Energy and Renewables

As nations around the world attempt to reduce their carbon footprint in the face of climate change, attention has turned to the industry with the largest emissions globally – the energy sector. The move towards decarbonisation is driving rapid growth in renewable energy, producing massive commercial opportunities for organisations that move fast. While the renewables sector is growing in significance, traditional energy sources are still an integral part of delivering baseload power.

Before committing to energy projects, organisations require a deep understanding of the regulatory environment they are entering. They need to assess the environmental and planning implications of their project, raise finance, and have comprehensive knowledge of the critical infrastructure their project will access or provide.

Our team provides the industry-specific expertise businesses need to get their energy projects off the ground. We are adept at guiding and advising clients on every stage and aspect of an energy project, from planning and development to operation.

Our Energy Blog puts a spotlight on the renewable energy sector, with an initial focus on Offshore Wind generation in New Zealand and a close look at what other countries have implemented to boost capacity in this growing sector. 

We work for industry leaders in the fields of oil and gas and electricity generation and are regularly involved in significant energy transactions.
 

Energy

• Trustpower on its liquidation and demerger into two separate NZX and ASX listed companies so as to separate its hydro generation and retail base from its wind farm assets.
• One of Australasia’s largest energy companies on its divestment of seven oil fields to companies listed in Canada and the UK.
• Chevron on the establishment of its upstream operations in New Zealand.
• Transpower (owner/operator of New Zealand’s national grid) on its facilities management arrangements.
• Vector on the ongoing operation and development of Auckland’s retail electricity and gas networks. 
• Origin Energy on oil and gas contractual arrangements including processing agreements, pipeline access arrangements, drilling and option arrangements, and royalty sharing agreements, as well as on regulatory issues and the divestment of the TAWN assets.
• Meridian Energy on the upgrade of its generation control system and associated hardware and software and the development of its solar power plant in Mendota, California.
• Genesis Energy on the ongoing operation of its Huntly coal-fired power station. 

Geothermal

• A geothermal operator in successfully obtaining district and regional resource consents to enable it to construct and operate a new geothermal power station on the Wairakei field.
• Iwi groups in relation to the consenting of the Tauhura II geothermal project. 

Hydro

• Trustpower in successfully obtaining resource consents to construct and operate a new hydro scheme in the Wairau Valley
• Trustpower in securing a variation to the Rakaia River Water Conservation Order to enable the Lake Coleridge project, a combined hydro-electric and irrigation project, based on the Coleridge Hydroelectric Power Station.

Wind

• Meridian Energy on the development of solar and wind generation projects in California, Australia, New Zealand and Tonga.
• Trustpower in securing resource consents for the Kaiwera Downs wind farm. 

Petroleum

• Mobil on the restructure of its New Zealand operations.
• Mobil on its Foodstuffs fuel dockets and bulk fuel supply contract.
• Origin Energy in protecting its oil and gas production assets in the Taranaki Bight from the potential impacts of iron sand mining proposals.