How Utilities and IPPs are Responding to COVID-19

Edward (Ed) Zaelke is the global co-head of the Firm’s Energy & Project Finance Group. He focuses his practice on project finance and private equity in renewable energy transactional matters. With more than 35 years of experience, he advises clients on all elements of alternative energy development and finance, including equity and debt financing, merger and acquisition transactions, equipment purchase and sale agreements, and power purchase agreements.

A prominent leader in his practice, Ed has served as lead counsel on many of the largest and most significant transactions in the renewable industry.

He also authors and speaks prolifically about various topics in the renewable energy industry. Ed is the former president of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and was a board member of AWEA for 12 consecutive years. He is also a founding board member of the Wind Solar Alliance (now a part of the American Council on Renewable Energy) and an adjunct professor at UCLA law, teaching “Renewable Energy Development and Project Finance”.

Philip (Phil) Tingle represents energy companies such as utilities, independent power producers, developers and financial institutions on a wide range of energy tax-related matters. He is the global co-head of the Firm’s Energy & Project Finance Group.

Phil continues to be leader with respect to the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act (the “IRA”) and the related incentives, tax credits and technologies.  Phil provides advice regularly regarding all aspects of renewable-energy projects, including advice related to prevailing wage and apprentice, energy community adders, domestic content, project tax credit qualification, tax equity structures, financings, acquisitions and dispositions, restructurings and workouts. He has extensive experience with all technologies including wind (sections 45 and 45Y), solar (sections 48 and 48E), storage (sections 48 and 48E), nuclear (section 45U), renewable natural gas (sections 48 and 45Z), manufacturing (sections 45X and 48C), hydrogen (section 45V), carbon sequestration (section 45Q) and EV (sections 30B, 30C, 30D, 45W and 48C).  Phil continues to work with client selling and buying federal and state tax credits and working with clients with the direct pay provisions pursuant to the IRA.

In addition to the IRA related work, Phil regularly works on contribution in aid of construction, normalization, grants and other energy related topics. In addition, he is experienced in partnership taxation and works extensively on corporate and consolidated tax issues.

Neil L. Levy focuses his practice on energy-related regulatory and transactional matters. He represents independent power producers, electric power and natural gas marketers, merchant transmission developers, interstate pipelines and local distribution companies before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), state public utility commissions and the courts of appeal. Neil regularly represents private equity clients in merger and acquisition transactions in the energy sector. He also focuses on representing clients in energy-related investigations and audits before FERC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Neil advises clients in regulatory, administrative litigation and transactional issues arising under the Federal Power Act, the Natural Gas Act, the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978.

In addition, he assists clients with drafting and negotiating electric power and natural gas supply contracts, electric and natural gas interconnection agreements, transmission service agreements, and capacity release agreements.

Previously, Neil served as trial attorney and attorney-advisor in FERC’s Office of General Counsel.