Final Senate voting agenda of the 250th NJ Legislature

Senate: Board List For 01-08-24 (Second Revised).
New Legislature opens on January 9, 2024

S3176 – Requires DEP and Drinking Water Quality Institute to perform a study concerning the regulation and treatment of perfluoroalkyl and poly-fluoroalkyl substances.

A1755 – Requires installation of operational automatic rain sensor or smart sprinkler as condition of sale of certain real properties, and on certain commercial, retail, and industrial properties and common interest communities within specified timeframes.

S2505 – Requires installation of operational automatic rain sensor or smart sprinkler as condition of sale of certain real properties, and on certain commercial, retail, and industrial properties and common interest communities within specified timeframes.

A4522 – Requires certain disclosures by sellers of single-family homes with solar panels installed.

For general information and assistance, contact the Office of Public Information at (800) 792-8630

A4691 – Requires hazard mitigation plans to include climate change-related threat assessments and hazard prevention and mitigation strategies.

S1530 – Requires hazard mitigation plans to include climate change-related threat assessments and hazard prevention and mitigation strategies.

A4791 – Establishes “Resiliency and Environmental System Investment Charge Program.”

S3184 – Establishes “Resiliency and Environmental System Investment Charge Program.”

A4794 – Requires request for proposal to establish demonstration projects to develop electric vehicle charging depots serviced by distributed energy resource charging centers for certain electric vehicle use.

A5442 – Directs BPU to conduct a study to determine the feasibility, marketability, and costs of implementing large-scale geothermal heat pump systems in the State.

A5806 – Appropriates $48 million from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to DEP for State acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes, including Blue Acres projects, and Green Acres Program administrative costs.

S4165 – Appropriates $48 million from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to DEP for State acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes, including Blue Acres projects, and Green Acres Program administrative costs.

A5807 – Appropriates $58 million from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues for recreation and conservation purposes to DEP for State capital and park development projects.

A5809 – Amends lists of projects eligible to receive loans for environmental infrastructure projects from NJ Infrastructure Bank for FY 2024.

S4097 – Amends lists of projects eligible to receive loans for environmental infrastructure projects from NJ Infrastructure Bank for FY 2024.

A5810 – Amends lists of environmental infrastructure projects approved for long-term funding by DEP under FY 2024 environmental infrastructure funding program.


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Climate Pro Bono Bootcamp for Lawyers

Day 1: Wednesday, January 17, 12:30 – 2:30 PM ET
Day 2: Thursday, January 18, 12:30-2:30 PM ET

Participants need to attend each full two-hour session to earn CLE credit. A maximum of 4 CLE credits will be awarded to those attending the full conference. CLE hours for partial attendance will not be awarded.

Agenda

Day 1: Wednesday, January 17, 12:30 – 2:30 PM ET

Register Here

12:30 – 1:00 PM ET: How (and why!) to do climate pro bono – Matthew A. Karmel (Complimentary Virtual CLE Conference) and Stephanie Demetry (Green Pro Bono)

1:00 – 1:50 PM ET: Use capitalism to combat climate change! Pro bono perspectives on green corporate formation, tax considerations, and compliance – Josh Kim (Dechert), Insung Kim (Dechert), and Elizabeth Crouse (Perkins Coie)

2:00 – 2:30 PM ET: Regulating climate? How to interpret (and change!) regulations for the climate good – J. Michael Showalter (ArentFox) and Matthew A. Karmel (Offit Kurman)

Day 2: Thursday, January 18, 12:30-2:30 PM ET

Register Here

12:30 – 1:30 PM ET: Approaches (and skills) for advancing renewable energy implementation through pro bono – Matthew A. Karmel (Offit Kurman), Elizabeth Crouse (Perkins Coie), Yana Spitzer (ENGIE North America), Kevin R. Watkins (RWE), and Matthew Eisenson (Sabin Center)

1:30 – 2:20 PM ET: Safeguard the planet through IP protections! An overview of IP-related climate pro bono – Ellen Mathews (Burr & Forman)

2:20-2:30 PM ET: Closing Takeaways — Matthew A. Karmel and Green Pro Bono

Registration and CLE are complimentary, but donations are encouraged to Green Pro Bono, a non-profit that connects lawyers with climate-related pro bono.

