Overview

The energy sector moves quickly. Our clients need advisers who understand not only where the sector is today, but also where it will be tomorrow. Our award-winning energy lawyers innovate and deliver creative solutions. From groundbreaking projects to unparalleled regulatory insight, we provide the very best advice on all aspects of energy law.

We work at the cutting edge of the sector. Our reputation is built upon first-of-a-kind projects and deals, and we provide expert advice throughout the project/plant life cycle.

Collaboration is the key to our service. We work closely with experts from across our firm to provide energy law advice tailored to each client. With a pool of expertise spanning areas including commercial, construction, planning, real estate, environmental and disputes at our disposal, we view complex energy projects from all angles.

Within our team of energy lawyers, we have developed expertise in all the key technologies and activities in the sector: nuclear, renewables, oil and gas, energy regulation, energy storage, waste and water.

Areas of focus

Our energy law expertise includes the following:

  • Site assembly of energy, power and utilities projects.
  • Consents and planning applications for energy, power and utilities projects.
  • Joint development agreements.
  • Build out.
  • Power purchase/ route to market (including corporate PPAs) and grid connection.
  • Project finance.
  • Energy regulation.
  • Operational advice.
  • Mergers and acquisitions.
  • Energy disputes.
  • Community energy and ownership.

Visit our Net Zero hub to find out how our multi-sector Net Zero Services team can support with decarbonised energy projects and learn more about our own responsible business commitments. 

Experience

Project lawyers to Falk & Bluefloat, advising on the Bellrock and Broadshore floating offshore wind farms off the East Coast of Scotland. These are two of the largest floating schemes to be proposed in the UK released as part of ScotWind. We are advising on all aspects of project delivery for both projects, including consenting, real estate, compulsory purchase and regulatory matters.

Advising Bluefield Solar Income Fund on its innovative £112.4 million acquisition of a UK-based solar and wind portfolio and its related entry into a new £200m revolving credit facility with RBSi and Santander to finance the acquisition.

Advised the EU-funded Electrification Financing Initiative and the UK Government-funded Renewable Energy Performance Platform on the LSL 150,000,000 senior debt and equity investment into Sotho Minigrid Portfolio SPV. This transaction sees EDFI ElectriFI and REPP each provide LSL 75,000,000 through a combination of senior debt and equity investment, and is one of the largest project-financed mini-grid transactions in Africa to reach financial close.

Advising Atomic Energy Canada Limited and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories on the legal, regulatory and nuclear project matters associated with their world leading Small Modular Reactor (SMR) project in Ontario, Canada. Burges Salmon has been advising on the requirements of international nuclear law and the wider nuclear regulatory and nuclear project aspects of the project.

Advising the Nuclear Liabilities Fund , which manages a segregated fund of approximately £15 billion for the decommissioning of EDF Energy’s current operational nuclear fleet of 8 nuclear reactors.

Acting for the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), which is leading the development of the UK’s flagship nuclear fusion project, the Spherical Tokomak for Energy Production or ‘STEP Project’ which aims to deliver a prototype nuclear fusion energy plant in 2040.

Advising Blue Gem Wind, Total and Simply Blue on the Erebus floating wind project off the coast of Wales which is heralded to be 96 megawatts of floating wind. When established it will be the largest floating wind project in the UK.

Advising Wave Hub on its decision to expand and repurpose its site to accommodate floating wind, prior to the subsequent sale of Wave Hub Limited to a joint venture between Hexicon and Bechtel.

Advising Green Investment Group (GIG) , part of the Macquarie Group, on the acquisition of an initial 187MWh battery storage portfolio from developer Capbal.

Advising Octopus Renewables , the specialist clean energy investor arm of Octopus Group, on the acquisition of two operational UK biomass power plants with combined capacity of 85.7MW from a joint venture by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor, in one of the largest deals of its kind in the UK. Both facilities at Brigg (40.8MW) and Snetterton (44.9MW) are fuelled by a mixture of locally sourced biomass feedstocks.

Providing legal support to Bristol City Council on its ‘City Leap’ initiative, which has received national and international interest along with significant support from central government. The council is looking to appoint a partner for a 20-year joint venture with the aim of delivering up to £1bn of investment in low carbon energy infrastructure in Bristol and support the aim of Bristol becoming a carbon neutral city by 2030.

Advising the infrastructure fund of ICG , the global alternative asset manager, on its acquisition of British Solar Renewables (BSR), one of the largest integrated solar developers in the UK.

Acting for Gresham House , a specialist alternative asset manager which is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM), on a number of battery energy storage M&A deals

Advising Atrato Onsite Energy on its £10.6m acquisition of Hylton Plantation Solar Farm Limited (the SPV managing a 20 MW ground-mounted solar PV system for Nissan's manufacturing plant in Sunderland), Sonne Solar Ltd and a new rooftop solar project.

Advising leading green hydrogen player ITM Power on joint venture with energy and commodities company Vitol, for Motive Fuels Limited (Motive) to become a 50/50 joint-venture.

Advising Xlinks on the UK aspects of its ambitious, first-of-a-kind, nationally significant energy project linking renewable power generated in Morocco to the UK via 3,800km of HVDC sub-sea cables.

