Renewable Energy Legal Defense Initiative Landing Page | Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

Renewable Energy Legal Defense Initiative

_{^{The Renewable Energy Legal Defense Initiative (RELDI) works with local residents, community groups, and public interest organizations to advance renewable energy projects, including utility- and community-scale wind and solar projects.}}

Featured Legal Tools

Opposition Report Website

_{The Sabin Center’s annual report on}_{Opposition to Renewable Energy Facilities in the United States}_{documents (a) state and local restrictions that impede the siting and deployment of utility-scale solar, wind, and battery storage projects as well as (b) instances of organized opposition to individual renewable energy projects.}

Community Benefits Agreements Database

_{Community Benefits Agreements}_{(CBAs) are legally binding contracts between developers and host municipalities and/or local community groups that can serve to mitigate local impacts of large infrastructure projects and other types of development.}

Impacts of Solar, Wind, and EV Facilities Resource Bank

_{The Sabin Center created the}_{Impacts of solar, wind, and EV facilities}_{resource bank so that members of the public can reach informed opinions about renewable energy and electric vehicles. This resource bank contains peer-reviewed articles, government publications, and other science-based reports about the impacts and viability of these technologies.}

Research

Opposition to Renewable Energy Facilities in the United States: June 2025 Edition, in Columbia Law School's Scholarship Archive and engage with the data on the Sabin Center's interactive website, Opposition Report.

Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles, at Columbia Law School's Scholarship Archive. Read an adaptation of this report by Skeptical Science here.

to be added here.

You can find all RELDI research and publications here.

You can find all RELDI blog posts here.

Engagement (Organized By Geography)

Ohio Matters

Sloopy Solar Energy, LLC (Ohio)

Initial Post-Hearing Brief in Support of the Sloopy Solar Project, by Trent Dougherty (May 2026)
Motion to Intervene in the Matter of Sloopy Solar Energy, LLC, by Trent Dougherty (March 2026)

Crossroads Solar I, LLC (Ohio)

Reply Brief in Support of the Crossroads Solar Project, by Trent Dougherty (February 2026)
Initial Post-Hearing Brief in Support of the Crossroads Solar Project, by Trent Dougherty (February 2026)
Motion to Intervene in the Matter of Crossroads Solar I, LLC, by Trent Dougherty (October 2025)

Eastern Cottontail Solar, LLC (Ohio)

Brief of Allen Turnbull and Betsy Alt Contra Rehearing in the Matter of Eastern Cottontail Solar, LLC, by Trent Dougherty (September 2025)
Reply Brief of Allen Turnbull and Betsy Alt in Further Support of the Eastern Cottontail Solar Project, by Trent Dougherty and Matthew Eisenson (April 2025)
Initial Post-Hearing Brief of Allen Turnbull and Betsy Alt in Support of the Eastern Cottontail Solar Project, by Trent Dougherty and Matthew Eisenson (April 2025)
Direct Testimony of Allen Turnbull in Support of the Eastern Cottontail Solar Project, by Trent Dougherty and Matthew Eisenson (February 2025)
Direct Testimony of Betsy Alt in Support of the Eastern Cottontail Solar Project, by Trent Dougherty and Matthew Eisenson (February 2025)
Motion to Intervene in the Matter of Eastern Cottontail Solar, LLC, by Matthew Eisenson and Trent Dougherty (November 2024)

Frasier Solar, LLC (Ohio)

Brief of Ethan Robertson Contra Rehearing in the Matter of Frasier Solar, LLC, by Matthew Eisenson and Trent Dougherty (August 2025)
Reply Brief of Ethan Robertson in the Matter of the Application of Frasier Solar, LLC by Matthew Eisenson, Jacob Elkin, and Trent Dougherty (October 2024)
Initial Post-Hearing Brief of Ethan Robertson in the Matter of the Application of Frasier Solar, LLC by Matthew Eisenson, Jacob Elkin, and Trent Dougherty (September 2024)
Motion to Intervene in the Matter of Frasier Solar, LLC, by Jacob Elkin and Trent Dougherty (February 2024)

Carnation Solar, LLC (Ohio)

Reply Brief in the Matter of Carnation Solar, LLC, by Trent Dougherty (April 2026)
Initial Post-Hearing Brief in the Matter of Carnation Solar, LLC, by Trent Dougherty (March 2026)
Motion to Intervene in the Matter of Carnation Solar, LLC, by Matthew Eisenson and Trent Dougherty (July 2025)

