Repurposing Real Estate for Renewable Energy: Understanding the Legal Framework, Deal Structures, Incentives

Ms. Stern's expertise includes sustainable energy development, joint venture partnerships, financing, construction and operations, policy and procedure development, and contract review and management. Her background spans legal and business roles for global renewable energy developers, startups, and law firms. Over the course of her career, Ms. Stern has provided legal and strategic guidance in the development, construction, and operation of over ten gigawatts of solar and wind utility scale projects, as well as over two gigawatts of C&I and behind-the-meter solar and solar and storage projects. Ms. Stern has extensive experience in negotiating and drafting project contracts for utility-scale and C&I solar, wind, and battery storage projects. She served as in house counsel at Fotowatio Renewable Ventures and SunEdison, and previously worked at the law firms Winston & Strawn and Stoel Rives.

Mr. Devins has extensive experience in handling the real estate aspects of renewable energy and other sustainable projects and operations, including financing, construction and development, acquisition, disposition, leasing, title/survey, and land use and entitlements. His transactional experience includes not only large-scale solar, wind, storage, and other energy projects, but also sustainable agriculture, water conservation, and other similar sustainability-focused projects and operations. Mr. Devins also has significant experience in the negotiation and structuring of joint ventures and M&A transactions, including cross-border transactions primarily involving Asia-based investment in the U.S. Prior to joining Clean Energy Counsel, Mr. Devins worked at both international and national law firms, specializing in commercial real estate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. He is recognized as a “Rising Star” in Real Estate by Super Lawyers.

Ms. Gabriel has developed an expertise in policy and permitting for renewable energy projects, climate change disclosure, and environmental and social governance. She has significant experience with NEPA and CEQA review, CERCLA/Superfund liability, Equator Principles, climate change disclosure and strategy, environmental and social governance, (“ESG”), formation of Benefit Corporations and B-Corp Certification, FAA regulations, greenhouse gas emissions, endangered species, bird, and bat related issues, and environmental due diligence. Ms. Gabriel led the environmental and permitting review of over 100 commercial-scale wind and solar projects across the U.S., including the first offshore wind project in the United States. As the sole environmental associate at her prior firm and at Clean Energy Counsel, Ms. Gabriel regularly reviews and negotiates critical environmental provisions of transaction agreements, prepares and negotiates permit opinions, and advises clients on compliance with environmental laws and permitting requirements. She routinely advises on environmental and social governance disclosure, strategy, and policy, Equator Principles compliance and the process of forming benefit corporations and LLCs and navigating the B-Lab B-Corp certification process.