.

David structures and provides finance counsel for all types of tax-exempt and taxable financings such as bond counsel, underwriter counsel, corporation counsel, and issuer counsel — giving non-profit borrowers, private corporations, and governments expert legal counsel with seasoned practical guidance with respect to complex obligated group and single borrower financings.

David Grossklaus brings a rare multi-role perspective to public finance: he regularly serves as bond counsel, underwriter counsel, corporation counsel, issuer counsel and disclosure counsel on the same types of transactions, which means his clients benefit from an attorney who understands the financial and negotiating nuances of all the parties to a transaction. That breadth spans tax-exempt and taxable debt structures for governmental issuers, nonprofit borrowers, and for-profit project developers across the country.

David's work results in structuring the full lifecycle of complex tax-exempt financings — from initial structuring through post-issuance compliance and continuing disclosure. He advises state agencies and authorities administering federal programs, including state revolving fund programs, housing finance programs, tobacco securitizations, highway trust fund financings, and USDA financings. His project finance work has provided him with opportunities to collaborate with clients and Dorsey colleagues on transactions in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.

As corporation counsel, David advises continuing care retirement communities, healthcare systems, economic development entities, and private colleges with respect to tax-exempt bond financings, mergers and acquisitions, asset divestitures, and board governance. Serving as corporation counsel David’s clients have included national senior living operators with multi-state obligated group financing, as well as multi-national private corporations financing all types of private activity bond financing and public private partnership financing structures.

David also represents many of the country's leading investment banks and financial institutions as underwriter counsel, including BofA Securities, D.A. Davidson & Co., Goldman Sachs & Co., Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Piper Sandler, RBC Capital Markets, Raymond James & Associates, Wells Fargo Securities, and U.S. Bank, N.A., among others. Recently David has counseled clients with respect to private activity financings related to airports, docks and wharves, sewage facilities, water systems, electric utilities, and renewable energy projects.

As counsel to governments David has created master trust indentures for state programs, drafted state legislation with respect to revolving fund programs and drafted federal and state legislation with respect to the Midwestern Disaster Recovery Act and other state specific bond authorizing related statutes. David also counsels local governments with respect to sanitary sewer and water general obligation and revenue debt financings, along with economic development and public private partnership financing.

David is a recognized voice on municipal securities disclosure and continuing disclosure, speaking regularly at state and national conferences, including programs hosted by the National Association of Bond Lawyers. *Best Lawyers in America®* has recognized David in Public Finance Law every year since 2005 and named him "Lawyer of the Year" for Public Finance in Des Moines in 2013, 2018 and 2027.

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  • Served as bond counsel with respect to $30,260,000 Iowa Finance Authority Senior Retirement Facility Revenue Bonds (Villas at Stoney Point Meadows Project), Series 2026
  • Served as bond counsel with respect to Iowa Finance Authority $163,110,000 State Revolving Fund Revenue Bonds, Series 2025C (Green Bonds) and $35,515,000 State Revolving Fund Revenue Bonds, Taxable Series 2025D (Green Bonds)
  • Served as bond counsel with respect to Iowa Finance Authority $151,550,000 State Revolving Fund Revenue Bonds, Series 2025A (Green Bonds) and $14,975,000 State Revolving Fund Revenue Bonds, Taxable Series 2025B (Green Bonds)
  • Served as bond counsel for the issuance of $300,000,000 State Revolving Fund Revenue Bonds, Series 2023A (Green Bonds), $44,450,000 State Revolving Fund Revenue Bonds, Taxable Series 2023B (Green Bonds), and $127,620,000 State Revolving Fund Revenue Bonds, Series 2023C (Green Bonds).

