Stoel Rives LLP (LexBlog Mexico)

State legislatures across the country have been active this spring debating ambitious new targets and renewable energy market reforms, following the successful passage of multiple renewable energy mandates in certain states. Last year California passed SB 100, which sets the target of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2045. At least other three states—Hawaii, New Mexico, and...

Introduction On October 4, 2017, the Governors of a number of western states signed a memorandum of understanding (“MOU”) to lay the foundation for work on a regional electric vehicle (“EV”) infrastructure development plan called the Regional Electric Vehicle Plan for the West (“REV West Plan”). The MOU was initially entered by Colorado, Utah, Nevada,...

The chapter 11 case of In re Hyatt out of the Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Mexico illuminates a debtor’s use of claim classification to allocate creditors different recoveries under a liquidating plan.  While this debtor was ultimately successful in getting its Disclosure Statement approved by the Bankruptcy Court, this strategy ultimately hinges...

Earlier this year, a group of Stoel Rives attorneys traveled to Mexico to assess existing opportunities and pending developments in the Mexican power markets.  Some of the reforms and key trends identified during that trip are now taking shape. See also my blog post “Let the Market Decide: The Third Wave of Energy Investment in...

Southwestern Public Service Company (“SPS”), a subsidiary of Xcel, has issued a request for proposals to diversify its existing renewable energy portfolio in New Mexico. SPS is seeking, on an annual basis, approximately 88,705 MWh of “Other” renewable energy generation as defined by the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission Rule 572 NMAC (i.e., other than solar...

As my colleagues Kristen Castaños and Melissa Foster posted on the Stoel Rives California Environmental Law Blog, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced today that it will publish the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (“Solar PEIS”) for solar energy development in six southwestern states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.  The Solar PEIS is a...

The quote, “Watch what we do, not what we say,” is attributed to John Mitchell, Nixon’s first attorney general.  It can apply, however, to the behavior of consumers with respect to shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico, and that will be watched carefully everyone from shrimp fishers to the owners of your local fish market.  The FDA...

Today, the Wall Street Journal’s Russel Gold reported that entrepreneurs are looking into massive algae blooms in the Gulf of Mexico that create “dead-zones” for sea life as a potential feedstock of algae for biofuel production.  The dead zones are a result of run-off of fertilizers and other agricultural waste creating nutrient rich areas for algae to grow.  Eventually, the algae...

From our colleague Christina Asavareungchai: Today, the Department of Energy announced more than $141 million in Recovery Act funding to six states and territories under its State Energy Program (“SEP”). Here is how the funds will be used in Hawaii, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Texas: Hawaii will use its SEP...

    The U.S. Interior Department has instigated initiatives to accelerate the development of solar energy on Western lands. About 670,000 acres currently administered by the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah will be evaluated for the development of large-scale solar energy production. These areas of land will be reserved...

Governor Bill Richardson and the New Mexico Office of Recovery and Reinvestment have announced $37 million US funding from the U.S. DOE through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for New Mexico’s State Energy Program, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, and the Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program.  The initial Request for Application...

Pork producers are feeling the effects of the swine flu as the number of reported cases of the virus increases.  Stock prices for Virginia-based Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork processor, and Arkansas-based Tyson Foods, fell 12 percent and 9 percent today, respectively.  The Wall Street Journal reports that the prices of hogs, corn, and...

This week brought news of yet another nationwide Salmonella outbreak from a source not yet identified by government regulators. The last time we had a nationwide Salmonella outbreak for an extended period of time without identification of a definitive source the federal government initially singled out tomatoes imported from Mexico (a huge array of products)....

Incredibly, the Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak remains unsolved. First reported onset of illness date was April 10, yet the traceback is still not complete. Personal injury and economic damage claims await for the FDA and CDC to determine causation. Produce industry, particularly in Mexico, stands to suffer long lasting injury.  Whether or not your business stands...