Gentry Locke’s renewable energy practice combines industry-leading experience, diverse professional relationships, innovative communication and policy strategy, and comprehensive knowledge of the Commonwealth’s growing renewables industry.
Our team specializes in every aspect of renewable resource development and operations. We assist clients in navigating policy, advocacy, and regulatory hurdles, as well as local permitting, construction, and transactional matters. With our comprehensive approach, Gentry Locke helps clients quickly adapt to an ever-changing environment.
Gentry Locke’s renewable energy team has successfully permitted more than 120 solar and battery storage projects across the Commonwealth and has experience working on renewable energy issues in more than 65 localities in the state of Virginia.
Our team has considerable energy regulatory experience before the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC). We have navigated clients through the complex energy regulatory framework and have achieved favorable results in Integrated Resource Plan, Renewable Portfolio Standard and Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity regulatory proceedings.
We represent clients from all segments of the solar industry; from shared and distributed generation to utility-scale solar. We help clients adhere to the legal and regulatory frameworks necessary for projects of varying magnitudes. Gentry Locke helps organizations redefine the solar energy market. In addition to solar, battery energy storage systems are becoming increasingly more prevalent in Virginia. We help navigate the entire processes for our clients from site selection to operation.
Gentry Locke’s Government Affairs team has also successfully passed several dozen bills relating to renewable energy, covering all aspects of the industry from siting and permitting, ratemaking, taxation, transportation electrification, shared solar and distributed generation, offshore wind, battery storage, transmission modernization, and was instrumental in the negotiation and passage of the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA).
Areas of Focus:
- Real Estate: Options to lease or purchase; all things site acquisition including easements; covenants; site selection diligence; title review; closings.
- Land Use: Local permitting and approvals of small to utility scale projects; Siting Agreements.
- Tax: Local, state and federal tax structures; renewable energy credits and incentives.
- Project Acquisition: Local, state, and federal permitting due diligence; land acquisition due diligence; Membership Interest Purchase Agreements (MIPAs); Project financing due diligence and opinion letters.
- Transactions: Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs); financing due diligence and analysis.
- Regulatory: Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN); Permit-by-Rule (PBR); Integrated Resource Plan (IRP); Renewable Portfolio Standard; Rate Cases; Shared Solar Licensure.
- Environmental: Permitting, enforcement, and compliance; environmental related matters associated with renewable energy development (e.g., erosion and sediment control and brownfields).
- Development and Operations: Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs); Roof-top Solar Leases; Interconnection requirements; Timber Agreements.
- Community Engagement: Local Government Advocacy; paid and earned media; marketing collateral including informational materials, letters to constituents, and website development; community meetings and public forums; Community Benefits Agreements; Grassroots Campaigns; Crisis Communications; Brand Development, Awareness & Support.
- Local & State Government Advocacy: Strategy & Policy Development; Policy Research; Legislative, Executive, and Local government Lobbying; Market Research & Opinion Polling.
- Litigation to Protect Private Property Rights: Our Solar and Renewable Team includes litigators who are experienced in land use and real property litigation in all levels in the Virginia Courts, starting with the Circuit Courts throughout Virginia, the Virginia court of Appeals and the Virginia Supreme Court. Gentry Locke also routinely handles federal court litigation although most real property litigation is fought in Virgnia’s state courts.
Gentry Locke Consulting Solar Related Items:
Working closely with Gentry Locke Attorneys, Gentry Locke Consulting leverages extensive personal and professional relationships with the state and local elected officials to achieve the policy goals of our clients. Gentry Locke Consulting seeks to meet renewable energy objectives and bring innovation to localities across the Commonwealth. Our level of personalized services and ability to engage key players is unmatched by any firm.
As the only consulting firm that has two former state legislators from both sides of the political aisle, a former local government official, statewide leaders in law, two former cabinet members, and senior legislative and political staffers, our in-house consulting team of energetic communications and policy professionals is unrivaled.
Our consulting team regularly handles:
- Strategy & Policy Development
- Legislative, Executive, and Local Government Lobbying
- Community Engagement
- Strategic Planning Support
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Planning
- Market Research & Opinion Polling
- Public Relations
- Grassroots Campaigns
- Crisis Communications
- Brand Development, Awareness & Support
