Renewable Energy

Lawyers in Orrick's renewable energy practice represent developers, lenders and investors in the wind, solar, geothermal, waste-to-energy, ethanol, fuel cell and other clean energy technology sectors. In particular, Orrick has a long-standing commitment to the wind power sector. In the 1980s, Orrick lawyers advised on the first-ever institutionally financed wind development: a 160 MW project in California. Since then, Orrick has worked with many of the early movers in the wind power industry in the United States, Europe and Japan.

The firm's Renewable Energy Group comprises lawyers located across the firm's U.S. offices, as well as in Hong Kong, London, Milan, Paris, Rome and Tokyo. Our lawyers have significant experience in the development and financing of renewable projects all over the world, and they routinely draw upon the experience of members of the firm's securitization, real estate, bankruptcy, regulatory, environmental and litigation practices when handling such matters.

Orrick's work in the renewable energy sector is an extension of its abilities in the energy industry worldwide, which have been recognized in numerous publications. The firm has been recognized among the leading law firms by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business and Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business as well as The Legal 500, and a number of our lawyers have advised on projects lauded as "Deals of the Year" in various industry publications such as Project Finance, International Financial Law Review, Asset Finance International and Trade Finance. As a result, clients call on us to handle their most important transactions.

This in-depth energy industry knowledge, together with Orrick's experience representing more than 700 emerging companies worldwide, have given the firm an understanding of a range of issues that renewable energy and energy technology companies face involving financing, tax credits, transmission, commercializing of technologies, contracts, environmental regulations, manufacturing and construction. Orrick has particular skill in developing cutting-edge financing techniques for institutional lenders.

Wind Power

Orrick's broad wind power experience has led the firm to help develop and become familiar with innovative finance solutions. These solutions include hybrid-financing structures drawing on securitization techniques and investment structures attractive to investors who are unfamiliar with wind energy projects.

For the last 25 years, Orrick has addressed every aspect of the wind business and has represented or sat across the table from nearly every player in the industry. Whether the issues relate to power contracts, transmission interconnection, government permitting and regulations, real estate, equipment supply and performance, construction, tax structuring, or debt and equity financing, Orrick lawyers bring a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Orrick also has been involved in the acquisition and repowering of existing projects that aggregate to a larger project for financing purposes. Today, significant buying and selling opportunities exist for wind power projects as numerous new players enter the market and existing participants shift their focus. New, higher-efficiency turbines, combined with tax and other financial incentives, make acquisition and repowering of projects, and development of new projects attractive.

Ethanol

Even before the recent surge in activity in the development of ethanol as an energy source, our lawyers advised on ethanol facility development and financing, including a joint venture in Alabama on behalf of Tomen Power Corporation. We are well-versed in the federal and state tax issues with respect to ethanol projects and the requirements for ethanol projects in the United States in the current market.

Orrick's Environmental Group is experienced in the environmental and permitting issues relating to individual ethanol facilities as well as with the regulatory issues driving ethanol production, and with the environmental regulatory issues affecting competing fuels and fuel additives.

Solar Energy

One of the most exciting developments in the solar sector is that better technology is allowing the development of larger projects, thereby attracting institutional financing. Orrick's experience developing innovative financing techniques in the wind power sector has given it an edge in assisting clients in the development and construction of large-scale solar energy projects and assisting clients with reaching potential investors and financings sources.

Waste-to-Energy

Orrick lawyers have been involved in the financing of waste-to-energy plants for many years, including acting as issuer's or underwriter's counsel in numerous waste-to-energy plant capital markets financings in the United States in recent years.

Other recent activities include acting as issuer's counsel in the capital markets financing of a waste-to-energy project in Birmingham, England.