Race to Build Solar Plants Trips on Lawsuits Litigation Risks Access to Cash and Construction Equipment for California Firms

In an article on January 26, 2011, the Daily Journal reported that solar developers racing to take advantage of federal stimulus funds set to expire at the end of the year have been increasingly hit with land use lawsuits over the developments.

According to Anne Mudge, a renewable energy and land use partner with Cox Castle & Nicholson, the litigation could kill some of the proposed projects. “I could be problematic depending on where (developers) are in the permitting process,” Mudge said. She added that, “If you’re facing a lawsuit of the type that’s been filed recently, it could make companies think twice before ordering equipment.”