Tag: Technology

The Fairness for High-Skilled Workers Act May Endanger Economy

The Fairness for High-Skilled Workers Act has passed the House of Representatives, and is pending before the Senate where it may pass by unanimous consent (i.e., with no actual vote or hearing).

On its face, the Fairness Act seems fair. By eliminating the 7% per country cap, Indian nationals and Chinese nationals who have been waiting and would continue to wait for years to capture green cards would be placed at the front of line. But this would be at the expense of workers from other countries who are also important to the United States.

About 25% of all STEM workers in the U.S., including those in the fields of healthcare, physical science, computer, and math, are foreign-born and that figure is on the rise. One quarter of all doctors in the U.S. are foreign-born — many from sub-Saharan Africa — and are particularly important in poor, rural areas of the country where physicians are scarce. One in five pharmacists and one in four dentists are foreign-born. Other types of healthcare workers come from Asia, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean and our need for these workers rises as baby boomers age.

If the Fairness Act were to pass, recruiting from countries other than India and China might become more difficult, and this talent may well turn elsewhere. New Zealand, Ireland, Australia and the UK are also dependent on foreign-trained doctors.

High-tech workers from India and China are also important to the U.S. and its economy; but our current immigration system is driving them out as well. This started in 2008, when it became difficult for high-tech companies to get the number of H-1B visas they needed. That frustration has grown with the increased scrutiny of H-1B petitions and the long green card waiting lines. Indian and Chinese talent is heading for other countries, and Canada is welcoming them and their companies with open arms. South Africa, Argentina, India, Chile, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Israel, Australia, and Ireland also are popular competitors.

Quotas of one kind or another have been part of the U.S. immigration system since the early part of the 20th century. Literacy requirements limited immigration from some of the poorer countries of the world. Country-of-birth quotas benefited those from the UK, Ireland, and Germany at the expense even of those born in southern and eastern Europe. The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act (the Hart-Celler Act), which is the basis of our current system, abolished national origin quotas (to eliminate discrimination) and focused on family reunification. The 7% annual ceiling on the number of immigrants from any one country was established. The ceiling was not meant to be quota, but rather a “barrier against monopolization.”

Senator Rand Paul, who opposes the Fairness Act, introduced the BELIEVE Act (Backlog Elimination, Legal Immigration and Employment Visa Enhancement Act) (S. 2091) on July 11, 2019. That bill would simply quadruple the number of employment-based visas by doubling the number available annually and exempting dependents from being counted toward the annual quota of visas. His bill also would exempt all shortage occupations from green card limits.

The Fairness Act may be just an interim solution. Rather than pitting family-based immigration against employment-based immigration and rather than pitting one country against another or one industry against another, perhaps it is time for legislation like the BELIEVE Act that would simply increase the number of green cards available to everybody.

Jackson Lewis P.C. © 2019

For more on green card legislation, see the National Law Review Immigration law page.

Head Hacking: New Devices Gather Brainspray

For more than a decade I have been warning about the vulnerability of brainspray – the brain signals that can be captured from outside your head. In 2008, this article by Jeffery Goldberg demonstrated that an fMRI machine could easily interpret how a person felt about stimuli provided – which could be a boon to totalitarian governments testing for people’s true feelings about the government or its Dear Leader. Of course in 2008 the fMRI costs two million dollars and you must lie still inside it for a useful reading to emerge.

While fMRI mind reading and lie detection is not yet ready for the courtroom, its interpretations are improving all the time and mobile units are under consideration. And its wearable cousins, like iWatches and computerized head gear are reading changes from within your body, such as electrocardiogram, heart rate, blood pressure, respiration rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood glucose, skin perspiration, capnography, body temperature, motion evaluation, cardiac implantable devices and ambient parameters. Certain head gear is calibrated just for brain waves.

Some of this is gaming equipment and some helps you meditate.  Biofeedback headsets measure your brain waves, using EEG. They’re small bands that sit easily on your head and measure activity through sensors. Several companies like MindWave, NeuroSky, Thync, and Versus all make such equipment available to the general public.

Of course, if you really want to frighten yourself about how far this technology has advances, check in on DARPA and the rest of the US Military. DARPA has been testing brainwave filtering binoculars , human brainwave driven targeting for killer robots,  and soldier brain-machine interfaces for military vehicles. And these are just the things they are currently willing to dicuss in public.

