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2015 Carvalho & Associates, P.C. Goes Solar

February, 2015/in Climate Change, Community, Energy, Environmental, News, Sustainability /by Carvalho-admin

Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA – Carvalho & Associates, P.C.’s Massachusetts Coastal Office is now solar powered. In late 2014, Atlanta-based Carvalho & Associates, P.C., a law firm specializing in environmental, energy and real estate matters, installed a 14,000 kWh photo-voltaic (PV) solar system at the firm’s Massachusetts Coastal Office in the Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea. The system, consisting of 40 ‘Signature Black’, high efficiency PV panels and dual inverters manufactured by SunPower, was connected to the grid in January 2015 and will supply the law firm’s daytime electrical power needs. The system is backed up by a natural gas fired high efficiency backup generator, and remains connected to the grid through net metering. “PV solar power makes sense for a lot of reasons”, says the firm’s President and Founder, Michael P. Carvalho, Esq. “We hedge future energy costs by using domestically produced energy, contribute to local job creation, enjoy tax incentives and reduce our contribution to global warming. It looks cool, too,” says Carvalho.

2015 Pulte Homes to pay Grafton $1.3M to Settle Affordable Housing Lawsuit

January, 2015/in Civil Litigaiton, News /by Carvalho-admin

GRAFTON, MA – Pulte Homes of New England agreed to pay Grafton $1.3 million after settling with the town Dec. 30 over the town’s claim that the developer hid profits on the Hilltop Farms affordable-housing development. In 2011, the Office of the Inspector General for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts found that Pulte Homes of New England hid approximately $8.5 million in excess profits from the Hilltop Farms condominium project. In February 2012, the town filed a lawsuit in Worcester Superior Court. The case was moved to the U.S. District Court in spring 2012. CARVALHO & ASSOCIATES, P.C. is honored to have served as co-counsel to the Town of Grafton, MA in this matter.

Carvalho & Associates announces the opening of Massachusetts Coastal Office

January, 2014/in News /by Carvalho-admin

BOSTON, MA – Carvalho & Associates is pleased to announce the opening of its Massachusetts Coastal office in order to serve its clients in environmental and energy matters. Massachusetts is emerging as a leader in environmental and energy policy initiatives and has dramatically expanded its efforts in renewable energy and sustainability. Over the past 25 years, the Firm has developed an extensive network of Massachusetts-based environmental and energy consultants and has extensive experience in complex environmental and land use matters. Our Renewable Energy Practice provides clients with practical and pragmatic advice on legal and regulatory issues. We advise clients on solar energy, wind turbines and natural gas alternatives. We work with clients to promote policy initiatives to make the case for the cost-effective, reliable and renewable energy strategies.

“Our expansion into our new coastal office represents an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of environmental and energy solutions for the Firm’s clients,” said Carvalho.

Carvalho Joins Board of Directors of NCSE

July, 2013/in News /by Carvalho-admin

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Environmental and energy attorney Michael P. Carvalho has been named to the Board of Directors of the Washington D.C. based National Council on Science and the Environment (NCSE). NCSE is a prominent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the scientific basis for environmental decision-making on critical environmental challenges.

Carvalho joins former Secretary of Energy Hazel O’Leary, former Governor and Ambassador Bill Richardson, retired Ambassador Richard Benedick, former head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency William Ruckelshaus, in addition to distinguish deans and directors of prestigious universities and multi-national corporations on NCSE’s Board.

In 1998, Carvalho served as a Mentor in NCSE’s EnvironMentors Program where mentored inner city high school students interested in environmental matters while working as a Partner at a prominent Washington, D.C. law firm. Since relocating to Georgia, he was named to the National EnvironMentors Advisory Board where he has served as General Counsel, and currently serves as Chair. EnvironMentors is celebrating its 20^th Anniversary as a premier national environmental-based mentoring program serving underrepresented students in science. Nearly 100 percent of the “At-Risk” high school students who complete the EnvironMentors Program graduate from high school, and many of those go on to study science, technology, engineering and math in colleges and universities. Currently, EnvironMentors has 12 Chapter Affiliates throughout the United States and has had over 1650 students complete its rigorous 8-month program.

Carvalho recently attended the EnvironMentors Program’s 20^th Anniversary National Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. where he was recognized for his contributions to the EnvironMentors Program. “I have been blessed with great mentors in my life, and I am honored to be named to NCSE’s Board,” said Carvalho. “I look forward to helping the EnvironMentors’ Program expand throughout the United States, and offer this great program to excite student interest in environmental science and policy,” he added.

In 2009, Carvalho was appointed as a Mentor for the State Bar of Georgia Transition Into Law Practice Program by the Supreme Court of the State of Georgia. He also serves as a mentor to students enrolled in Wheeler High School’s Magnet Program through an internship program.

A successful environmental and energy attorney, Carvalho is the President of Carvalho & Associates, P.C. and is admitted to practice law in Michigan, the District of Columbia, Georgia and Massachusetts. Carvalho regularly advises a range of clients on environmental and energy regulatory and transactional matters, and represents clients in litigation in state and federal courts.

Enironmentors is always looking for good mentors and the opportunity to grow the program.

For more information about the Environmentors Program, please visit: www.ncseonline.org/program/environmentors