Energy generation

• Property — land acquisition, negotiating options and leases, title due diligence, reports on title
• Planning and consenting — strategic planning advice, permitted development rights, s106 agreements, DCOs and obtaining planning permission
• Environmental — environmental impact assessments, environmental permitting, liability for hazardous substances and contamination, emissions trading schemes
• Regulatory — supply/generation/distribution licensing issues, private wire regulation, fiscal incentives, grid access and grid charging
• Projects and construction — all project agreements that are needed for a renewable generation project including, EPC contracts, O&M contracts, PPAs (offsite and on-site), feedstock supply
• Corporate — M&A, investment and joint venture agreements, share and asset acquisitions and disposals, shareholders' agreements, equity funding arrangements, tax advice
• Banking and finance — project finance, asset finance, grant funding, receivables financing, facility agreements, shareholder loans, security documentation
• Disputes and Risk Management — ongoing contract management, dispute resolution, mediation, arbitration, pre-litigation action

We embrace change and we are passionate about advising on the new and emerging trends that may affect the development of new generation projects, particularly renewable generation, including:

• the co-location and integration of energy storage technology with other forms of renewable generation as a means of maximising use of grid connections, accessing new revenue streams, providing baseload power and promoting subsidy-free projects
• Increase of flexibility services being provided to the grid from battery storage and other decentralised energy sources, opening up markets and putting renewables on to the grid
• the growth of Corporate PPAs as a means of unlocking and financing new build subsidy-free renewables projects. Emerging business models such as a “Club PPA” to allow smaller companies to take advantage
• the convergence of energy and technology to transition to a smarter energy system including the use of artificial intelligence to optimise performance, big data, blockchain technology and the internet of things
• the development of EV charging infrastructure and related renewable power generation solutions
• innovative grid sharing arrangements in areas where grid capacity is constrained
• the introduction of new regulatory frameworks to incentivise a net zero energy system, accommodate new and innovative business models and keep pace with evolving technology
• the development of new technologies to increase the use of deployment of renewable forms of energy generation such as high altitude wind, kinetic energy generation and wave/tidal power.

Relevant experience

• Acting for a leading European renewable energy developer on the acquisition of a battery energy storage system (BESS) project;
• Advising on the acquisition, and subsequent disposal, of a solar and battery storage project in Southern Africa;
• Advising on the restructuring of a UK clean energy generation group;
• Real Estate advice on the development of UK portfolios of battery energy storage system (BESS) and hybrid renewable generation projects for European renewable energy developers;
• Advising on the development of an on-site private wire solar project for a leading UK manufacturer, together with the related off-take arrangements;
• Advising a UK energy park on its energy supply and power purchase agreement arrangements, and related regulatory advice.