I wrote six years ago about how big companies like Honda were exploring brainspray capture, and have spoken about how Google, Facebook and other Silicon Valley giants have sunk billions of dollars into creating brain-machine interfaces and reading brainspray for practical purposes.

I will write more on this later, but be aware that hacking of this equipment is always possible, which could give the wrong people access to your brain waves and pick up if you are thinking of your bank account PIN or other sensitive matter. Your thoughts of any sort should be protected from view.  Thought-crime has always been on the other side of the line.

Now that it is possible to read your brainspray with greater certainty, we should be considering how to regulate this activity.  I don’t mind giving the search engine my information in exchange of efficient immediate searches.  But I don’t want to open my head to companies or government.

Copyright © 2019 Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP All Rights Reserved.

For more in device hacking, see the Communications, Media & Internet law page on the National Law Review.

U.S. Department of Energy Withdraws Expanded General Service Lamp Definition and Refuses to Impose Backstop Efficiency Standard

On September 5, 2019, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published a final rule and proposed rule regarding general service lamps and general service incandescent lamps with far-reaching implications for lamp manufacturers and retailers. DOE is withdrawing the Obama Administration’s revised definitions of general service lamps and general service incandescent lamps, which would have imposed federal efficiency standards on a wide array of lamps. DOE also asserts in the new rule that it has not triggered a statutory “backstop” efficiency standard, which would have prohibited the sale of all non-compliant lamps beginning January 1, 2020. In a separate proposed rule, DOE has initially determined that energy conservation standards for general service incandescent lamps are not justified. DOE’s decisions, which stall what was to be an accelerated transition away from incandescents and toward LEDs, will likely prompt a legal challenge by consumer and environmental groups, as well as a number of states and other interested stakeholders.

Background

As defined by Congress in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), general service incandescent lamps (GSILs) are any “standard incandescent or halogen type lamp . . . intended for general service applications,” that “has a medium screw base,” that fits within statutorily defined lumen and operating voltage ranges, and that is not one of twenty-two exempted lamp types. General service lamps (GSLs), in turn, are GSILs or “any other lamps that the Secretary [of Energy] determines are used to satisfy lighting applications traditionally served by general service incandescent lamps.” With the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), Congress directed DOE to initiate rulemaking procedures to determine whether efficiency standards for GSLs should be amended to be “more stringent” than those that currently apply to fluorescent lamps and incandescent reflector lamps and whether existing exemptions for “certain incandescent lamps should be maintained or discontinued.”

The EISA sought to prod DOE into moving quickly to establish GSL/GSIL efficiency standards. First, Congress provided that if DOE “determines that the standards in effect for general service incandescent lamps should be amended, the Secretary shall publish a final rule not later than” January 1, 2017. Second, Congress included a “backstop” measure: if the Secretary of Energy “fails to complete a rulemaking” as directed, “the Secretary shall prohibit the sale of any general service lamp that does not meet a minimum efficacy standard of 45 lumens per watt,” effective January 1, 2020. The 45-lumen standard is generally understood to be unachievable for many incandescents, and would, therefore, hasten an ongoing transition to LED lamps. The backstop standard is also unusual to the extent that it would apply as a prohibition on sale, while most other appliance and equipment standards enforced by DOE apply to import and manufacture, rather than sale. As a result, the backstop not only impacts lamp manufacturers, but also the retailers who market such lamps.

The Obama Administration in January 2017 promulgated final rules revising the GSL and GSIL definitions to no longer exempt five categories of specialty incandescent lamps (rough service lamps, shatter-resistant lamps, 3-way incandescent lamps, high lumen incandescent lamps, and vibration service lamps), incandescent reflector lamps, or a variety of decorative lamps (T-Shape, B, BA, CA, F, G16-1/2, G25, G30, S, M-14, and candelabra base lamps). Effective January 1, 2020, these lamp categories would be subject to the relevant efficiency standards. The Obama Administration, however, did not initiate rulemaking with regard to the efficiency standards themselves because an appropriations rider prevented it from doing so.

The Trump Administration’s recent move withdraws these revised definitions to maintain the current efficiency regulatory scheme. Without deciding whether or not to amend the efficiency standards themselves, DOE’s new rule prevents those standards from applying to the specialty, decorative, and reflector lamps identified under the earlier rule. Some commenters argue that the new rule violates the EPCA’s “anti-backsliding” provision, while DOE asserts that the provision applies only to efficiency standards and not to the categories to which those standards apply.

