Work covers transactional, regulatory and consenting issues for electricity generation, storage and networks, renewables (offshore wind, solar), hydrogen and oil & gas projects, and energy trading and market participation. Solicitors draft and negotiate power purchase agreements, EPCs, joint operating and upstream agreements, project finance documents and security; apply for grid connection and network agreements, planning consents and environmental permits, and register charges and land rights at HM Land Registry. They advise on Ofgem licensing and market compliance, Contracts for Difference and capacity market participation, and represent clients in commercial courts, regulatory investigations and planning inquiries.
What a solicitor handles in these matters
A solicitor manages interactions across consenting, grid access and market rules: negotiating PPAs and offtake, structuring SPVs and project finance security, obtaining planning permission and Environment Agency environmental permits, and securing grid connection agreements with DNOs or National Grid. They translate technical grid and market requirements into contract terms and coordinate lender, contractor and counterparty documentation.