If you liked this post, you’ll love our daily environmental newsletter, EnviroPolitics. It’s packed daily with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Don’t take our word for it, try it free for an entire month. No obligation.

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UPDATED with live links: More energy & environment bills move as NJ legislature nears end

Below are the bills moving yesterday in Trenton. The 220th Legislature began on January 11, 2022, following the 2021 elections for Assembly and Senate. It will end on January 9, 2024

A4791 – Establishes “Resiliency and Environmental System Investment Charge Program.”
• 01/04/2024 Reported out of Senate Budget Committee with committee amendments; 2nd reading in Senate

A4794 – Requires request for proposal to establish demonstration projects to develop electric vehicle charging depots serviced by distributed energy resource charging centers for certain electric vehicle use.
• 01/04/2024 Reported out of Senate Budget Committee with committee amendments; 2nd reading in Senate

S3176 – Requires DEP and Drinking Water Quality Institute to perform a study concerning the regulation and treatment of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
• 01/04/2024 Reported out of Senate Budget Committee, 2nd reading in Senate

S3184 – Establishes “Resiliency and Environmental System Investment Charge Program.”
• 01/04/2024 Reported reported from Senate Budget Committee with committee amendments, 2nd reading in Senate


A4715 – Establishes uptime requirement for electric vehicle charging station incentive programs.
• 01/04/2024 Reported out of Assembly Appropriations Committee, 2nd reading in Assembly

S3102 – Establishes uptime requirement for electric vehicle charging station incentive programs.
• 01/04/2024 Reported out of Assembly Appropriaations Committee, 2nd reading in Assembly


Signed into law

S3123 – Revises goal for annual capacity of solar energy projects to be approved under Community Solar Energy Program; allows certain customers to self-attest to income for program participation; allows information disclosure of customers participating in program
• 01/04/2024 Signed by the Governor P.L.2023, c.200


For additional information on legislation, call the Office of Legislative Services at 800-792-8630  For hearing-impaired users: Dial 711 for NJ Relay.


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UPDATED with live links: More energy & environment bills move as NJ legislature nears end Read More »

 Buchanan, Bytner and Castello named shareholders at Babst Calland

Babst Calland recently named Gina Falaschi Buchman, Timothy S. Bytner, and Carla M. Castello shareholders in the Firm.

Gina Falaschi Buchman focuses her practice on environmental regulatory matters arising under the Clean Air Act.

Ms. Buchman provides advice to clients in the energy, transportation, and technology sectors regarding compliance with state and federal environmental regulations. She has assisted companies with disclosure of regulatory violations to state and federal agencies and has counseled clients in negotiations with the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. EPA, and California Air Resources Board. In addition to counseling on compliance issues, Ms. Buchman has worked with technology and energy companies in developing new projects and has advised clients on regulatory issues arising from joint ventures, mergers, and acquisitions. She has also advised clients regarding aftermarket parts and vehicle tampering enforcement.

Ms. Buchman has litigated cases in federal court, represented clients in administrative cases before various federal agencies, and has experience with administrative rule challenges before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and Third Circuit. Ms. Buchman is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, California, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. Ms. Buchman has litigated cases in federal court, represented clients in administrative cases before various federal agencies, and has experience with administrative rule challenges before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and Third Circuit. Ms. Buchman earned her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and her A.B. from Georgetown University.

Timothy Bytner focuses his practice primarily on federal and state environmental regulation and litigation. A significant portion of his practice is spent advising clients on matters involving the remediation and reuse of contaminated properties under both state and federal jurisdiction, including counseling clients on Pennsylvania’s Act 2 Land Recycling and Environmental Remediation Standards Act. He has counseled clients on a variety of matters involving storage tank jurisdictional issues and compliance under Pennsylvania’s Storage Tank Program.