Regulatory Uncertainty Regarding “Backstop” Standards

With the new rule, DOE concludes that the backstop will not take effect on January 1 and so will not prohibit the sale of GSLs not meeting the 45 lumens per watt standard. DOE agreed with electrical and lighting trade associations and manufacturers that the backstop would only be triggered if DOE had actually determined to maintain, amend, or eliminate GSL and GSIL efficiency standards but failed to do so, whereas to date, DOE had determined only to maintain the currently effective list of exemptions from the GSL and GSIL definitions. Additionally, DOE states that the backstop is not self-executing but rather requires the Secretary to take action to prohibit the sale of less efficient lamps. DOE asserts that this interpretation of the backstop provision prevents the Secretary of Energy from having to enforce a more stringent efficiency standard that he has not yet determined to be necessary or unnecessary.

A variety of environmental commenters, utility companies, and state attorneys general disagree with DOE’s reading and argue that, without further action, the backstop provision will indeed be triggered on January 1, 2020, because DOE has “fail[ed] to complete” the congressionally directed rulemaking to determine the need for amended efficiency standards. These commenters argue that the backstop is self-executing and requires no further DOE action to go into effect.

Preemption

In recent years, states have begun to enact their own lamp efficiency standards in line with the Obama Administration’s proposal and Congress’ “backstop” standard, in part out of concern that DOE might seek to delay or reverse the federal standard. More states are likely to do so in light of DOE’s latest move, creating the possibility that lamp manufacturers, importers, and retailers will have to navigate a patchwork of state regulations. Such state regulations will likely be subject to litigation, as DOE asserts that even though it has not yet promulgated an efficiency standard, state standards for covered products are preempted.

Next Steps

DOE’s withdrawal of the revised GSL/GSIL definitions or its interpretation of the backstop provision has not yet prompted a legal challenge. Some environmental advocates, however, have raised the possibility of bringing suit to force implementation of the lamp efficiency standards.

 

© 2019 Beveridge & Diamond PC

ARTICLE BY Daniel A. Eisenberg and Jack Zietman of Beveridge & Diamond PC.

Who Benefits from Self-Driving Cars?

Everyone will benefit from self-driving cars, but to varying degrees. Society, from a safety standpoint, benefits from eliminating some or all of the 34,247 motor vehicle fatalities per year. The elderly and disabled can benefit by regaining independence. Commuters can benefit by turning their dreaded drive to work into a relaxing or productive session they look forward to. But what about car manufacturers?

Car manufacturers may potentially benefit the most from self-driving cars. Assuming that they develop safe, fully autonomous robotaxis, then a car manufacturer may be able to operate the car as a robotaxi and potentially generate ten times the sale price of a vehicle over the life of the vehicle. But before this can happen, a company has to produce a fully self-driving vehicle at a reasonable cost. From a hardware standpoint, a key challenge is sensor technology. Lidar, a critical sensor for autonomous cars that can bridge the deficiencies in today’s camera and radar systems, is a significant hurdle due to its cost (e.g., up to $75,000), size, and complexity.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that lidar companies are benefiting from large investments and partnerships this year to develop advanced lidar solutions. For example, Sense Photonics recently emerged from stealth mode and made headlines with a $26 million round advertising a whole new approach that allows for an ultra-wide field of view and flexible installation. Sense Photonics claims they have a “flash” lidar which can illuminate the entire scene with one giant flash, as opposed to the scanning or sweeping systems employed by the early popular lidars systems, such as those from Velodyne. Luminar recently announced they developed a new LIDAR sensor that weighs less than 2 pounds, is the size of a soda can, and will cost as little as $500. Another upstart, Lumotive, announced that it has a solid-state sensor with metamaterial (e.g., a non-naturally occurring material that can have a negative refractive index) that includes tiny tunable components that can slow down parts of the laser beam in order to steer the beam. Steering a laser beam in this manner, according to Lumotive, may eliminate the need for mechanically moving parts. Yet another lidar company, Quanergy, touts that they have a fully solid-state automotive grade lidar based on optical phased arrays that do not include any moving parts on any scale, while offering an unparalleled level of quality and reliability.

