Energy & infrastructure

When it comes to renewable energy solicitors and infrastructure law, Shoosmiths can pull from a wide breadth of sector experience.

The energy and infrastructure sector is a driving force and key enabler for growth and development of UK and global economies.

The global energy sector is currently facing unprecedented challenges such as energy transition, with a shift from fossil-based systems of energy production and consumption to renewable energy sources like wind and solar, as well as lithium-ion batteries. 

The uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price has led to a need for most economies desire to have energy security in the face of current volatile prices and put plans in place for future energy market reform.  However, alongside the challenges lie great opportunities including the use of technology and data- which bring real change.

When looking at infrastructure, we are witnessing rapid consumer growth and reliance on digital infrastructure, where there is a need for increased investment in electronic vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, thus creating significant opportunities in the use of connected technologies across the energy, mobility and living sectors.

Our multi-disciplinary team comprises sector specialists with decades of experience across commercial, corporate, banking, construction, real estate, planning and regulatory services.

Our experts have worked on many high-profile projects across the length and breadth of the UK, Ireland and internationally. We advise clients from across all aspects of the energy sector – from developers and investors to funders and prime contractors as well as landowners and large energy users.

Our key focus areas:

Clean energy development

We are proud to focus on clean energy, playing our part in the energy transition and contributing to a net zero/circular economy. We actively support developers and their funders on all aspects of the construction and operation of clean energy generation and storage projects, including onshore wind, solar, hydro, energy from waste and biofuels along with first-of-a-kind energy storage and hydrogen projects.

We advise on the use of innovative technologies and energy solutions providing energy system and balancing services. The team has been acting for leading heat network operators and developers on Energy Service Company (ESCO) arrangements and transition to renewable heat generation. We also support companies with our significant energy from waste expertise across private finance initiatives (PFI) / public private partnerships (PPI) and merchant facilities.

Energy procurement

With the current global energy crisis causing major concerns around energy security and price volatility, domestic and commercial energy supply has never before received so much attention.

We advise renewable energy generators and large energy users on a wide range of power purchase agreements, including corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs) – sleeved, virtual and private wire – along with contracts for difference and utility PPAs.

The team have extensive experience providing end-to-end support for large corporates to aid them in delivering their long-term energy procurement strategies and provide advice on the structuring of the PPA and negotiation of PPA from heads of terms to completion.

We also advise heat network operators and land developers on long term heat supply agreements.

Infrastructure investment

Our lead lawyers have a strong track record of supporting investment funds on a wide range of technology infrastructure and energy investments.

We work with leading venture capitalist (VC) and private equity (PE) practices that are highly experienced in the structuring of investments supported by a fund’s formation tax team, market leaders in seed enterprise investment schemes, enterprise investment schemes and VC trust structuring.

This wealth of experience is combined with our energy & infrastructure specialists’ deep understanding of the underlying investment assets - whether that’s an onshore wind farm, utility-scale solar project or energy from waste facility, or an investment in a fibre broadband business or data centre.

We are proud of our reputation and strong track record in the digital infrastructure space.