Mr. Bytner has also counseled clients in environmental compliance issues involving the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, RCRA, EPCRA, CERCLA, and a wide variety of state regulatory issues. He regularly handles wetlands, stream encroachment, and stormwater issues associated with site development. In addition, Mr. Bytner has experience in matters involving environmental emergency response and the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Rule, the Facility Response Rule, and various state planning requirements. Mr. Bytner is a member of the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and American Bar associations. Mr. Bytner received his J.D. from the Duquesne University School of Law, and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.

Carla Castello has a broad range of litigation experience in several practice areas including commercial, labor and employment, consumer protection, antitrust, energy, and toxic tort.

Her experience includes assisting corporate clients in defending a variety of matters, including environmental and toxic tort disputes, commercial contract disputes regarding the manufacture, design, installation and testing of large industrial equipment, and conflicts between shareholders in closely held businesses. Ms. Castello has experience in all stages of litigation, including complex commercial and class action litigation involving extensive electronic and foreign language discovery. She has represented clients in various federal and state courts and before single and three-judge arbitration panels.

Ms. Castello is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia and Virginia, as well as before the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Western District of Virginia, and the Western District of Pennsylvania and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. She is a member of the Allegheny County, Virginia, District of Columbia, and American Bar associations. Ms. Castello graduated from the University of Maryland with a B.A. in Economics and received her J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.


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 Buchanan, Bytner and Castello named shareholders at Babst Calland Read More »

Energy cases to keep an eye on in 2024

Energy regulators’ power to address planet-warming emissions is in the crosshairs in federal courts in 2024.

By Niina H. Farah, E&E News, Energy Wire

In one of the year’s biggest cases, the Supreme Court could rein in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s ability to use 50-year-old laws to take bold action on emerging problems like climate change.

At issue in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo — a high-profile legal battle that will ripple through all federal agencies — is whether the justices should overturn the Chevron doctrine, which for 40 years has given regulators at FERC and elsewhere the benefit of the doubt in lawsuits over their rules.

The justices could deal a second blow to FERC this year in a securities case that has the potential to hinder the agency — and other federal regulators — from enforcing its own rules.

Beyond the Supreme Court, federal judges in 2024 may also require FERC to take a closer look at the climate impacts of the natural gas pipelines and export facilities it approves.

As the nation’s chief regulator of electricity and natural gas transmission, FERC has come under increasing pressure in recent years to stop approving projects that will be significant contributors to rising global temperatures.

How courts decide those disputes “will have reverberating effects, especially if FERC loses,” said Moneen Nasmith, a senior attorney at Earthjustice, which represents environmental organizations challenging the agency.

“What we really want FERC to be doing,” she said, “is talking about these emissions in a way that truly indicates that they understand how bad a project may be for the climate.”

Following are some of the biggest energy cases to watch in the coming year.

Read the full story here


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Vineyard Wind delivers first offshore wind power to Massachusetts

One turbine generates 5 megawatts late Tuesday night; 4 more turbines to come online in early 2024

By COLIN YOUNG / STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

After years of fits and starts, energy generated by offshore wind was delivered onto the grid that powers Massachusetts late Tuesday night.

One turbine of the Vineyard Wind 1 project delivered approximately five megawatts of power at 11:52 p.m. Tuesday, project co-owners Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners announced Wednesday morning.

Eventually, the wind farm about 14 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard is expected to have 62 turbines capable of generating just more than 800 MW of power.

Project developers said the first megawatts transmitted to the grid came “as part of the initial commissioning process” and said there is “additional testing expected to happen both on and offshore in the coming weeks.”

Vineyard Wind 1 expects it will have five of its 62 turbines operating at full capacity “early in 2024.” Each turbine is capable of generating 13 MW of power.

On Tuesday, after missing its self-imposed target of delivering the first power by the end of 2023, a project spokesman clarified the timeline a top official gave last year for full commercial operations. The full 806 MW wind farm is now expected to be fully operational “in 2024” as opposed to the more specific “mid-2024” target shared in August.

Gov. Maura Healey called Wednesday’s announcement “a historic moment for the American offshore wind industry.”

Read the full story here


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Vineyard Wind delivers first offshore wind power to Massachusetts Read More »