While the timeline is uncertain, it is likely that self-driving cars will be safer than human drivers, and that auto manufacturers and technology suppliers will find opportunities to increase profits. However, this will likely bring about certain disadvantageous. Some disadvantages are obvious, such as the loss of transportation-related jobs due to automation, but there may be other less obvious disadvantages. If a car manufacturer can make more money by keeping their car, why would they sell it to consumers? Elon Musk thinks that is the case, and part of his “Master Plan” is to enable self-driving hardware to operate as autonomous robotaxis to generate revenue for Tesla itself. While autonomous robotaxis may have many benefits, the inability to buy a reasonably priced car because it is more profitable in the hands of the car manufacturer does not benefit the car shopper!

© 2019 Foley & Lardner LLP

More more on self-driving cars, see the Utilities & Transport law page on the National Law Review.

Emerging Technologies Update

Our present era is one characterized by rapid technological change, marked by an influx of advancements aimed at enhancing productivity, reducing labor costs, and providing companies with previously unforeseen efficiencies and insights. These emerging technologies—a broad collection of hardware and software that includes artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous vehicles (AVs), biotechnology, robotics, and unmanned aerial systems (drones)—are being incorporated into everyday operations by seemingly every industry and sector.

A number of emerging technologies are finding particular value in the energy, natural resources, and transportation spaces.  A brief survey of these sectors reveals that companies are incorporating emerging technologies in a number of novel ways, including:

  • Use of drones to detect leaks along pipelines and to survey the structural integrity of offshore rigs;
  • Integration of machine learning-empowered connected devices by electric, gas, and water utilities to better serve communities by identifying ways to be more efficient with respect to how resources are managed;
  • Application of predictive analytics for refinery/gas plant optimization to mitigate un-programmed plant shutdowns, improve yields, and enhance safety awareness;
  • Incorporation of machine learning and computer vision into AV systems which have the capability to significantly improve road safety, reduce traffic fatalities, and improve vehicle efficiency;
  • Adoption of machine learning and data analytics by oil and gas companies into planning processes for drilling by hydraulic fracturing; and
  • Utilization of autonomous delivery systems—including aerial and sidewalk drones—in an effort to significantly reduce the cost of deliveries and environmental impacts over the “last mile.”

While these and other technologies show great promise, they also create a host of new challenges for governments, companies, and individuals.  In particular, emerging technologies could usher in an era of massive disruption that dramatically alters and upsets traditional notions of consumer safety and privacy, national security, job security, and environmental quality.  Federal and state regulators and legislators are already starting to tackle the challenges arising from emerging technologies—with mixed results. These actions risk generating unintended consequences that could stifle innovation and/or forestall the incorporation of emerging technologies into various industry operations.

This inaugural VNF Emerging Technology Update is intended to identify recent executive and legislative branch developments in the emerging technology space that may impact the deployment of these technologies, which in turn could impact client operations. If you have a question about these or any other developments in the emerging technology space, please contact the authors of this alert.

Recent Emerging Tech Developments

DOT Announces New Measures to Facilitate Drone Deployment

On January 14, 2019, Secretary of Transportation, Elaine Chao, announced several significant regulatory developments that should—in time—provide drone companies and operators with more operational flexibility.

First, Secretary Chao announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had unveiled a proposed rule entitled, “Operation of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems over People.” Among other things, the proposed rule would allow a small drone to “pass[] over any part of any person who is not directly participating in the operation and who is not located under a covered structure or inside a stationary vehicle”—provided that the drone meets certain operational constraints related to drone weight, design, and risk of injury to people.  The proposed rule would also permit drones to operate at night provided that (i) the drone is equipped with an anti-collision light that is visible for at least three statute miles, and (ii) the operator has completed relevant knowledge training and testing.

While the proposed rule is a good first step in facilitating further innovation in small drone use cases, it is unlikely that the rule would have any immediate impact because it is contingent on the FAA implementing remote identification and tracking regulations, which the FAA is expected to promulgate in proposed form later this year.  Moreover, remote ID and tracking rules are necessary to stymie nefarious and nuisance operations that could target critical systems and infrastructure, including events similar to those that occurred at London’s Gatwick and Heathrow airports late in 2018 and early in 2019, and at Newark International Airport on January 22, 2019. Thus, while the proposed rule is a welcome step toward facilitating drone innovation, regulators still have a lot of work to do before companies (and consumers) realize the potential benefits of commercial drones.

