Renewable Energy & Sustainability

Biomass

Our deep and extensive experience in the energy sector includes representing sponsors, developers and lenders on the development and financing of biomass projects in the United States and the United Kingdom. We have first-hand knowledge of the logistic and operational issues inherent in biomass projects, including engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) matters.

Market-Leading Engagements

• Abengoa Bioenergy affiliate in the financing of the combined cellulosic ethanol production facility and related biomass-fired power plant in Hugoton, Kansas
• Sacyr Industrial USA on the EPC contracts of two biomass power plants in North Carolina

Energy Storage

Falling battery costs, along with the growing amount of renewable energy on the grid, continue to drive the need for energy storage. Bracewell works with investors and developers in creating cutting-edge offtake and hedging agreements for battery storage, flywheel storage and other energy storage projects, including in the United States, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Market-Leading Engagements

• 8minute Renewables on a range of offtake arrangements and energy storage agreements
• Apex Compressed Air Energy Storage on various compressed air energy storage facilities in Texas
• Fotowatio Renewable Ventures and Harmony Energy in the development of a 34 MW/68 MwH utility-scale Conteggo Battery Storage Project, to be constructed and operated by Tesla in the UK
• Fotowatio Renewable Ventures and Harmony Energy in connection with the limited recourse financing of the utility-scale Holes Bay Battery Storage Project
• Invenergy LLC in the development and sale of a 200 MW ground-mounted solar project and a 110 MW battery energy storage facility in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, known as the Paris solar facility
• Rockland Capital on the sale of two 20 MW flywheel energy storage projects
• Upper Bay Infrastructure Partners in a joint venture with 8minuteenergy Renewables and J.P. Morgan Asset Management to provide capital to support 10.7 GW pipeline of utility solar and storage projects

Hydrogen

A Global Leader in Hydrogen Development Investments

Whether it’s promoting hydrogen-supportive policies, resolving regulatory challenges, or structuring transactions, Bracewell is strongly positioned to advise clients on issues related to hydrogen development investments.

Our hydrogen lawyers are at the forefront of the federal policies and regulatory developments driving the hydrogen economy. They leverage their relationships with key federal agencies, congressional committees, and the White House to help clients navigate the legal and regulatory issues associated with hydrogen projects and initiatives.

As a case in point, our government relations team represented Air Liquide in educating policymakers and creating opportunities to use hydrogen to modernize the electric grid and mobility sector. These efforts resulted in several pieces of legislation promoting the use of hydrogen in production, energy storage, and transportation.

We also were recently engaged by Powertech Labs to evaluate the proposed sale of mobile hydrogen refueling stations for third-party use in the United States. If you would like to speak with one of our hydrogen development lawyers, contact us today!

Hydropower

Hydropower is expected to grow to nearly 150 GW by 2050, with nearly 50 percent of this growth taking place within the next 10 years. Bracewell has one of the top power regulatory practices in the nation, as well as the experience in helping energy companies secure state and regulatory approvals for hydroelectric plants.

Market-Leading Engagements

• Alcoa Power Generating Inc. on regulatory approvals for its sale of the 378 MW Tapoco hydroelectric project to Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners
• Alcoa Power Generating Inc. in the sale of four hydroelectric power plants with an aggregate capacity of 215 MW located on the Yadkin River in North Carolina to an affiliate of Cube Hydro Partners, LLC
• ENGIE North America on federal regulatory approvals and related assignments on its $1.2 sale of 1.4 GW of pumped storage and conventional hydro assets to PSP Investments

Renewable Natural Gas

Renewable natural gas is playing an increasingly central role in the energy transition. Our roots in the energy industry strongly position us to help clients identify value additive opportunities and revenue stream multipliers.

We draw on our bench of EPA veterans, corporate practitioners, tax experts and lobbyists — as well as our comprehensive experience and knowledge of the electric power and cryptocurrency markets — to help clients stay ahead of developments in this rapidly evolving arena.

We represent landfill owners, refiners, developers, financial institutions, private equity funds and industry coalitions on a range of matters, such as:

• development projects, including joint ventures, offtake agreements, real estate documents, landfill gas and other feedstock supply agreements, royalty arrangements, construction agreements and operation agreements
• financing transactions
• lobbying
• federal incentives and state environmental regulations, including tax credits, renewable portfolio standards (RPS), low carbon fuel standards (LCFS) and other state programs

Solar

Bracewell has been a leading solar energy law firm since its inception. Our clients include some of the world’s leading solar companies and investors. They turn to us because of the understanding of the legal and commercial issues that comes from our deep knowledge of the industry and our experience working on high-profile solar transactions.

Our solar energy lawyers have advised on virtually every significant regional solar project in the Middle East, and we are the only firm to be twice named “Infrastructure and Energy Projects Team of the Year” at the Middle East Awards (2017, 2018). We have also been recognized two years in a row by The Times as one of the top 20 firms in the UK for energy and renewables (2019, 2020).

