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Soltage, Inc.
One of the leading companies in the fast-emerging “solar PPA provider” space, Soltage was formed in 2006 to develop, finance, own and operate solar photovoltaic projects on customer sites throughout the U.S., including commercial and industrial, municipal and commercial real estate properties as well as at traditional utility companies. The customers are not required to provide any of the capital required to build the projects, but merely need to allow the system to be built and maintained on their property and commit to purchasing the power generated by the project on a long-term basis. Soltage is capable of supplying a significant portion of long-term energy needed by its clients at below-retail costs. Foley Hoag has been serving as general and project counsel to Soltage since its incorporation and handles its financings, general corporate work and project finance and development work.
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Boston Community Capital (BCC)
BCC is an interesting community development corporation designed to create and preserve healthy communities for lower income families. In 2007, BCC received a $5mm grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative to implement solar energy projects on affordable housing units in the Commonwealth. With this grant, BCC created the Energy Advantage Program, which in addition to solar PV is also developing projects to implement solar thermal, energy efficient and combined heat and power projects on low income units. Foley Hoag has been serving as general counsel to the Energy Advantage Program, and has also been involved in efforts to develop program strategy.
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Global Sun Partners, L.P.
Global Sun Partners, L.P. is a developer of large scale solar projects in Israel and throughout the Middle East. Foley Hoag is global general counsel for the company, advising on general corporate matters, financings, joint ventures, and project-specific matters.
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Chestnut Hill BioEnergy
An emerging trend in the renewable energy space is the transformation of various industrial waste products into biofuels. An excellent example of this is a project underway by our client, Chestnut Hill BioEnergy involving the conversion of unconsumed food waste materials into biofuel to produce electricity. Currently, such wastes are simply sent to landfills, contributing to the growing shortage of landfill space. Chestnut Hill plans to accept food waste from grocery stores, food product manufacturers, cafeterias of large hospitals, schools and prisons, and other sources, transform it into biofuel, and produce about 10 MW of electricity for sale to consumers using a technology that does not emit odor into the atmosphere. Unlike corn-based ethanol, this fuel is made from food waste rather than corn or other products currently contributing to food shortages and high prices. Chestnut Hill BioEnergy intends to develop such facilities close to urban centers throughout the Northeast. One is underway in Connecticut and another is in the planning stages in Massachusetts.
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Citizens Bank
The firm is also working with a newly-formed lending group at Citizens Bank that focuses on the clean energy space. Foley Hoag lawyers have represented both the lending institution as well as the companies. Its most recent transaction in this relationship involved a biodiesel company that was able to purchase its feedstock with the line of credit from Citizens Bank.
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Ze-gen, Inc.
Ze-gen, Inc. is a Boston-based renewable energy company founded in 2005 with the goal of developing a solution to municipalities’ waste problems. Ze-gen’s technology employs a molten iron furnace which converts waste material into synthesis gas through a chemical reduction process. The waste is used as fuel for an on-site electric generator, providing renewable electricity to the grid. Unlike other waste-to-energy technologies, the byproducts of the process are metal, which can be recycled, and inert silica-based material, which is used as construction aggregate. No ash is formed, and no material needs to be shipped to a landfill. Ze-gen’s technology, if successful, will become the most environmentally friendly way to handle solid waste in existence today. It also will produce large amounts of renewable energy. Currently, Ze-gen has a demonstration plant in New Bedford, Massachusetts; it has been awarded a 12-month operational permit by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection in order to collect data needed to plan a full-scale facility. Foley Hoag has worked on both intellectual property and corporate matters for Ze-Gen since its founding in 2006.
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Cellulosic Biomass Conversion
Our lawyers provided general business advice and assistance with venture capital financing and technology licensing for a new corporation developing and commercializing technology for converting cellulosic biomass and other biomass wastes into ethanol.
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Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership
Our lawyers led contract review and negotiation in connection with a demonstration project funded by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership involving deployment by local businesses of solar hot water heater technology in Brazil and the Caribbean using carbon credit financing.
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Massachusetts Hydrogen Coalition
We serve as general counsel to the Massachusetts Hydrogen Coalition, helping this dynamic organization on such matters as incorporation, entity selection and tax strategy.
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Renewable Energy Credits
We provided advice to a national landfill gas generating company regarding Renewable Energy Credit contract and regulatory issues, air quality compliance issues, project expansion and municipal light department interconnection issues.
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Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
We represented the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative regarding programs supporting the development of renewable energy resources and retail demand for energy from renewable energy resources, including the Massachusetts Green Partnership Program and the Clean Energy Choice Program.
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