Climate Change
Climate change has recently emerged as one of the more newsworthy and dynamic areas of our environmental law practice. In fact, however, the attorneys and in-house technical consultants at MGKF have been following developments and advising clients for years on this constantly changing area of law.
MGKF's climate change practice draws upon the practical experience of its attorneys to represent our clients in the full range of matters affected by climate change programs implemented at the federal, state, and even local levels. To that end, we have worked with clients in evaluating strategic opportunities for enhancing their position with respect to current and probable greenhouse gas regulation. Our experience includes providing advice to clients on the ongoing legislative, rulemaking and policy-based initiatives related to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative ("RGGI") in the Northeast, Pennsylvania's climate change initiatives, New Jersey's Executive Order No. 54 and Global Warming Response Act, and the numerous legislative proposals currently pending in Congress. We are also familiar with complex issues related to carbon trading, efforts to achieve "carbon neutral" status, and climate change risk disclosure. Our attorneys have written articles and spoken publicly about climate change issues, and serve on local commissions and task forces charged with addressing climate change programs.
Examples of representative climate change matters in which our professionals have assisted clients include the following:
- MGKF advised a major refinery concerning the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and other climate change programs.
- We represented a commercial developer in New Jersey with respect to the development of a wind farm at a shopping center project.
- The firm counseled an industrial development corporation on the development of a possible photovoltaic field in the City of Philadelphia.
- An MGKF attorney served as a member of the Montgomery County (PA) Climate Change Task Force.
- We assisted developers of a proposed ethanol refining facility in Pennsylvania.
- The firm advised international refineries on legislative developments and potential requirements of forthcoming climate change programs.
- MGKF evaluated climate change implications for landfill gas projects.
- We advised lending institutions with respect to available grants and tax incentives for solar projects.