Education

  • Drake University Law School (J.D., 1993)
  • University of Northern Iowa (B.A., 1990)
    • High Honors

Accolades

  • Best Lawyers in America®, Public Finance Law, Des Moines, 2005-2027
  • Best Lawyers Des Moines Public Finance, "Lawyer of the Year," 2013, 2018, and 2027

Bar Admissions

  • Iowa

Professional Affiliations

  • National Association of Bond Lawyers
  • Iowa Bar Association - Municipal Attorneys Committee
  • Iowa Association of Business and Industry's Leadership Iowa Class of 2001-2002

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Client Alert

SEC Charges Underwriters with Violations of Rule 15c2-12

September 20, 2022

Last week, the SEC entered orders against three underwriters for failing to comply with Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) Rule 15c2-12. These actions serve as a good reminder for compliance checks and policies and procedures related to exempt transactions. The SEC orders noted the following shortcomings of the parties serving as sole underwriter: The underwriter sold securities to broker-dealers and certain investment advisers without a reasonable belief that the broker-dealers and investment advisers were purchasing the securities for investment as required under Rule 15c2-12(d)(1)(i). The underwriters did not inquire, or otherwise determine, if the broker-dealers and investment advisers were purchasing the securities for more than one account or for distribution.  They also failed to ascertain for whom the broker-dealers and investment advisers were purchasing the securities. The underwriter lacked policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that purchasers satisfied the exemption’s requirements. The underwriter did not provide the investors with copies of any preliminary official statement or final official statement or determine that a continuing disclosure undertaking had been entered into by the issuer or obligated person. Based on those circumstances, the orders found that each underwriter violated: Rule 15c2-12 as well as MSRB Rule G-27, which requires municipal underwriters to adopt, maintain and enforce written supervisory procedures reasonably designed to ensure compliance with Rule 15c2-12 and Section 15B(c)(1) of the Exchange Act for failing to comply with the MSRB rule. The exemption provided in Rule 15c2-12(d)(1)(i) on which the underwriters were attempting to rely requires that the securities are sold to no more than 35 persons, each of whom the underwriter reasonably believes: (A) Has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters that it is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment; and (B) Is not purchasing for more than one account or with a view to distributing the securities. Each underwriter was ordered to pay disgorgement and prejudgment interest and civil penalties. The SEC filed a complaint against a fourth underwriter alleging it failed to comply with the limited offering exemption because it did not have a reasonable belief that the municipal securities were being sold only to sophisticated investors that were each buying the securities for a single account without a plan to distribute them. The SEC alleged that the underwriter violated Rule 15c2-12, MSRB Rules G-17 and G-27 and Exchange Act Section 15B(c)(1). This publication is not legal advice, but contains general information not applicable to specific matters. We are not acting as your legal counsel unless separately retained in a written agreement signed by us.

Client Alert

SEC Charges School District, the District’s Former Chief Financial Officer and the District’s Auditor with Violations of Federal Securities Laws in a 2018 Bond Offering