In addition to the proposed rule, the FAA also announced an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) seeking comments on the “Safe and Secure Operations of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems.” The ANPR recognizes the potential national security threat that drones pose to critical infrastructure, acknowledging that it is continually assessing the ability of the Part 107 regulations to address these concerns.  In addition, the ANPR notes that the FAA is working to develop a process to allow certain fixed-site facility owners to petition the agency to prohibit or restrict drone operations in close proximity to, e.g., critical infrastructure sites. The ANPR further recognizes public safety and national security concerns arising from loss of control of a drone. The agency seeks comment on the need to promulgate regulations establishing design requirements (such as redundancy) for systems critical to flight safety.

It is important to note that the current government shutdown has impacted the publication of these regulatory actions in the Federal Register. Therefore, the FAA is not yet accepting public comment on these actions. The FAA has not indicated when it will publish these actions in the Federal Register, but simply says both will be published “at a later date.”

FCC Proposed Rule on Unlicensed Use of 6 GHz Band

On December 17, 2018, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published a proposed rule to expand unlicensed use of the 5.925-7.125 GHz band (6 GHz band). Specifically, the FCC would allow unlicensed access points to operate on the 5.925-6.425 GHz and 6.525-6.875 GHz sub-bands only on frequencies determined by an automated frequency control (AFC) system. For the 6.425-6.525 GHz and 6.875-7.125 GHz sub-bands, the FCC would not mandate an AFC system and would permit unlicensed access points to operate at lower transmitted power.

The FCC’s press release on the proposed rule notes that “[u]nlicensed devices that employ Wi-Fi and other unlicensed standards have become indispensable for providing low-cost wireless connectivity in countless products used by American consumers.” The proposed rule represents one element of the FCC’s broader objective to facilitate and ensure that adequate spectrum exists to accommodate the proliferation of connected devices in the internet of things (IoT).

While the FCC asserted its commitment to “protecting the incumbent licensed services that operate in this spectrum,” the FCC’s proposed action does raise the possibility of conflict with electric, gas, and water utilities and other critical infrastructure systems, which have long relied on the 6 GHz band for their communications networks. Some worry that the FCC’s action could unleash a flood of new unlicensed users on the spectrum, which could create radio frequency interference that compromises both reliability and emergency response capabilities.

Comments on the proposed rule are due by February 15, 2019.

BIS Contemplating Export Controls for Certain Emerging Technologies

On November 19, 2018, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)—an agency within the Department of Commerce—published an ANPR seeking public comment on criteria for identifying emerging technologies that are essential to U.S. national security. The BIS ANPR comes at a time of heightened scrutiny over global technology transfers. The past year alone has been dominated by headlines of (i) potential national security concerns related to the import of Chinese telecommunications technologies; (ii) potential supply chain attacks on U.S. technology manufacturers; and (iii) escalating trade tensions between the United States and China precipitated at least in part by U.S. objections over Chinese theft of intellectual property.

It is this third risk that BIS’s ANPR is attempting to redress. With the help of public comments received over the course their comment period (which closed on January 10, 2019) BIS will evaluate potential national security risks that may arise from the export of emerging technologies.  The agency has indicated that it will likely promulgate a proposed rule to amend the Commerce Control List (CCL) to include new Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCNs) for certain emerging technologies.

While there is certainly a need to address the economic, national security, and political implications of technology transfers—and the deleterious impacts of industrial espionage—some of the most prominent technology companies and technology industry advocacy groups argue that BIS’s action will do little to mitigate potential national security risks and may actually do more to harm U.S. emerging technology companies, because any prohibition on technology exports will apply to companies operating within the United States. Consequently, sophisticated external actors will still be able to engage in industrial espionage, thereby extracting potentially sensitive technologies outside of officially-sanctioned processes, allowing certain emerging technologies to end up in jurisdictions outside of the United States or its allies without U.S. companies being able to control the dissemination of those technologies.

Given the potential negative impacts of BIS’s contemplated regulatory action—as well as the fact that BIS issued the ANPR immediately before the year-end holiday season—many companies petitioned the agency for an extension of the original 30-day comment period. While BIS did extend the comment period an additional three weeks, the compressed comment period undoubtedly prevented some companies and individuals from offering more detailed insights.  Given the potential economic and security impacts of the ANPR, companies may wish to engage with the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as an alternative or parallel strategy to ensure that the Administration is aware and understands the potential implications on U.S. companies.

