building requirements, tax credits for sustainable forestry practices, and regulatory and public policy issues regarding the environment and sustainable business practices.

Author: Lawyers in the sustainability practice of the Portland, Ore., firm Tonkon Torp contribute to the blog.

Blawg Related Categories: Environmental Law • Government Law • States • Oregon • Law Firm • Business Law

Recent Posts from Sustainability Law Blog

BPA Seeks Additional Funding To Study Options For Renewable Power Storage
BPA has requested $2 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy to study use of pumped storage as a tool in balancing uneven power supplies from wind energy. Pump storage projects generally involve…
City of Portland Launches Online Solar Evaluation Tool
Following the lead of San Francisco, Portland launched a new website last week that will allow people to zoom in on a satellite image of any rooftop in the city to determine its suitability for…
Practical Tips for Water-Wise Gardening
On May 20, David Petersen and I participated on behalf of Tonkon Torp's Sustainability Law Practice in the West Linn-Wilsonville School District's Sustainability Showcase. While perusing the displays put up by the various businesses and…
New Industry Standard for the Assessment of Vapor Intrustion into Structures on Property Involved in Real Estate Transactions
Parties engaged in real property transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and real property development should be aware that in March 2008, ASTM International (originally known as the American Society for Testing and Materials) released a standard,…
Impact of the California Renewable Portfolio Standard
Recently Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced it has entered into a series of contracts with BrightSource Energy, Inc. for a record total of 1,130 megawatts (MW) of solar power. These power purchase agreements…
Installed Wind Capacity in U.S. Forecast to Grow 165% by 2015
Pike Research, a cleantech market research firm, has forecast that installed wind capacity in the U.S. will reach 320 gigawatts by 2015, which is an increase of 165% over 2008. This forecast is 20% lower…
BETCs and the Oregon Legislature
Most of us who have been working with the alternative energy industries went into this session of the Oregon Legislature with fear and loathing. Given the budget crisis, it was easy to see the Business…
Windpower 2009 Conference and Exhibition - Last Day
Windpower 2009 has come to a close. I took away two primary impressions from the conference. First, the industry is a jobs driver -- 22,000 people attended and only a small minority were there for…
Proposed New Rules Implementing Renewable Portfolio Standards
The Oregon Public Utility Commission recently published proposed rules implementing the renewable portfolio standards. This third phase of the Commission's rulemaking focuses on compliance with the Renewable Portfolio Standards under the Oregon Renewable Energy Act…
Windpower 2009 Conference and Exhibition - Day Two
It probably is a four mile walk to see every exhibit in the convention hall at Windpower 2009 in Chicago. There are 20,000 people here, which is 10 times the population of my hometown of…