Powering Forward: Renewable Energy Legal Strategies for 2026

The U.S. renewable energy sector is navigating one of the most complex and rapidly shifting legal landscapes in recent memory. Sweeping federal policy changes, heightened regulatory enforcement, evolving permitting frameworks, and new workforce obligations are converging — all at once — to reshape how renewable energy projects get built, financed, and staffed. Members of our Energy team led a practical, forward-looking briefing on four critical areas where the legal stakes are highest:

Tax Equity & Credit Strategy — The One Big Beautiful Bill Act has accelerated phase-out timelines and tightened "begin construction" standards for wind and solar, while new Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC) and "material assistance" restrictions are rewriting supply-chain diligence requirements. We broke down what this means for your portfolio, and how to build audit-ready compliance before deadlines hit.
Permitting & Environmental Review — Federal land, offshore wind, and interstate transmission projects face a transformed NEPA landscape. We covered how to capitalize on regulatory reforms promising faster reviews, and how to fortify projects against the persistent threat of APA and Endangered Species Act challenges that continue to put approvals at risk.
OSHA Compliance & Workplace Safety — Renewable energy jobsites are drawing intensifying OSHA scrutiny, especially on heat illness prevention and multi-employer oversight. We shared actionable strategies for building inspection-ready operations, navigating post-incident response, and reducing enforcement escalation, before OSHA ever arrives on site.
Workforce Reductions & WARN Compliance — Project-based and rolling workforce reductions are a reality in clean energy, and they carry serious legal exposure when not carefully planned. We walked through federal and state WARN obligations, how to structure and document defensible selection decisions, and the severance and release agreement requirements, including OWBPA, that can make or break a RIF.

Whether you're a developer, investor, contractor, or in-house counsel, this webinar delivered the legal intelligence you need to keep your projects on track in 2026.

Speakers

Gordon Peery, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Jonathan Bull, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Patrick Joyce, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Erin Murray, Associate, Seyfarth Shaw LLP

If you have any questions, please contact Andrew Shah at ashah@seyfarth.com and reference this event.

Learn more about our Energy practice.

To request CLE credit please fill out the attendance verification form here. To comply with State CLE Requirements, CLE forms requesting credit in IL or CA must be received before the end of the month in which the program took place. Credit will not be issued for forms received after such date. For all other jurisdictions forms must be submitted within 10 business days of the program taking place or we will not be able to process the request.

Our live programming is accredited for CLE in CA, IL, and NY (for both newly admitted and experienced). Credit will be applied as requested, but cannot be guaranteed for TX, NJ, GA, NC and WA. The following jurisdictions may accept reciprocal credit with our accredited states, and individuals can use the certificate they receive to gain CLE credit therein: AZ, AR, CT, HI and ME. For all other jurisdictions, a general certificate of attendance and the necessary materials will be issued that can be used for self-application. CLE decisions are made by each local board, and can take up to 12 weeks to process. If you have questions about jurisdictions, please email CLE@seyfarth.com.

Please note that programming under 60 minutes of CLE content is not eligible for credit in GA. programs that are not open to the public are not eligible for credit in NC.