Climate change changes everything.

Across the country—at federal, regional, state and local levels—laws and regulations are being proposed that will affect how we generate energy, how we construct buildings, how we move people and goods, how we manufacture, what crops we grow, how we invest and how we do business.

Leonard, Street and Deinard’s Climate Change group—composed of attorneys with primary expertise in the areas of energy, construction, real estate and environmental law, as well as government relations specialists—is on top of the trends, proposals and new laws that are changing our world. Our attorneys are using this outstanding vantage point to help clients capitalize on opportunities and avoid pitfalls as they move through this new landscape of change.

Representative Experience:

• Carbon capture and sequestration. We assisted a developer in filing the first-ever Minnesota plan to capture and sequester carbon dioxide from a power plant.
• Carbon credit applications. We applied for carbon credits associated with GHG emission reductions at two hydroelectric power plants in South America. These activities were conducted under the auspices of the U.S. Initiative on Joint Implementation, U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, Kyoto Protocol and Clean Development Mechanism.
• Trading of NOx and SOx allowances. We prepared master agreements and other contracts for trading sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions allowances.
• Wind power. We worked on the development of wind energy farms in Minnesota, Michigan, California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, North Dakota and South Dakota. This work has included all aspects of project development, including certificate of need and permitting proceedings, land use and real estate issues, and financing.
• Renewable energy. We have performed all aspects of transactional work for renewable energy projects, including business planning, financing, permits, contracts with technology and feedstock vendors, and EPC contracts.
• Power purchase agreements. We negotiated power purchase agreements for wind energy and green energy credits.  
• Landfill gas. We have negotiated contracts, including performance guarantees, for the development and construction of power plants fueled by landfill gas.
• Energy saving performance contracts. We have represented a national energy service contractor in disputes over guaranteed energy savings derived from retrofitting existing institutional and industrial buildings throughout the United States.
• Measurement and verification of energy savings. Our attorneys have collaborated with nationally known experts on measurement and verification of energy savings from retrofit projects.
• Environmental permitting and compliance. We assisted with permitting and compliance under all of the major environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act. Clients include design-build contractors, ethanol producers, food production facilities and transportation companies.
• Environmental review. We assisted with environmental review of large public projects, private retail centers, transportation projects, housing developments and mining projects.
• Lobbying. Our Government Relations specialists are representing clients before state agencies and the Minnesota legislature, where two significant climate-change laws have already been adopted and other significant proposals continue to be proposed and debated. We also actively participated in the Minnesota Climate Change Advisory Group on behalf of Minnesota’s trucking industry and advanced non-punitive solutions to encourage reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.