The attorneys in the Sills Cummis & Gross renewable energy practice represent large institutional hosts who own property on which a renewable energy system, owned by another, is located, private property owners and private equity energy service companies and developers in connection with renewable energy transactions throughout the country. While the Firm has a broad client base in this area, including private equity and public solar developers and hosts, it has developed a particular specialization in representing large institutional property owners either as hosts or in their own development of photovoltaic systems on multiple sites in multiple states. The Firm also specializes in dealing with the particular concerns of retail shopping center owners and retail tenants in negotiating and preparing power purchase agreements.
The Firm represents its clients in connection with the structuring, implementation and financing of renewable energy transactions, including the drafting and negotiation of EPC agreements, O&M agreements, power purchase and energy services agreements, site leases, master option agreements, REC contracts, loan agreements and related financing documents.
The Firm's lawyers practicing in this area are all experienced transactional attorneys who also have the requisite knowledge of the applicable energy regulatory and incentive programs, avoiding the balkanization, pitfalls and high legal fees that often occur in this practice area. For example, a Sills Cummis & Gross power purchase or energy services agreement will not only address whether the energy buyer has to sign the interconnection agreement; but will also address SNDAs and each party's responsibility for state sales taxes and local real property taxes.
The lead attorney on a Sills Cummis & Gross renewable energy transaction will always be a seasoned transactional attorney, with a corresponding knowledge of the applicable federal and local renewable energy regulations and incentive programs. This lead attorney will also have the ability to call on hyper-specialists within the Firm when needed.