April 19, 2022

On March 16, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) entered an order against a school district (Crosby Independent School District (the “District”), located in a suburb of Houston, Texas) and against the District’s auditor (the “Auditor”) and charged the school district’s former chief financial officer (“CFO”) with misleading investors who purchased $20 million of the District’s 2018 bonds (the “Bonds”). In its actions, the SEC noted that the District, the CFO and the Auditor included false and misleading audited financial statements in the official statement for the Bonds.  Specifically, the FY2017 financial statements underreported construction liabilities (by $7.9 million) and payroll expenses (by $3.8 million) resulting in the financial statements overstating the general fund balance by $11.7 million.  The District submitted the FY2017 financial statements for use with the offering document, the District and the CFO reviewed the offering document prior to its use in marketing the Bonds, and the school board’s president signed the offering document.  The District changed its fiscal year end as part of a plan to address the District’s financial condition prior to offering the Bonds, and the change in fiscal year end should have prompted a heightened level of scrutiny on the Auditor’s part.  The SEC determined that the Auditor’s audit procedures were deficient.  The District.  The charges against the District were brought under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“1934 Act”) Section10(b) and Rule 10(b)(5) and the Securities Act of 1933 (“1933 Act”) Section 17(a).  Violations of 1933 Act Section 17(a) do not require intentional wrongdoing on the part of the actor and can be established on the basis of negligence.  The SEC’s order against the District found that it violated 1934 Act Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 and 1933 Act Section 17(a).  The District was ordered to cease and desist from committing or causing any violations and any future violations of 1934 Act Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 and 1933 Act Section 17(a). The CFO.  The SEC alleged the CFO violated 1933 Act Section 17(a)(1) and (3) and 1934 Act Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5.  The CFO has agreed to settle with the SEC, including paying a $30,000 penalty and not participating in any future municipal securities offerings.  The settlement is pending court approval. The Auditor.  The SEC’s order against the Auditor found that she engaged in improper professional conduct pursuant to 1934 Act Section 4C(2) and SEC Rules of Practice Rule 102(e)(1)(ii).  The SEC’s order was effective immediately and denied the Auditor the privilege of appearing or practicing before the SEC as an accountant. A similar recent case.  This set of cases follows SEC actions from September 2021 involving a California school district and its CFO wherein that California school district included misleading budget projections in its offering documents for its bonds due to the budget’s failure to reflect salary increases.  Despite reports showing actual expenses were higher than projected, the California school district used the stale information and the CFO attested to the accuracy of the information in the offering document.  The SEC order against the California school district found that it violated 1933 Act Section 17(a)(2) and (3) by “making misleading statements and omissions to investors, as well as to the bonds’ credit rating agency and other municipal industry professionals on the transaction.”  The California school district was ordered to cease and desist violating 1933 Act Section 17(a)(2) and (3), implement various written policies and procedures, conduct staff training, retain an independent consultant to review the policies and procedures, implement recommendations of the independent consultant, disclose this settlement in future bond offerings, and provide certifications of compliance to the Staff of the SEC regarding these settlement conditions. The SEC charged the former CFO with violating 1933 Act Section 17(a)(3). This alert is not legal advice, but contains general information not applicable to specific matters.  We are not acting as your legal counsel unless separately retained in a written agreement signed by us.  

