""

ESG & Energy Transition

ESG & Energy Transition

ESG & Energy Transition

Download PDFDownload PDF
Print
Share

Overview

The renewable energy industry is dynamic and disruptive. Technology, regulation and incentives are evolving quickly as organizations and governments work towards a sustainable future.

Our integrated team helps clients break new ground with smart and innovative legal solutions. We have over 25 years of experience advising at the industry’s cutting edge, working on landmark renewable energy deals, emerging technologies and market-leading initiatives, including onshore and offshore wind, solar PV, hydrogen, electric storage, biomass and EV charging infrastructure.

Clients can act with confidence and overcome legal uncertainty, knowing that our lawyers have seen it all before.

Capabilities in focus

  • M&A
  • Joint ventures
  • Project development
  • Development finance
  • Project finance
  • Corporate fundraising
  • Tax credits and other clean energy incentives
  • Green sustainability-linked finance, such as green bonds, green loans, sustainability-linked loans, sustainability-linked bonds and sustainable securitizations
  • Advising on the application of the green loan principles and EU green bond standards

  • Land acquisition and site control
  • Environmental planning and compliance
  • Permitting
  • Carbon capture and sequestration
  • Construction
  • Environmental assessment legislation
  • Brownfield sites (including risk management and insurance)

  • Incentive schemes (including CfDs and RHIs)
  • Corporate PPAs
  • Operating and maintenance agreements
  • Procurement and service agreements
  • Environmental compliance
David Blondel

David Blondel

Partner, Paris

+33 (0) 1 44 17 77 05
Mark Richards

Mark Richards

Partner and Regional Practice Group Leader - Energy, Environment and Infrastructure, London

+44 (0) 20 3400 4603
Peter O. Hansen
+1 303 866 0206
Bryan E. Keyt

Bryan E. Keyt

Partner and Global Practice Group Leader - Energy, Environment and Infrastructure, Chicago

+1 312 602 5036
David Blondel

David Blondel

Partner, Paris

+33 (0) 1 44 17 77 05
Mark Richards

Mark Richards

Partner and Regional Practice Group Leader - Energy, Environment and Infrastructure, London

+44 (0) 20 3400 4603
Peter O. Hansen
+1 303 866 0206
Bryan E. Keyt

Bryan E. Keyt

Partner and Global Practice Group Leader - Energy, Environment and Infrastructure, Chicago

+1 312 602 5036

Meet The Team

David Blondel

David Blondel

Partner, Paris

+33 (0) 1 44 17 77 05
Mark Richards

Mark Richards

Partner and Regional Practice Group Leader - Energy, Environment and Infrastructure, London

+44 (0) 20 3400 4603
Peter O. Hansen
+1 303 866 0206
Bryan E. Keyt

Bryan E. Keyt

Partner and Global Practice Group Leader - Energy, Environment and Infrastructure, Chicago

+1 312 602 5036

Related Practice Areas

  • Energy Transition

Experience

RGreen Invest

Advised RGreen Invest, the leading France-based portfolio management company focused on financing the energy transition, with more than €1.4 billion of assets under management in its partnership with NW Groupe for the creation of their strategic joint venture NW Storm and in the related fundraising.

NW Groupe is raising €300 million from RGreen Invest on behalf of its subsidiary NW Storm, thus becoming the first French unicorn of the energy transition, valued at €1.5 billion. This investment will allow NW Storm to accelerate its deployment program and significantly increase the number of high-powered electric charging stations (IECharge) and JBoxes for energy storage.

Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO)

Advised Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO), a subsidiary of American Electric Power, in connection with its proposed US$2.47 billion fuel-free power plan to purchase three new wind farms and three new solar facilities, which would provide 995.5 megawatts of new, cost-effective renewable energy. The six projects, consisting of facilities in Texas and Kansas, were chosen through a competitive bidding process and are expected to be completed in 2025.