Senators Warner and Rubio Introduce Bill to Establish the Office of Critical Technologies and Security

On January 4, 2019, Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced S.29, which would establish an “Office of Critical Technologies and Security” within the White House. Recognizing threat of industrial espionage, forced technology transfers, and supply chain vulnerabilities, the bipartisan bill is intended to ensure that technology transfer decisions occur within a broader policy context—a “whole of government technology strategy”—that weighs relevant economic, geopolitical and national security concerns in a way different from the existing BIS regulatory process.

As of January 22, the Senate has taken no further action on the bill.

 

© 2019 Van Ness Feldman LLP
This post was written by R. Scott Nuzum and Eric C. Wagner of Van Ness Feldman LLP.

Battery Companies Drive Innovation in Energy Efficiency Storage Technology

A hot new area for the development of energy efficiency storage technology is refrigeration. Last month, this blog covered the recent success of Mintz Levin client Axiom Exergy. Axiom’s focus on lowering the costs of refrigeration through their Refrigeration Battery has caught the attention of major investors such as Shell Investors, and has led to deals with major chains, including Wal-Mart and Whole Foods. The battery, which is described in more detail in the June 12th post, generates and stores excess refrigeration by freezing tanks of salt water during off-peak hours and releasing the refrigeration during peak hours to avoid high peak energy costs. The Refrigeration Battery is especially useful for supermarkets, which dedicate nearly 60% of their energy consumption towards refrigeration, and can help reduce peak energy consumption by up to 40%.

Of course, energy efficiency storage technology holds promise for more than just supermarkets. Ice Energy’s Ice Bear battery creates and stores ice during off-peak hours. It can then use that stored ice during peak hours to cool the building in which it is installed. The battery, which makes air conditioning more efficient in commercial, industrial, and residential buildings, has received significant attention in the efficient energy storage space. In fact, the Southern California Power Public Authority (SCPPA) announced its plan to purchase up to 100 Ice Bear battery units. As a result, Ice Energy could add nearly one Megawatt of energy for residential cooling systems back into the SCPPA network.

In the opposite direction of water-based technologies, lie companies like Ambri and VionX. Ambri uses liquid metals in its batteries, which can each supply one day’s worth of electricity to 30 average Massachusetts homes. The current passing between the electrodes during the charge-discharge cycle generates enough heat to keep the battery at temperature. Because the battery operates at an elevated temperature, which is maintained through the normal cycle of the battery, the battery does not require a cooling system, resulting in low-cost and efficient storage technology. VionX, another Mintz Levin client, developed a Vanadium Redox Flow Battery. Their battery does not suffer from degradation through the charge-discharge cycle like traditional lithium ion batteries do. This unique design allows the battery to run through its cycle indefinitely. As a result, VionX batteries increase their storage efficiency over the course of their life cycle, and they pass this benefit on to clients in the form of reliability and cost effectiveness.

This explosion in innovation demonstrates the potential for energy efficiency storage technology to expand into different areas. One opportunity for such expansion is the electric grid. Advances in battery technology have the potential to significantly impact the grid’s storage capacity. Scaling energy efficiency storage technology to meet the demands of the United States’ electric grid would pave the way for connecting more clean energy sources to the grid. Efficient batteries with high storage capacities allow energy from clean sources–which often fluctuate seasonally and hourly in level of output–to be stored during times of high output. This increased storage capacity would provide the missing link between clean energy sources and energy output from the grid. The energy stored from clean energy sources during peak hours of energy output would be able to provide those connected to the grid with constant energy during times of low-production with advances in efficient storage technology.

Investors have taken notice of these opportunities for innovation. Ambri has secured a combined $50 million from Bill Gates and other investors, while VionX recently raised $26 million in financing to add to the $79 million in venture capital financing that it had already raised. Ice Energy entered into a long-term agreement in June 2018 for $40 million in funding after securing series C funding in 2010. Mercom Capital Group found that venture capital funding for battery storage, smart grid, and efficiency companies was 12 percent higher in the first half of 2018 than in the first half of 2017, rising from $480 million to $539 million. The recent increase in innovation and investment may indicate that there are new opportunities in store for efficient storage technologies and cleantech as a whole.

 

©1994-2018 Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. All Rights Reserved.

R2-Me2? How Should Employers Respond to Job Loss Caused by Robots?

There is no question that the use of robots, along with other similar technological changes in the workplace, will continue to eliminate or downgrade jobs. Indeed, it has been estimated that on average, each workplace robot eliminates six jobs. This article will examine (1) the impact such changes will have on women and (2) whether these changes can be subject to legal challenge as prohibited gender discrimination.

