Decarbonizing the U.S. energy system will require a massive build-out of renewable energy facilities, which could prove increasingly challenging in land-constrained areas, where facilities need to be deployed on or adjacent to private land. While some private landowners and surrounding communities welcome development for the lease fees and other benefits it brings, many staunchly oppose it, typically on aesthetic and/or environmental grounds. Under pressure from opponents, some municipalities have adopted laws, intended to block development. This webinar will discuss those laws and recent attempts to challenge them by renewable energy developers, landowners, community groups, and state authorities. It will also explore new approaches to renewable energy siting, which could lessen the potential for adverse impacts, and thus minimize opposition to future development. Key areas of focus will include: local planning and community engagement. zoning and land use regulations, and benefit sharing arrangements.
Speakers:
Romany Webb, Senior Fellow, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law School (moderator)
Becky Diffen, Partner, Norton Rose Fullbright
V. John White, Executive Director, Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies
Laura Cottingham, Associate, Arnold & Porter
This program is co-sponsored by the Sabin Center and the American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources
