Last month, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NOPR”) aimed at overcoming market barriers faced by emerging energy storage technologies as well as new technologies that allow aggregation and coordinated dispatch of small distributed energy resources. While the NOPR is limited to ISO and RTO markets, energy market participants in the Pacific Northwest would nonetheless be well advised to pay attention to the NOPR. This is true because the Energy Imbalance Market is expanding into the Northwest, which will effectively expand the footprint of the California ISO into this region. In addition, regulators in this region are likely to look to FERC for guidance on these emerging issues even if not strictly applicable in non-RTO regions.

CH& is excited to welcome attorney Lindsey M. Pflugrath to the firm. Lindsey has devoted her career to understanding the risks faced by design and construction professionals. Her clients include owners, owner’s representatives, international multi-disciplinary design firms, as well as local engineering and architecture firms.

CH& is pleased to announce the return of prominent Seattle real estate attorney, Ryan McFarland. Ryan’s practice is concentrated on complex commercial real estate transactions and development projects both nationally and throughout the Northwest.

Microsoft is leading the charge against the traditional utility model, which, like many large high-tech companies, has adopted a corporate sustainability policy that mandates aggressive reductions in the company’s greenhouse gas emissions and, ultimately, use of 100% renewable energy. Microsoft’s sustainability policy has run head-long into the heavy dependence of its major electricity supplier, Puget Sound Energy, and the collision has produced cracks in Washington’s utility regulatory model that may presage a fundamental rethinking of Washington’s utility business model.

CH& represents real estate development group Plus Investment USA, Inc., in their acquisition, entitlement, financing, and all related transactional aspects of their $400 million dollar mixed-use high rise development in the heart of downtown Bellevue.

Yesterday a federal court in Texas issued a nationwide injunction blocking the Department of Labor’s “overtime rule” that was scheduled to go into effect on December 1.

This week the Urban Land Institute Northwest (ULI) hosted their annual “Emerging Trends in Real Estate” report review with an assemblage of experienced real estate leaders who provide commentary on polemic industry trends.

Cairncross & Hempelmann has once again been ranked in the U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers® 2017 “Best Law Firms” list