The gender pay gap has become a much debated and controversial topic, but this article will stay out of the fray. However, data produced by the consultancy firm Korn Ferry has concluded that women in Britain make just one percent less than men who have the same function and level at the same employer.  Therefore, some have suggested that the main problem today is not necessarily unequal pay for equal work, but rather the forces and circumstances that lead women to be forced into and stuck in lower-paid jobs at lower-paying organizations. According to The Economist, this is the true gender “pay gap,” which is a much more difficult problem to solve.

Current research suggests that, unless addressed, this gender “pay gap” will increase rather than decrease. Last month, a report to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, predicted that “artificial intelligence, robotics and other digital developments,” and the consequent job disruption, are likely to widen rather than diminish the gender pay gap. See “Towards a Reskilling Revolution” at p. 3. Citing statistics published by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the report concluded that of the 1.4 million U.S. jobs that are projected to become “disrupted” because of robotic and other technological changes between now and 2026, 57 percent will be held by women.

But there could be good news for those concerned about gender wage equality. The report argued that an increased awareness of the impending effect of these changes, along with a concerted plan by governments, employers, businesses, labor unions and employees themselves to retrain or “reskill” disrupted workers, will present displaced workers with more opportunities for jobs at higher pay levels than their current wages. In a summary of the main report, the authors predicted that reskilling programs could result in higher wages for 74 percent of all currently at-risk female workers, thereby narrowing the gender wage gap.

Although job disruption from the use of robots will disproportionately impact women, the fact that it will result from “business necessity” means that employees may have difficultymounting successful legal challenges to this practice. Instead, thoughtful employers may want to focus their energies on learning more about the scope of this looming problem and, wherever possible, create or participate in programs that will reskill impacted employees, and thereby provide them with more opportunities in expanding and higher-paid occupations.  Nor is this an unrealistic proposition as, overall, in the decade ending in 2026, the U.S. job market is projected to create 11.5 million new jobs.

 

© 2018 Foley & Lardner LLP
This post was written by Gregory W. McClune of Foley & Lardner LLP.

2018 LMA Tech West Conference

Registration is open for the 2018 LMA Tech West Conference on January 31 –February 1, 2018 at the Hotel Nikko. This premier marketing technology educational event will bring together more than 300 marketing and business development professionals from across the country for a day and a half of innovative programming and networking.

Through a variety of session formats, including hands-on workshops, roundtable discussions, TED Talks and panel presentations, LMA Tech West is where some of the most innovative thinkers in our industry provide examples, inspiration and takeaways that attendees of all levels can apply to the challenges and opportunities we face in our roles, in our organizations and in the industry.

 

Keynote Speaker – Scott Brinker

We are very excited to have Scott Brinker as the keynote speaker for the 2018 LMATech West conference. Scott is an expert on marketing technology and how it is changing marketing strategy, management and culture. He is the editor of the Chief Marketing Technologist Blog and the author of Hacking Marketing: Agile Practices to Make Marketing Smarter, Faster, and More Innovative, which aims to help marketers at all levels — even those with no technical background or inclination — adapt marketing management to the wild and wonderful whirlwind of a world now dominated by software. Learn more about Scott.

Baker-Polito Administration Awards $3.7 Million in Grants for Clean Energy Technology

On November 1, the Baker-Polito Administration awarded $3.7 million in grants to increase the adoption of cost-saving clean energy technologies by Massachusetts low-income residents as part of the Commonwealth’s Affordable Clean Residential Energy Program (ACRE).

Launched in April of this year, the ACRE program evolved out of the Administration’s $15 million Affordable Access to Clean and Efficient Energy (AACEE) Initiative, which focuses on coordinating the agencies that serve the energy and housing needs of Massachusetts’ low- and moderate-income residents. The Initiative’s goal is to increase the number of renewable technologies employed by low-income, single-family homes throughout the Commonwealth. To that end, an AACEE working group published a report last year highlighting recommendations to address barriers to clean energy investment by the state’s low-income residents. These recommendations, which included maximizing clean energy market growth in the low-income housing community and structuring clean energy incentives to better serve low-income residents, have served as a guidepost for the Initiative and its suite of programs.

Through ACRE, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) is awarding $2 million to Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD), a non-profit human services organization helping low-income residents in the greater Boston region transition from poverty to stability. ABCD will assist in the installation of air-source heat pumps and solar photovoltaic systems, weatherization, and energy efficient lighting as well as appliance replacement for qualifying single-family homes with reported incomes below 60 percent of the State Median Income.

