Overview

In the competitive energy market, businesses need specialist help to navigate an evolving – and often complex – system of regulation. Our lawyers are regarded as leading experts in electricity regulation and licensing, renewables, incentives rules, competition and subsidy control, nuclear, carbon trading, decommissioning and EHS regulation.

Having worked for both energy businesses and the regulators, we are able to view challenging energy regulation issues from all perspectives. Our lawyers have worked with the government, drafting energy regulation for utilities, and have also been seconded to Ofgem to support the electricity transmission and trading laws and renewable energy support mechanisms. Our team is renowned for delivering innovative solutions to our clients on power trading, energy supplies, power purchase, grid connections, and corporate PPAs including the UK’s first 'synthetic PPA'.

We were part of a working group developing responses to the UK government's contract for difference regime and have helped our clients with strategies to preserve and maximise, Renewables Obligation benefits, qualify for the CfD, trade green gas and qualify for the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, as well as mitigate grid charges.

Areas of focus

Our energy regulation expertise includes the following:

  • Electricity and gas licensing and consenting.
  • Environmental and health and safety regulation.
  • Green gas trading and heat regulation.
  • Carbon trading and regulation.
  • All types of electricity offtake and renewables PPAs (including corporate PPAs).
  • FiT, EMR and Renewables Obligation regulation.
  • Decommissioning plans and licensing.
  • STOR and demand response contracts.
  • Competition and subsidy control issues.
  • Fuel regulation, e.g. sustainability standards.
  • Distribution and Transmission licences and charging.
Experience

Advising Marks and Spencer plc on its innovative and highly publicised renewable energy virtual/corporate PPA structure, which has been rolled out to over 25 projects.

Advising Helius Energy plc on power purchase agreements for two biomass power stations and advising on fuel supply and handling contracts.

Advising major corporates on rectifying supply licence exemption scenarios relating to resale, private wire network supply etc.

Advising Estover Energy on Renewables Obligation and Renewable Heat Incentive regulation for a large biomass plant.

Advising Zenobe energy on the regulatory issues surrounding co-location of energy storage with renewables.

Advising Marks and Spencer plc on purchase of green gas certificates – the first deal of its kind.

Advising a variety of developers on the UK's Contract for Difference, challenging non qualification, auction rules and CfDs.

Advising on over 100 distribution and transmission connection offers and agreements for renewables and conventional plant including Grid trading and offshore transmission.

Advising Tocardo and other developers on preserving the RO status of projects which are being adapted and replaced.

Advising a motor manufacturer on a number of gas and electricity supply contracts across its UK business.

Advising Nuon Renewables and many other corporates and developers on corporate PPAs. We advised on the first UK corporate PPAs and have been the leader in this area ever since.

Drafting and negotiating a power supply agreement and subsequent spill arrangement with two adjacent customers – O-Gen Plymtrek and Birmingham Bioenergy.

Advising a variety of parties on shared grid connections, contracts with IDNO's and third party access rights on distribution networks.

Advising a major utility on the terms of the PPA for a 315 MW offshore wind farm and management of balancing risk.

Acting for DECC on the set up of Green Deal, as well as ongoing advice to a variety of Green Deal providers.

Advising major operators, developers and banks on 150+ PPAs and major grid connections with parties and counterparties including EON, Npower, Scottish and Southern, Centrica, International Power plc, Neas, Smartest Energy, Statkraft and Good Energy.

Advising on all aspects of Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) for large scale generators and small RHI schemes for domestic and commercial premises.

Meet the team
Ross Fairley

Ross Fairley Partner

  • Energy and Utilities
  • Head of Renewable Energy
  • Environment
Nick Churchward

Nick Churchward Partner

  • Head of Resource and Waste Management
  • Projects
  • Energy and Utilities
Ian Salter

Ian Salter Partner

  • Head of Nuclear
  • Head of Projects
  • Environment
James Phillips

James Phillips Partner

  • Head of Energy & Utilities
  • Head of Energy Transition
  • Energy Regulation
John Houlden

John Houlden Partner

  • Head of Public Sector
  • Head of Procurement and Subsidy Control
  • Projects
Ann Metherall

Ann Metherall Partner

  • Head of Dispute Resolution
  • Head of Health and Safety
  • Transport
Alec Whiter

Alec Whiter Partner

  • Projects
Sarah Raby

Sarah Sackville Hamilton (Sarah Raby) Senior Associate

  • Projects
  • Energy and Utilities 
  • Environment 

What others say...

The team's strengths are their thoroughness, experience and commercial understanding; they come up with neat solutions to some tricky situations.
Chambers UK 2019

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