Acting for GrowUp Farms on the development of a new and innovative, large-scale vertical farm. As part of this project we provided strategic advice on a ground-breaking contract with a renewable energy producer to supply electricity and heat directly to the vertical farm at a price which is beneficial for both parties

Advising Progressive Energy Limited in relation to a joint venture with Essar Oil UK, in respect of which the joint venture vehicle will produce low carbon hydrogen at Essar’s Stanlow Refinery in Cheshire, for use across the HyNet region. Natural gas, and fuel gases from the refinery will be converted into low carbon hydrogen, with carbon dioxide safely captured and stored offshore in sub-surface reservoirs in Liverpool Bay. A total investment of approximately £1bn will be committed to deliver the two hydrogen production hubs.

Advising Severn Trent Water in relation to regulatory and real estate rights issues associated with the installation of sustainable urban drainage solutions on highways, council land and private land, as part of a £76 million ‘Green Recovery’ investment.

Advising The Canal & River Trust on changes to the legislation connected with the abstraction of water from rivers.

Advising Snowdonia Pumped Hydro Limited in relation to the Glyn Rhonwy pumped storage scheme. We led the consenting team in preparing a complex application, involving common land, CPO and rights of way.

Advising Forsa Energy on financing the development of 5 gas peaking plants across the UK.

Acting for FitzWalter Capital, a global private investment firm in the acquisition of a UK portfolio of large scale solar assets.

Advising Amypyr on complex PPA and real estate agreement with Edinburgh Airport, which will see renewable energy generated and used at the Airport. Following conclusion of legal agreements we continue to advise on project delivery.

Advising Wind2/Solar2 in relation to the development of their Scottish portfolio of onshore wind and solar projects including advising on ancillary battery storage and co-location. This involved the negotiation of Option Agreements, Leases and associated security documents and detailed analysis of landowner title. We also advised on planning application strategy, EIA and radar agreements.

Meet the team
James Phillips

James Phillips Partner

  • Head of Energy & Utilities
  • Head of Energy Transition
  • Energy Regulation
Ross Fairley

Ross Fairley Partner

  • Energy and Utilities
  • Head of Renewable Energy
  • Environment
Euan Bremner

Euan Bremner Partner

  • Energy and Utilities
  • Head of Scottish Real Estate
  • Head of Northern Irish Real Estate
Ian Salter

Ian Salter Partner

  • Head of Nuclear
  • Head of Projects
  • Environment
Elizabeth Dunn

Elizabeth Dunn Partner

  • Energy and Utilities
  • Infrastructure
  • Real Estate
Camilla Usher-Clark

Camilla Usher-Clark Partner

  • Corporate
  • Energy and Utilities
  • Co-operatives
Nick Churchward

Nick Churchward Partner

  • Head of Resource and Waste Management
  • Projects
  • Energy and Utilities
Danny Lee

Danny Lee Partner

  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Private Equity
  • Joint Ventures
John Houlden

John Houlden Partner

  • Head of Public Sector
  • Head of Procurement and Subsidy Control
  • Projects
Victoria Allsopp

Victoria Allsopp Partner

  • Banking and Finance
  • Renewables
  • Energy, Power and Utilities
Steven James

Steven James Partner

  • Construction and Engineering 
  • Energy and Utilities
  • Construction Disputes
Lloyd James

Lloyd James Partner

  • Construction and Engineering
  • Energy and Utilities 
  • Infrastructure
Philip Beer

Philip Beer Partner

  • Real Estate
  • Transport
  • Energy and Utilities
Ian Truman

Ian Truman Partner

  • Nuclear
  • Projects
  • Environment
Will Woodall

Will Woodall Partner

  • Energy and Utilities
  • Infrastructure
  • Healthcare
Michael Barlow

Michael Barlow Partner

  • Head of Environment
  • Head of Water
  • Head of ESG
Patrick Robinson

Patrick Robinson Consultant

  • Energy and Utilities
  • Infrastructure
  • Planning and Compulsory Purchase
Julian Boswall

Julian Boswall Partner

  • Energy and Utilities
  • Infrastructure
  • Planning and Compulsory Purchase
Paul Browne

Paul Browne Partner

  • Head of International Trade
  • Real Estate
  • Nuclear
Mark Paterson

Mark Paterson Partner

  • Defence
  • Business Transformation
  • Central Government
Nick Graves

Nick Graves Partner

  • Head of Corporate
  • Corporate Advice
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
Jonathan Eves

Jonathan Eves Partner

  • Corporate
  • Energy and Utilities
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
Graham Soar

Graham Soar Partner

  • Banking and Finance
  • Derivatives, Debt Capital Markets and Securitisations
  • Project Finance
Racheal Ruane

Rachael Ruane Partner

  • Corporate Banking
  • Real Estate Finance
  • Asset Finance and Asset Backed Lending
Stuart McMillan

Stuart McMillan Partner

  • Head of Infrastructure
  • Banking and Finance
  • Energy finance

What others say...

The Burges team stands above the legal industry pile-on in energy storage. Their heritage in the renewable energy development community brings invaluable context when appraising assets and companies. They are truly of the industry, with a genuine passion for it, and the wiles to protect their clients.

Legal 500 2024

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