Energy Futures Group, an expert consulting services organization focused on the design and evaluation of energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, will receive the remaining $1.7 million of the Administration’s funding and will focus their efforts on Western Massachusetts residents living below 80 percent of the State Median Income.

The ACRE program will give low-income homeowners access to renewable technologies, allowing these households to reduce energy costs without out-of-pocket investment. In addition to helping mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, the expanded use of energy efficient appliances benefits all Massachusetts’ ratepayers. By increasing the affordability and accessibility of these technologies, Massachusetts continues to affirm its role as a leader in clean energy generation and the fight against climate change.

This post was written by Sahir Surmeli of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. All Rights Reserved.,©1994-2017
For more Environmental & Energy legal analysis, go to The National Law Review 

Telemedicine – Are There Increased Risks With Virtual Doctor Visits?

“Telemedicine” or “Telehealth” are the terms most often used when referring to clinical diagnosis and monitoring that is delivered by technology. Telemedicine encompasses healthcare provided via real time two-way video conferencing; file sharing, including transmission of health history, x-rays, films, or photos; remote patient monitoring; and consumer mobile health apps on smart phones, tablets, and devices that collect data and transmit it to a healthcare provider. Telemedicine is increasingly being used for everything from diagnosing common viruses to monitoring patients with serious long-term health issues.

The American Telemedicine Association reports that majority of hospitals now use some form of telemedicine. Two years ago, there were approximately 20 million telemedicine video consultations; that number is expected to increase to about 160 million by 2020. An estimated one-third of employer group plans already cover some type of telehealth.

Telemedicine implicates legal and regulatory issues as licensing, prescribing, credentialing, and cybersecurity. Pennsylvania recently passed legislation joining the Interstate Medical Licensing Compact, an agreement whereby licensed physicians can qualify to practice medicine across state lines within the Compact if they meet the eligibility requirements. The Compact enables physicians to obtain licenses to practice in multiple states, while strengthening public protection through the sharing of investigative and disciplinary information.

Federal and state laws and regulations may differ in their definitions and regulation of telemedicine. New Jersey recently passed legislation authorizing health care providers to engage in telemedicine and telehealth. The law establishes telemedicine practice standards, requirements for health care providers, and telehealth coverage requirements for various types of health insurance plans. Earlier this year, Texas became the last state to abolish the requirement that patient-physician relationships must first be established during an in-person patient/doctor visit before a telemedicine visit.

As telemedicine use increases, there will likely be an increase in related professional liability claims. One legal issue that arises in the context of telemedicine involves the standard of care that applies. The New Jersey statute states that the doctor is held to the same standard of care as applies to in-person settings. If that is not possible, the health care provider is required direct the patient to seek in-person care. However, the standard of care for telemedicine is neither clear nor uniform across the states.

Another issue that arises in the context of telemedicine is informed consent, especially in terms of communication, and keeping in mind that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently held that only the doctor, and not staff members, can obtain informed consent from patients. Miscommunication between a healthcare provider and patient is often an underlying cause of medical malpractice allegations in terms of whether informed consent was obtained.

In addition, equipment deficiencies or malfunctions can mask symptoms that would be evident during an in-person examination or result in the failure to transmit data accurately or timely, affecting the diagnosis or treatment of the patient.

Some of these issues will likely ultimately be addressed by legislative or regulatory bodies but others may end up in the courts. According to one medical malpractice insurer, claims relating to telemedicine have resulted from situations involving the remote reading of x-rays and fetal monitor strips by physicians, attempts to diagnose a patient via telemedicine, delays in treatment, and failure to order medication.

A recent Pennsylvania case illustrates how telemedicine may also impact the way medical malpractice claims are treated in the courts. In Pennsylvania, a medical malpractice lawsuit must be filed in the county where the alleged malpractice occurred. Transferring venue back to Philadelphia County, the Superior Court in Pennsylvania found that alleged medical malpractice occurred in Philadelphia — where the physician and staff failed to timely transmit the physician’s interpretation of an infant’s echocardiogram to the hospital in another county where the infant was being treated.

The use of telemedicine will likely have wide-reaching implications for health care and health care law, including medical malpractice.

This post was written by Michael C. Ksiazek of STARK & STARK, COPYRIGHT ©
2017
For more Health Care legal analysis, go to The National Law Review