Oak Run Solar, LLC (Ohio)

Amicus Brief of Dr. John Boeckl in Support of the Oak Run Solar Project, by Trent Dougherty and Matthew Eisenson (March 2025)
Brief of Dr. John Boeckl Contra Rehearing in the Matter of the Application of Oak Run Solar Project, LLC, by Matthew Eisenson, Michael Gerrard, and Trent Dougherty (April 2024)
Reply Brief of Dr. John Boeckl in the Matter of the Application of Oak Run Solar Project, LLC by Matthew Eisenson, Michael Gerrard, and local counsel Trent Dougherty (July 2023)
Initial Post-Hearing Brief of Dr. John Boeckl in the Matter of the Application of Oak Run Solar Project, LLC by Matthew Eisenson, Michael Gerrard, and local counsel Trent Dougherty (July 2023)
Direct Testimony of Dr. John Boeckl in Support of Oak Run Solar, by Matthew Eisenson, Michael Gerrard, and local counsel Trent Dougherty (May 2023)
Motion to Intervene in the Matter of the Application of Oak Run Solar Project, LLC by Matthew Eisenson, Michael Gerrard, and local counsel Trent Dougherty (March 2023)

Richwood Solar, LLC (Ohio)

Reply Brief of Bruce Beery and Ashley Beery in the Matter of the Application of Richwood Solar, LLC by Jacob Elkin and Trent Dougherty (October 2024)
Initial Post-Hearing Brief of Bruce Beery and Ashley Beery in the Matter of the Application of Richwood Solar, LLC by Jacob Elkin and Trent Dougherty (September 2024)
Direct Testimony of Bruce Beery in Support of Richwood Solar, by Jacob Elkin and Trent Dougherty (July 2024)
Direct Testimony of Ashley Beery in Support of Richwood Solar, by Jacob Elkin and Trent Dougherty (July 2024)
Motion to Intervene in the Matter of Richwood Solar, LLC, by Jacob Elkin and Trent Dougherty (May 2024)

Clear Mountain Energy Center, LLC (Ohio)

Direct Testimony of Gregory Bruns in Support of the Clear Mountain Energy Center, by Matthew Eisenson and Trent Dougherty (September 2024)
Direct Testimony of Gregory Vestring in Support of the Clear Mountain Energy Center, by Matthew Eisenson and Trent Dougherty (September 2024)
Motion to Intervene in the Matter of Clear Mountain Energy Center, LLC, by Matthew Eisenson and Trent Dougherty (June 2024)

Firelands Wind, LLC (Ohio)

Amicus Brief of Local Farmers in In the Matter of the Application of Firelands Wind LLC by Michael B. Gerrard and local counsel Trent A. Dougherty (June 2022)

Michigan Matters

Almer Charter Township (Michigan)

Amicus Brief of Clara and Leonard Ostrander, Teresa Himes, and Kevin Heath in Support of Michigan Public Service Commission in Almer Charter Township v. Michigan Public Service Commission, by Mark Brewer, Rowan Coneybeare, and Matthew Eisenson (February 2025)
Answer of Clara and Leonard Ostrander, Teresa Himes, and Kevin Heath in Almer Charter Township v. Michigan Public Service Commission, by Mark Brewer, Rowan Coneybeare, and Matthew Eisenson (December 2024)
Amicus Brief of Clara and Leonard Ostrander, Teresa Himes, and Kevin Heath in Almer Charter Township v. Michigan Public Service Commission, by Mark Brewer, Rowan Coneybeare, and Matthew Eisenson (December 2024)

Rhode Island and Connecticut Matters

Revolution Wind (Rhode Island and Connecticut)

(Second) Amicus Brief of Climate Action Rhode Island in Green Oceans v. U.S. Dep't of Interior, by Josh C. Toll, Lauren Friedman, Jessica Beess und Chrostin, Carson W. Bennett, Kanzanira Thorington, Matthew Eisenson and Jacob Elkin (May 2024)
Amicus Brief of Climate Action Rhode Island in Green Oceans v. U.S. Dep't of Interior, by Josh C. Toll, Lauren Friedman, Jessica Beess und Chrostin, Carson W. Bennett, Kanzanira Thorington, Matthew Eisenson and Jacob Elkin (April 2024)