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Recognition

229 Dorsey Lawyers Recognized in 2027 Best Lawyers in America, Lawyers of the Year, and Ones to Watch

August 20, 2026

Press Releases

220 Dorsey Lawyers Recognized in 2026 Best Lawyers in America, Lawyers of the Year, and Ones to Watch

August 21, 2025

Firm Highlights

Insights

EPA Limits Title V Re-Litigation of NSR Permits

Overview On September 25, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) published a final rule that significantly limits the ability of third parties to use the Clean Air Act (“CAA”) Title V permitting process to revisit New Source Review (“NSR”) permitting decisions years after those decisions were made. The rule establishes that NSR permitting determinations generally must be challenged during the original permitting proceeding, thereby providing regulated sources with greater permitting certainty and finality for major capital projects. Published in the Federal Register titled Clarifying the Scope of “Applicable Requirements” Under State Operating Permit Programs and the Federal Operating Permit Program (Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2023-0401), the rule amends 40 C.F.R. Parts 70 and 71 to codify EPA’s interpretation regarding when requirements established under other CAA programs may be reviewed, modified, or implemented through the Title V operating permit program. The rule becomes effective 30 days after publication. The rule addresses two principal issues: (1) the relationship between NSR preconstruction permitting and Title V operating permits, and (2) the treatment of the General Duty Clause under CAA section 112(r)(1). Most significantly, the rule provides greater certainty for sources navigating the NSR permitting process. EPA’s amendments are intended to ensure that NSR permitting decisions made through an approved public process are generally not revisited later through Title V permit proceedings. The rule responds to a circuit split between the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Tenth Circuits. In Environmental Integrity Project v. EPA, 969 F.3d 529 (5th Cir. 2020), the Fifth Circuit upheld EPA’s interpretation, concluding that it was consistent with the text, structure, and purpose of Title V. In contrast, the Tenth Circuit reached the opposite conclusion in Sierra Club v. EPA, 964 F.3d 882 (10th Cir. 2020), finding that the then-existing regulatory definition of “applicable requirement” did not support EPA’s position. By amending the regulatory language on which the Tenth Circuit relied and codifying the interpretation approved by the Fifth Circuit, EPA has established a nationwide framework governing the interaction between NSR and Title V. NSR and Title V: EPA Establishes a Uniform Nationwide Framework At the core of the rule is EPA’s effort to define the respective roles of NSR and Title V. The rule codifies the approach EPA has applied since 2017: once a source obtains an NSR permit under an EPA-approved permitting program, and that permit was issued following public notice with an opportunity for comment and judicial review, the permit establishes the NSR-related “applicable requirements” of the State Implementation Plan (“SIP”) or Federal Implementation Plan (“FIP”) for Title V purposes. Under this framework, Title V is not a vehicle for re-examining underlying NSR permitting decisions. EPA does not intend to use the Title V process to revisit applicability determinations, emissions calculations, control technology determinations, permit conditions, or other issues resolved through the NSR permitting process. This principle applies regardless of the stage of the Title V proceeding; whether the NSR permit was issued pursuant to a SIP or FIP; the type of NSR issue involved; or whether the NSR permit is incorporated into Title V sequentially or concurrently. Limited Exceptions EPA recognizes several circumstances in which NSR issues may still be reviewed through the Title V program: No NSR permit was issued at all; The permit was issued without public notice and an opportunity for comment and judicial review; or The issue involves substantive overlap between Title V and NSR requirements, such as the adequacy of monitoring provisions. As a result, the rule does not insulate unpermitted projects or foreclose review of matters that independently arise under Title V. Key Regulatory Amendments The rule revises the definition of “applicable requirement” in 40 C.F.R. §§ 70.2 and 71.2. Paragraph (1): Where an NSR permit is issued with public notice and an opportunity for comment and judicial review, the permit establishes and defines the applicable SIP or FIP requirements for Title V purposes. Paragraph (2): All NSR permit terms, including terms contained in minor NSR permits, constitute applicable requirements that must be incorporated into Title V permits. Paragraph (4): CAA section 112(r)(1) (the General Duty Clause) is expressly excluded from the definition of “applicable requirement,” while section 112(r)(7) Risk Management Program requirements remain included. EPA also amended 40 C.F.R. §§ 70.8 and 70.12 to clarify that alleged defects in requirements established outside the Title V process generally do not provide a basis for EPA objection to a Title V permit or for a Title V citizen petition. General Duty Clause Exclusion The rule also codifies EPA’s longstanding position that the General Duty Clause in CAA section 112(r)(1) is not an “applicable requirement” for Title V purposes. EPA points to several considerations supporting that conclusion, including the distinction between the General Duty Clause and Title V permit terms, the provision’s origins in the Occupational Safety and Health Act’s general duty clause, and the different enforcement structures applicable to the General Duty Clause and Title V permit requirements. Importantly, excluding section 112(r)(1) from the definition of “applicable requirement” does not eliminate EPA’s authority to enforce the General Duty Clause independently of the Title V program. The final rule instead clarifies that the General Duty Clause need not—and should not—be incorporated into Title V permits as an applicable requirement. Practical Implications for Regulated Sources Greater Finality for NSR Permits  For projects requiring PSD, nonattainment NSR, or minor NSR permits, the permitting process becomes the primary forum for resolving disputes regarding applicability determinations, emissions calculations, control technology requirements, offsets, and permit conditions. Once an NSR permit is issued through a qualifying public process, regulated sources should face substantially reduced risk that those same issues will be challenged years later through Title V permit proceedings. Reduced Risk of Collateral Permit Challenges Stakeholders have sometimes sought to use Title V permit issuance, renewal, revision, or citizen-petition proceedings to challenge underlying NSR determinations. The final rule makes clear that Title V is not the appropriate vehicle for challenging whether an applicable requirement was correctly established in the first instance. This should reduce the risk of permit delays and uncertainty associated with collateral challenges to previously issued NSR permits. The rule does not, however, eliminate all Title V challenges relating to an NSR permit. Challenges concerning the Title V permit itself—including whether it appropriately incorporates applicable requirements or contains adequate compliance provisions—remain possible. Increased Importance of the Initial NSR Proceeding Because Title V generally will not provide a second opportunity to challenge the substantive validity of an NSR determination, the administrative record developed during the NSR process becomes increasingly important. Permit applicants should ensure that applicability analyses, emissions calculations, control technology evaluations, modeling demonstrations, and supporting technical documentation are thoroughly developed during the original permitting proceeding. For significant projects, applicants may therefore have an additional incentive to identify and resolve potential permitting issues before the NSR permit is issued rather than assuming that unresolved issues can be addressed during a subsequent Title V proceeding. Potential Incentive for Broader Public Participation EPA also notes that permitting authorities may choose to provide public notice and an opportunity for comment for a broader range of NSR permits because permits issued through a qualifying public process receive the benefit of the finality framework established by the rule. Some permitting authorities may conclude that greater public participation at the NSR stage is preferable to uncertainty during subsequent Title V proceedings. Conclusion The final rule is principally a permitting-certainty measure. For sources that obtain NSR permits through a public process, EPA has substantially limited the ability of third parties to revisit underlying NSR determinations through the Title V program. As a result, regulated entities should benefit from greater finality regarding key permitting decisions, reduced risk of collateral permit challenges, and increased certainty when planning and implementing capital projects.

