Renewable Energy & Project DevelopmentOverviewAdvising investor-owned gas and electric utilities and electric transmission companies; wind, solar, biofuels, and biomass developers, generators, and manufacturers; and investors and trading parties on the development, interconnection, and operation of renewable energy projects and technologies, as well as on renewable energy credits (RECs) and other energy/environmental commodities.
Our renewable energy practice combines legal skills developed across a broad array of traditional energy projects with our pioneering work in the renewable energy sector. Michael Best is nationally recognized for our leadership in the biofuels industry, including most recently ag-based renewable natural gas, and we were early-stage participants in providing legal services across the spectrum for the wind, biomass, and solar energy industries.
Clients as diverse as developers, researchers, and farmer-owned cooperatives, along with electric utilities and transmission companies seeking to diversify, value our forward-thinking and multidisciplinary approach.
As the solar power industry matures and its technology continues to evolve, our renewable energy team is helping clients anticipate and overcome new challenges. We represent clients in all parts of the industry, including retailers and other distributed energy generators; solar engineering, procurement, and construction contractors; and solar technology providers. We have helped developers get construction authorization for over 1000 megawatts of utility-scale solar. Noteworthy projects include lead counsel in the largest solar project ever proposed and approved in Wisconsin, tax credit financing for the construction of a solar field, and representation of a Native American tribe pursuing commercial-scale solar production. For smaller projects, we have substantial experience in helping clients get all necessary local permits to permit construction and operation.
Michael Best has assisted clients with wind energy projects having a cumulative output of thousands of megawatts. In addition to our standard project development services, we advise on risk management issues such as the safe, reliable integration of wind resources into the existing transmission grid.
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are either stand-alone or frequently paired with utility scale solar projects or are proposed as stand-alone projects. In either situation, our attorneys understand the technology and regulatory implications associated with permitting at the state and local level these critical energy infrastructure projects.
Leading ethanol and biodiesel producers, including many early adopters of this resource, rely on Michael Best for legal guidance. We have considerable experience in the biofuels industry and represented the U.S. Department of Energy in connection with financing for the design, construction, and operation of multiple projects. In addition, we work with emerging technology companies focused on next-generation biofuels, including those derived from cellulosic ethanol, liquid fuel waste, and algae. Our renewable energy team has assisted clients with cogeneration projects involving anaerobic digestion, for example, and with patent prosecution and intellectual property matters related to enzymes used in biofuel production.
ExperienceWe assist clients in the acquisition, development, financing, construction, and operation of renewable energy facilities and technologies, as well as associated commodity transactions. Our legal services encompass the following essential aspects of renewable energy projects:
- Siting and permitting
- Regulatory certification
- Community relations
- Financing arrangements
- Tax analysis and structuring, including financial incentives such as the New Markets Tax Credit program
- Creation and trading of renewable energy credits (RECs) and other energy/environmental credits
- Engineering, procurement, and construction contracts
- Operating and maintenance agreements
- Power purchase agreements
- Interconnection and transmission service agreements
- Turbine supply agreements for wind projects
- State renewable portfolio standards
- Protection and licensing of intellectual property, such as patents for renewable energy technology, processes, or materials
Related People Preview Attorney's BiographyBill, who leads the firm’s Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) practice, has 25 years’ experience counseling a wide range of clients in the energy sector, including Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs), retail regulators, investor-owned utilities and their affiliates, public power entities, transmission-dependent utilities, independent transmission developers, and cooperatives and municipals.  Preview Attorney's BiographyDavid’s practice sits squarely at the intersection of the food-water-energy nexus. His work in the areas of environmental, regulatory, agricultural production, manufacturing and distribution, and renewable energy projects gives him the depth of experience necessary to counsel clients who will be feeding and powering a projected global population of nine billion people by 2050—at a time when resource scarcity and consumer confidence require an ongoing commitment to stewardship and sustainability.  Preview Attorney's BiographyJordan helps energy companies and other sophisticated businesses structure and contract for large scale capital expansion and procurement, including representation in siting and certification cases for large power generation facilities, electric transmission lines, private energy facilities, and large agricultural projects.
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