Energy & Project Finance

It is the objective of Alston & Bird and its Energy Infrastructure Team to become the law firm of choice in providing integrated solutions for the rapidly changing energy sector.  We have researched the market and reached out to industry leaders to develop the services needed by the energy industry and implemented a unique approach to how we provide legal services. 

EXPERIENCE

Alston & Bird has extensive experience in the development and financing of conventional energy projects, and we anticipate that the conventional energy sector will continue to provide the bulk of the world’s energy requirements for some time.  However, under the impact of the economic, technology and policy drivers, the structure of the conventional energy sector, and the legal services required by that sector, will change.  The importance of alternative energy sources in the energy mix will steadily increase in the coming years and the economics of conventional energy will be increasingly impacted by the policy drivers at work. 

Project development and finance
An energy infrastructure practice is at its heart a project development and finance practice.  In the past six years, our lawyers have built one of the leading renewable energy practices in the country, with a particular focus on the wind, ethanol, biomass, solar and coal-to-liquids sectors.  In addition to financing documents, our experience encompasses agreements related to joint venture and development, construction and turbine supply, operating, fuel supply, offtake, commodity hedging transmission and REC sales. 

Energy policy and regulation
Our energy policy attorneys, who are a fully integrated part of our Energy Infrastructure Team, are led by Senators Tom Daschle and Bob Dole, both U.S. Senate Majority Leaders who have had deep involvement in the policy aspects of the energy business for their entire careers.  Senators Daschle and Dole were key authors of the legislation that made today’s renewable energy industry possible, and continue to be actively involved in a range of energy policy issues, including those related to climate change, federal and state renewable fuel and renewable portfolio standards, transmission and federal grants and tax incentives. 

Carbon management and finance
Alston & Bird has one of the leading carbon management practices in the world, with deep and unique experience in the development and implementation of the full range of greenhouse gas risk management and monetization strategies.  The range of services provided by our carbon group includes risk consultation, carbon finance and trading, legislative and regulatory advocacy and project development.  We represent both existing energy companies active in this space, as well as new enterprises that have been specifically organized to exploit trading and development opportunities in carbon mitigation and capture.  We have unique experience in matters related to carbon capture and storage (CCS), widely perceived to be one of the most promising carbon management technologies.  We provide carbon management strategic advice to airlines, CCS companies and major oil and coal companies.  (Visit Alston & Bird's CC&CM blog)

Energy technology
The team includes a number of lawyers who are highly experienced in providing the services required by technology companies in the energy sector.  Unlike many law firm technology groups that remain overwhelmingly focused on information technology and have little institutional knowledge of the energy business, our technology attorneys have made a point to become expert in the key technologies that are driving innovation in the energy sector.  They are greatly assisted in this effort by being part of a fully-integrated group that can systematically address the project development, policy, regulatory, carbon management and technology issues that emerging enterprises in the energy sector face.  Our organizational structure makes us particularly well-suited to anticipate and support the legal needs of emerging energy enterprises in the energy sector from start-up though full commercial development.

Wind energy
Alston & Bird’s full-service energy infrastructure practice incorporates one of the leading wind energy practices in the United States.  The members of Alston & Bird’s energy infrastructure team have extensive experience in counseling clients in all aspects of wind energy, providing counsel on greenfield development, acquisitions, turbine procurement, as well as regulatory, real estate tax and policy.