Attorney John Cooney Returns to Dorsey in the Finance & Restructuring Group in Minneapolis

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Attorney John Cooney Returns to Dorsey in the Finance & Restructuring Group in Minneapolis

Regulatory Affairs Partner Randy Dann Joins Dorsey

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Regulatory Affairs Partner Randy Dann Joins Dorsey

News

Dorsey’s London Corporate Practice and Partners Earn Chambers UK 2027 Rankings

News

Dorsey Recognized in Inaugural 2026 IAM/WTR Copyright 1000

Dorsey & Whitney LLP is pleased to announce its recognition in the inaugural edition of the Copyright 1000: The World’s Leading Copyright Professionals, published by IAM and World Trademark Review (WTR). Nine Dorsey attorneys were individually recognized, and the Firm’s Denver, Minneapolis, New York, Salt Lake City, and Seattle offices were recognized in the firm rankings. The following Dorsey attorneys were recognized in the inaugural guide: Lindsey Sadler Gregory Tamkin Charlene Krogh Evan Everist Jeffrey Cadwell Fara Sunderji Bruce Ewing Catherine Parrish Lake J. Michael Keyes The Copyright 1000 is the first dedicated ranking focused solely on the world’s leading copyright practitioners. The guide identifies leading copyright firms and practitioners across key jurisdictions worldwide. Dorsey’s intellectual property attorneys advise clients on a wide range of copyright matters, including protection, enforcement, licensing, litigation, transactions, and issues involving emerging technologies and digital content. The inaugural Copyright 1000 rankings are published by IAM and WTR.