Qair International

Advised Qair International, an independent renewable energy producer, on three issues of green bonds totaling €88.9 million. The issue will enable it to finance new power plants of renewable energy production in Europe. With this first Euro PP Green Bond, the group has undertaken to comply with strict “green” commitments in terms of use of the funds, traceability of investments made and reporting, thereby following the standards set by the Green Bond Principles issued by the International Capital Markets Association. The issue proved extremely successful with institutional investors. Crédit Industriel et Commercial (CIC) acted as arranger and lead manager, with the support of Crédit Agricole Languedoc as co-arranger. The European Bank subscribed to a part of these green bonds.

Port of London Authority

Advised the Port of London Authority (PLA) in providing a loan facility to Net Zero Marine Services (NZMS) for the construction and operation of charging points for electric vessels and equipment at two locations on the river Thames. The charging points will be located on moveable pontoon structures in the river and connected to the grid at permanent concrete platforms on the shoreline. This transaction highlights the focus of the PLA to support sustainable projects on the river and is a notable development in decarbonizing operations on the Thames.

California's climate reporting laws

Advising numerous companies on compliance with California’s new climate reporting laws. SB 253 applies to companies doing business in California with an annual revenue of US$1 billion or more and requires reporting scope 1 and 2 emissions in 2026, and scope 3 in 2027. SB 261 applies to companies doing business in California with annual revenue of US$500 million or more and requires reporting by 2026 climate-related risks and mitigation efforts.

Peabody Energy Corporation

Advising Peabody Energy Corporation in connection with its launch of R3 Renewables LLC, a renewable energy development company, in a joint venture with Riverstone Credit Partners and Summit Partners Credit Advisors.

Over the next five years, R3 intends to develop more than 3.3GW worth of solar PV facilities and 1.6GW of battery storage capacity. The company will initially focus on developing renewable energy assets at six sites near Peabody’s former mining sites in Indiana and Illinois.

Related Insights

Insights
Oct 14, 2024

Battery storage revenues and routes to market

As covered briefly in our previous article, the “route to market” / offtake arrangements/ revenue contracts are perhaps the key difference between battery energy storage systems (BESS) projects and other project-financed renewable energy projects; often there is material exposure to market (or ‘merchant’) risk and this makes them arguably more challenging to project-finance for lenders.  In this article, we discuss the nature of revenue in a (standalone) BESS project, how electricity storage providers “stack” these revenues and we briefly introduce the contractual structures that are used in connection with the route to market for BESS projects (which we will cover in greater detail in our next article).
Insights
Sep 30, 2024

A short introduction to BESS projects in Great Britain

In a new series of articles we will explore: what BESS is;  why it is needed/what drives investment in BESS; key regulatory considerations for BESS; the structure and financing of BESS projects; the nature of revenues available to BESS projects, including revenue stacking and route to market agreements (RTMAs); and the future development of BESS.
Insights
Mar 07, 2024

Offshore Wind Projects: Contracts, risks and looking forward

An article about offshore wind projects and some of the unique issues specific to the delivery of this type of project that are not typically addressed by existing standard form contracts.
Insights
Jul 10, 2023

Achieving Net Zero – Regulation of District and Communal Heating and Cooling and Impact on the Real Estate Sector

This is our first insight on new regulation that will affect the district/communal heating and cooling sector. It focuses on consumer protection and the impact on building owners/landlords and management companies. Our second insight to be released shortly will focus on the regulations that will affect new property developments and in particular those in “Heat Network Zones”. The district/communal heating/cooling sector is to be fully regulated in the UK as from late 2023/early 2024. Consumer protection is at the forefront of the changes. Heat/cooling suppliers (entities contractually obliged to provide heat/cooling) and heat/cooling network operators will need to be “authorised” to carry out those activities. Heat/cooling networks, for the purpose of regulation, will comprise direct heat/cooling networks and communal heat networks. From early/mid 2024 OFGEM will oversee and enforce requirements opposite heat/cooling suppliers and heat/cooling network operators in respect of: authorisations to carry out those activities; reliability of the supply of heating, hot water and cooling; the reasonableness of charges for those supplies; reduction of emissions of targeted greenhouse gases generated by heat/cooling networks; and plain communication to customers about services and charges. This will impose a significant regulatory burden on a sector that hitherto has been able to operate in a broadly unregulated environment. Many building owners, landlords and management companies will – perhaps unwittingly and unwillingly - fall into the category of a regulated heat/cooling supplier or heat/cooling network operator. If so they will need to keep abreast of the evolving regulatory landscape, review their current arrangements to check regulatory compliance and if required create an action plan to ensure compliance.

