The Lexpert Special Editions profiles selected Lexpert-ranked lawyers whose focus is in Corporate, Infrastructure, Energy and Litigation law and relevant practices. It also includes feature articles on legal aspects of Canadian business issues.
Issue link: https://digital.carswellmedia.com/i/192582
28 | Renewable Energy advisors in the renewable energy sector? Atcheson says it's one thing to create clean energy, it's another to store it, which is why he sees the long-term prospects for renewable energy tied up with energy storage technologies and energy storage capacity. "There's a lot of discussion about when energy has to be dumped, sent to the US, for example, but if we had adequate storage and could save it for a period of time, even until the following morning, we wouldn't have these same issues," he says. The current drive for innovation in energy storage is particularly useful for technologies that have time-of-day issues. "Storage of electricity generated by solar isn't as big an issue, since when our usage is peaking in the summer the solar production is peaking during the hottest part of the afternoon, but wind doesn't peak as perfectly as our demand." He also sees opportunity in the waste-toenergy sub-sector. "With our constrained landfill capacity and energy needs, and waste-to-energy's ability to be a relatively dispatchable power through its ability to store the generated biogas until electricity demands increase, this sector could be a very interesting piece of Canada's medium- and long-term energy mix future." Technological innovation is coming into the electricity sector to a degree that we really haven't seen before, agrees Gowlings' Harricks. "Energy storage is sort of the holy grail of the electricity industry; it is what has bedevilled wind and solar power, because you can generate it but you can't store it," he says. "As a result of declining demand, good conservation management and the de-industrialization of the province, we find ourselves in the position where we have a surplus of power, whereas only a few years ago, 2007–08, we were in a deficit position and importing quite a lot of power. On a net basis, we're exporting a lot of power, which is a unique situation; essentially, we've gone full circle, back to where we were 15 or 20 years ago." Saxe says the twin objectives of reliability of power and the need for clean energy are leading to more diversified local power generation, through co-operative ventures between communities and business, a trend that all provinces across the country are encouraging through financial support. Municipalities and Aboriginal communities are also playing a growing role in the renewable energy sector. As an example, in July the Ontario Power Authority, which runs the FIT program, offered Lexpert®Ranked Lawyers Overholt, Deborah H. Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (604) 640-4164 doverholt@blg.com Palin, Joseph R. Dentons Canada LLP (403) 268-7307 joe.palin@dentons. com Ms. Overholt practises in the areas of environmental law and energy-related transactions. She has significant experience in the electricity sector, having represented BC Hydro in the design and implementation of several power procurement programs. Mr. Palin's domestic and international financing practice includes experience in the oil and gas, oil and gas service and pipeline and power project sectors. His clients include lenders, syndicates and debtors. He also acts on restructuring transactions. Pennycook, Carol D. Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (416) 863-5546 cpennycook@dwpv. com Perry, Chrysten E. Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP (403) 267-8170 chrysten.perry@ nortonrosefulbright.com Pike, Alexandria J. (Alex) Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (416) 367-6989 apike@dwpv.com Pittman, Miles F. Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP (403) 355-3834 miles.pittman@ nortonrosefulbright.com Ms. Pennycook focuses on finance, banking, M&A, P3s and reorganizations. She represents borrowers, arrangers and lenders/ syndicates in project and infrastructure financings, debt offerings, structured financings and derivative transactions. Ms. Perry acts on a broad range of oil and gas commercial matters including domestic/ international resource and infrastructure development, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, supply, sales and transportation agreements and operational issues. Ms. Pike advises sponsors, proponents and lenders on environmental risk and permitting in energy projects. She has experience in oil and gas, hydro-electric, nuclear and renewable matters, and has defended renewable energy approvals for wind projects. Mr. Pittman serves upstream, midstream and downstream oil and gas and oilfield service sector clients in his energy and commercial practice. His experience includes M&A, JVs, LNG, gathering and processing arrangements and taxeffective structuring.