Insights

SEC Proposes Expansion of Investment Adviser Performance-Based Compensation Rule

On September 30, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) proposed amendments to Rule 205-3 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), which provides an exemption from the general prohibition under Section 205(a)(1) of the Advisers Act on registered investment advisers receiving performance-based compensation (the “Proposal”) so long as performance-based compensation is limited to “qualified clients”.1 Most notably for private fund sponsors, the Proposal would expand the definition of “qualified client” to include any investors that satisfy the “accredited investor” definition under Regulation D. The Proposal may also have implications for private fund managers that rely on exemptions from investment adviser registration under state law because certain state-level investment adviser registration exemptions incorporate or otherwise reference the federal qualified client definition. Expansion of the Qualified Client Definition Under the current Rule 205-3, an investor generally may qualify as a qualified client if, among other alternatives, the investor has at least $1.4 million under management with the adviser or has a net worth exceeding $2.7 million. These thresholds are higher than the financial thresholds applicable to many accredited investors under Regulation D. As a result, an investor may currently qualify as an accredited investor for purposes of investing in a private offering without qualifying as a qualified client for purposes of paying performance-based compensation. The Proposal would expand the qualified client definition to include any natural person or legal entity investor that satisfies the accredited investor definition under Regulation D. The Proposal would also remove the assets under management and net worth thresholds under the current Rule 205-3 qualified client test. For private funds relying on Section 3(c)(1) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, this change could reduce the need to apply a separate qualified client standard to investors that already qualify as accredited investors. Dorsey Observations and Next Steps If adopted as proposed, the expanded qualified client definition could be particularly significant for private fund managers. Most private fund offerings are already limited to accredited investors under Regulation D. However, the Proposal could expand the pool of prospective investors available to emerging private fund managers while reducing the regulatory burden associated with complying with Rule 205-3. The Proposal could also benefit advisers operating below the SEC registration threshold that rely on a state private fund adviser exemption. A number of states have adopted exemptions modeled on the North American Securities Administrators Association (“NASAA”) private fund adviser exemption, which may condition relief for advisers to certain funds relying on Section 3(c)(1) on each beneficial owner satisfying the federal qualified client definition. However, state requirements vary, and any effect of the Proposal would depend on the text of the applicable state exemption and how it incorporates Rule 205-3. Many emerging private fund managers may have a larger network of accredited investor relationships than qualified client relationships during the early stages of their investment advisory business. Currently, under Rule 205-3, private fund managers may receive performance-based compensation from investors who do not satisfy the qualified client definition if those investors were admitted to their private funds prior to registration with the SEC. Following registration with the SEC, however, managers may continue to permit investors that are not qualified clients to invest in future private funds but may not receive performance-based compensation from those investors with respect to such investments. In addition, because the net worth and assets under management thresholds for qualified client status are adjusted for inflation every five years, the pool of qualified client investors may diminish over time as previously eligible investors no longer satisfy the applicable thresholds. The Proposal could provide the dual benefit of greater flexibility for private fund managers to establish and maintain relationships with accredited investors as their businesses scale and they become registered with the SEC, and greater flexibility for certain accredited investors to participate in investment strategies that historically have been restricted to much larger institutional investors. Unless and until the Proposal is adopted, investment advisers should continue to comply with the existing qualified client requirements. If the Proposal is adopted, private fund sponsors should consider whether corresponding changes are appropriate for their subscription documents, investor questionnaires, and other offering materials. Advisers that are state-registered or rely on a state-level exemption should also consult the laws and regulations of each relevant jurisdiction before changing investor eligibility standards or performance-based compensation practices, because adoption of the federal amendments may not automatically modify state requirements. Comments on the Proposal will be due 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. 1 Investment Adviser Performance-Based Compensation Modernization, Investment Advisers Act Release No. IA-7022 (Sept. 30, 2026), available at https://www.sec.gov/rules-regulations/2026/09/s7-2026-28#33-11443proposed.