We are highly regarded for our role in complex commodity transactions, such as solar hedges and contracts for difference, which enable the financing of new generation agreements between independent power producers and utilities.

Market-Leading Engagements

• Alcazar Energy on the 1.8 GW Benban Solar Park – 2017 Global MLA Deal of the Year, PFI Awards
• Arabia One For Clean Energy Investments, a project company formed by Hanwha Engineering & Construction Corporation, Ennera Energy and Arabia Trading and Consulting Company) in the project development and financing of the Arabia One project, one of seven solar photovoltaic projects in Jordan (called the “Seven Sisters”) procured in Round 1 of Jordan’s renewable energy program – 2014 Middle East Renewable Deal of the Year and 2014 Middle East Overall Project of the Year, IJGlobal Middle East
• Competitive Power Ventures in its acquisition of a 460 MW portfolio of photovoltaic solar generation projects under development from Belltown Power USA Development LLC, including the 360 MW Prairie Dock Solar project in Illinois and the 100 MW Stonecrop Solar project in Kentucky
• Fotowatio Renewable Ventures in the development of the 55 MW Mets Masrik power plant – the first utility-scale solar plant in Armenia
• Marubeni and Total Solar in the development and implementation of the 800.15 MW Al Kharsaah solar photovoltaic independent power project – the first utility-scale renewables IPP in Qatar
• NRG Energy, Inc. in the sale to a subsidiary of Clearwater Energy Inc. of its remaining 35 percent ownership interest in the Agua Caliente solar project in Dateland, Arizona
• Sol Systems in the acquisition of a portfolio of development stage solar projects located across Hamilton, Randolph, Saline and White Counties in Illinois from Arevon Energy, totaling approximately 540 MW
• Sol Systems in a joint venture with Microsoft to develop over 500 MW of solar projects in under-resourced US communities
• Sol Systems in a joint venture with Nationwide Mutual Insurance to form the Helios Infrastructure Fund
• Upper Bay Infrastructure Partners in a joint venture with 8minuteenergy Renewables and J.P. Morgan Asset Management to provide capital to support 10.7 GW pipeline of utility solar and storage projects

Wind

Bracewell has been at the forefront of developments in the onshore and offshore wind market for more than 15 years. We have played a leading role in wind projects across the United States, Europe and the Middle East, representing global companies looking to increase their wind capacity, as well as domestic funds looking to expand in new jurisdictions.

We represent developers, sponsors, lenders and contractors on large-scale wind projects throughout the world, including the 816 MW Empire Wind offshore wind farm in New York, 84 MW Al Rajef wind project in Jordan, 300 MW Lake Turkana wind project in Kenya and the 2,000 MW Wind Catcher in Texas.

Market-Leading Engagements

• Alcazar Energy on the 84 MW AL Rajef Wind Project in Jordan
• Eni S.p.A. in its £405 million acquisition of 20 percent interest in the Dogger Bank (A and B) 2.4 GW offshore wind farm project from Equinor and SSE
• Equinor in its $1.1 billion sale of a 50 percent interest in two US offshore wind development projects to bp, including the formation of a partnership to develop and operate the Empire Wind project offshore New York and the Beacon Wind project offshore Massachusetts, which together could generate up to 4.4 GW
• Equinor in its 816 MW Empire Wind Offshore Wind Farm – the first large-scale offshore wind lease in New York State – Projects Deal of the Year Finalist, 2020 IFLR United States Awards
• First Reserve Corporation in a long-term hedge arrangement to enable the acquisition and financing of the 298 MW Kingfisher Wind Project located in Oklahoma – 2015 Commodities Deal of the Year, Commodity Business Awards; 2015 Financial Deal of the Year, Platts Global Energy Awards; 2016 Deal of the Year, Energy Risk Awards
• Invenergy LLC in the build transfer sale of a wind generating facility in Atchison, Missouri, with a total capacity of up to 300 MW, to Ameren, Missouri
• Invenergy LLC and energyRe, as project sponsors, in forming a consortium of investors that secured one of six leases in the New York Bight offshore wind auction
• Marubeni Corporation in its acquisition of a 50 percent interest in the 206 MW Lakefield Wind Farm from EDF Renewables
• Marubeni Corporation in its acquisition of a 90 percent interest in the 103 MW Shiloh IV Wind Farm from EDF Renewables
• Morgan Stanley in the construction financing and back leverage financing of 106.5 MW wind generation facility in Montana
• Rockland Capital in its acquisition of four wind development projects in Texas and Montana, with approximately 700 MW of generation capacity
• Seaway Energy Holdings, L.P., an affiliate of Global Infrastructure Partners, in the formation of a joint venture with Ocean Winds for the purpose of developing a US offshore wind project
• Vestas Wind Systems on the 300 MW Lake Turkana wind projects – the largest single-private investment in Kenyan history and one of the largest onshore wind farms in Africa