Related Insights

Insights
Oct 14, 2024
Battery storage revenues and routes to market
As covered briefly in our previous article, the “route to market” / offtake arrangements/ revenue contracts are perhaps the key difference between battery energy storage systems (BESS) projects and other project-financed renewable energy projects; often there is material exposure to market (or ‘merchant’) risk and this makes them arguably more challenging to project-finance for lenders.  In this article, we discuss the nature of revenue in a (standalone) BESS project, how electricity storage providers “stack” these revenues and we briefly introduce the contractual structures that are used in connection with the route to market for BESS projects (which we will cover in greater detail in our next article).
Insights
Oct 08, 2024
Beyond the £22bn Pledge: What the UK Needs to Do to Develop Its Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage Industry
Insights
Sep 30, 2024
A short introduction to BESS projects in Great Britain
In a new series of articles we will explore: what BESS is;  why it is needed/what drives investment in BESS; key regulatory considerations for BESS; the structure and financing of BESS projects; the nature of revenues available to BESS projects, including revenue stacking and route to market agreements (RTMAs); and the future development of BESS.
Awards
Aug 08, 2024
BCLP Shortlisted as Energy/ Infrastructure Team of the Year at 2024 Legal Business Awards
Insights
Mar 26, 2024
State specific requirements for wind and solar project land contracts
Insights
Mar 25, 2024
The UK hydrogen policy – infrastructure and industry concerns
Insights
Mar 07, 2024
Offshore Wind Projects: Contracts, risks and looking forward
An article about offshore wind projects and some of the unique issues specific to the delivery of this type of project that are not typically addressed by existing standard form contracts.
Insights
Jul 10, 2023
Achieving Net Zero – Regulation of District and Communal Heating and Cooling and Impact on the Real Estate Sector
This is our first insight on new regulation that will affect the district/communal heating and cooling sector. It focuses on consumer protection and the impact on building owners/landlords and management companies. Our second insight to be released shortly will focus on the regulations that will affect new property developments and in particular those in “Heat Network Zones”. The district/communal heating/cooling sector is to be fully regulated in the UK as from late 2023/early 2024. Consumer protection is at the forefront of the changes. Heat/cooling suppliers (entities contractually obliged to provide heat/cooling) and heat/cooling network operators will need to be “authorised” to carry out those activities. Heat/cooling networks, for the purpose of regulation, will comprise direct heat/cooling networks and communal heat networks. From early/mid 2024 OFGEM will oversee and enforce requirements opposite heat/cooling suppliers and heat/cooling network operators in respect of: authorisations to carry out those activities; reliability of the supply of heating, hot water and cooling; the reasonableness of charges for those supplies; reduction of emissions of targeted greenhouse gases generated by heat/cooling networks; and plain communication to customers about services and charges. This will impose a significant regulatory burden on a sector that hitherto has been able to operate in a broadly unregulated environment. Many building owners, landlords and management companies will – perhaps unwittingly and unwillingly - fall into the category of a regulated heat/cooling supplier or heat/cooling network operator. If so they will need to keep abreast of the evolving regulatory landscape, review their current arrangements to check regulatory compliance and if required create an action plan to ensure compliance.
Insights
Apr 03, 2023
White House CEQ Launches Task Forces to Promote Beneficial CCUS Projects