Insights

Energy Law: Month in Review - September 2026

Welcome to Dorsey’s Energy Law: Month in Review. We provide this update to our clients to identify significant developments in the previous month. Please reach out to any of the authors, listed above, to discuss these issues. Regulatory Developments Massachusetts Ratchets Up State and Local Regulation of AI Data Centers In early September, Governor Maura Healey of Massachusetts signed an executive order requiring that artificial intelligence data centers secure the approval of local communities as a precondition to proceeding with a given project. According to the terms of the order, data center developers will need to secure a “community benefits agreement” as a precondition to receiving permits from numerous state agencies, including the Department of Environmental Protection, the Energy Facilities Siting Board, and the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office. Beyond requiring community benefits agreements, the order also mandates that developers mitigate utility costs to consumers, prohibits the use of nondisclosure agreements, and requires various state agencies to develop measures to limit data center impacts on the environment. North Carolina Regulators Decline Approval of Duke Energy Gas Turbine On September 18, 2026, North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) denied Duke Energy’s application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity required to construct a gas-fueled combustion turbine at its Smith Energy Complex in North Carolina. The NCUC objected strongly to the $584 million price tag and noted that Duke appeared to be constructing the facility “based on anticipated data center customer additions.” The NCUC rejected that anticipated growth as “insufficiently reliable for the Commission to act at this point.” In rejecting Duke’s application, the NCUC also noted that Duke had signed the White House Ratepayer Protection Pledge, in which it represented that it would not shift data center costs to consumers. The NCUC observed that the record did not demonstrate how Duke “intends to adhere to its commitments under the Ratepayer Protection Pledge with regard to the Proposed Facility.” Notably, commission staff had actually supported the construction of the turbine, citing concerns about Duke’s reserve margins. The NCUC noted that it “understands the Public Staff’s expressed concerns,” but those concerns were outweighed by the NCUC’s reservations, including questions of demand. Department of Energy Approves Funds for Grid Improvement The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced that it would fund 31 grid-improvement projects in 26 states. The funding initiative is part of the DOE’s “SPARK” initiative. The funding will include $1.9 billion in federal funding from DOE and $3.35 billion in recipient cost-sharing funding. The funds will go to projects designed to improve grid reliability and lower electricity costs. Recipients plan to reconductor over 1,500 miles of transmission lines and will deploy grid-enhancing technologies across approximately 21,000 miles. DOE stated that this initiative will make available over 23 additional gigawatts of electricity. Texas Moderates Rules Governing Data Center Interconnection The Texas Public Utility Commission adopted new regulations governing large-load interconnections. The rules impose a flat study fee of $100,000 for all proposed interconnections, which departs from the initial proposal to impose study fees using a tiered system based on project size. Additionally, the final rule eliminates the PUC’s previous proposal to impose a non-refundable interconnection fee of $50,000 per MW of contracted peak demand. The final rule also moderates the initially proposed regulations governing Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) notifications for large-load customers’ non-utilized capacity. The proposed rules would have required notifying ERCOT within 30 days of missing a scheduled energization milestone by six months. The final rules, however, do not require informing ERCOT unless a scheduled energization milestone is missed by 24 months. FERC Denies TransAlta 202(c) Cost-Recovery Plan The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently rejected TransAlta’s plan to recover $19.9 million in expenses stemming from a DOE order in which DOE prohibited TransAlta from retiring its coal-powered Centralia power plant. TransAlta had previously intended to retire the facility at the end of 2025. TransAlta’s cost recovery plan proposed spending an additional $23 million on repairs to continue operating the unit. FERC’s main objection had to do with geographic scope. TransAlta’s recovery plan called for recovering costs from California Independent System Operator (CAISO) and the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), but the DOE’s order requiring operation of the plant was designed to ensure reliability in the Northwest assessment area (Montana, Oregon, Washington, and parts of northern California and northern Idaho). Accordingly, FERC was unwilling to allow cost recovery from CAISO and SPP when the order that precipitated the additional costs only related to the Northwest assessment area. FERC informed TransAlta that it would only approve cost recovery from load-serving entities in the Northwest assessment area. FERC’s decision comes amid a rush of DOE emergency orders requiring the continued operation of coal-fired generating units. Litigation Appeals Court Upholds Washington Hydropower Plant With Caveats In a September 21, 2026, opinion, the Washington Court of Appeals largely upheld a Clean Water Act water quality certification by the Washington Department of Ecology for the Goldendale Energy Storage Project, a proposed pumped-water storage hydropower system adjacent to, but off-stream from, the Columbia River. A nonprofit (Columbia Riverkeeper) and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation appealed the certification, contending that it failed to impose necessary conditions and monitoring requirements to protect the water quality of the Columbia River. Most saliently, the plaintiffs argued that the project had the potential to leak 100 acre-feet of water per year into tributaries of the Columbia River. The Court of Appeals broadly rejected plaintiffs’ challenge to the state’s conclusion that “the project was designed not to leak.” That said, the Court of Appeals did reverse on one narrow issue. Specifically, the court determined that the state’s conclusion that “leakage from the project’s tunnels would be monitored and reported” was not supported by the evidence because the certification “does not explicitly require monitoring and reporting to determine whether there is any leakage.” Accordingly, the court remanded the matter to the state to impose monitoring and reporting requirements but otherwise affirmed the certification. Legislative Developments California Legislates Restrictions on Data Center Energy Use and Grid Costs On September 21, 2026, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed seven bills broadly regulating data centers in the state. SB 1168 directed the California Public Utilities Commission to assess the energy used by data centers. It also requires the PUC to pass costs of transmission and distribution upgrades and load increases on to data centers, rather than customers. SB 886 and SB 887 compel data centers to pay for infrastructure upgrade and generation costs, and wildfire mitigation costs, in addition to imposing environmental review. The statutes additionally increase local oversight of data centers. AB 1577 imposes a monthly reporting requirement that requires data centers to supply energy consumption and efficiency data to the California Energy Commission. AB 2383 contains incentives for data centers to use onsite clean energy generation. Finally, AB 2469 and AB 2619 require data center developments to assess water supply and develop a water scarcity plan. The statutes also mandate statewide water reporting as a precondition to obtaining and renewing business licenses.

Insights

The Supreme Court Update - October 8, 2026

On September 29, 2026, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in one case: Department of Homeland Security v. D.V.D., No. 26-426: This case concerns the Trump Administration’s “third-country removal” procedures, where immigrants are deported to countries not listed in the removal orders. In granting certiorari, the Court granted the Government’s application to stay a lower court decision halting the practice, which will allow third-country removals to continue pending resolution of the case. The issues presented are: (1) Whether the district court had jurisdiction over respondents’ claims; (2) whether the district court had authority to enter class-wide declaratory relief and APA vacatur under 8 U.S.C. § 1252(f)(1); (3) whether the Government’s guidance on third-country removals is unlawful under 8 U.S.C. § 1231(b), the due process clause, or FARRA/CAT and its implementing regulations; and (4) such other questions that the Government determines are appropriate for the proper disposition of the case. On October 1, 2026, the Court granted certiorari in three additional cases: Rhoney v. Barbosa da Cunha, No. 26-104: Immigration officials detained Ricardo Aparecido Barbosa da Cunha—a Brazilian citizen who had lived in the United States for approximately twenty years after entering without inspection—and denied him a bond hearing under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A). The Second Circuit held that his detention was instead governed by § 1226(a), which permits release on bond, because § 1225(b)(2)(A)’s mandatory-detention requirement applies only to noncitizens apprehended while entering the country or shortly thereafter. The question presented is: Whether 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A) mandates the detention pending removal proceedings of aliens who, like Barbosa da Cunha, are present in the United States without having been admitted. Missionaries of St. John the Baptist, Inc. v. Frederic, No. 25-113: A Catholic religious organization sought to build a shrine to the Virgin Mary on land the organization owned adjacent to its church in Park Hills, Kentucky. Local zoning restrictions prohibited the proposed construction. The question presented is: Whether a land-use regulation that prohibits a religious institution from building a religious structure on its own property constitutes a “substantial burden” on religious exercise under the Substantial Burden Provision of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, 42 U.S.C. § 2000cc(a). Marschner v. Marschner, No. 25-1349: Under the Uniformed Services Former Spouses’ Protection Act (“USFSPA”), a veteran’s longevity-based retirement pay can be divided in a divorce, but retirement pay based on disability and retirement pay that was waived to receive disability pay are indivisible. The question presented is: Does the USFSPA require state courts to refuse enforcement of indemnification provisions in a divorce settlement agreement?

Regulatory Affairs Partner Jeff Beelaert Joins Dorsey in Boise

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Regulatory Affairs Partner Jeff Beelaert Joins Dorsey in Boise

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The Supreme Court Update - October 14, 2026