Liz O'Connell
Associate
Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP
Related services and key industries
Biography
Elizabeth O'Connell is a member of Norton Rose Fulbright's Projects team and focuses her practice on project development, state energy regulatory matters and renewable M&A. She also has experience in tax equity and debt financing for large scale solar and wind projects. Elizabeth has a broad understanding of both the regulatory and transactional side of renewable energy development.
Elizabeth's career started in energy management. She previously worked at a demand response company in Boston, Massachusetts and an energy efficiency consulting firm in Portland, Oregon. While in law school, Elizabeth clerked for Avangrid Renewables, the Bonneville Power Administration and a boutique energy law firm handling PURPA complaints at the Oregon Public Utility Commission.
Prior to joining Norton Rose Fulbright, Elizabeth was an associate at Oregon's largest law firm working in its renewable energy development practice group, where she represented and advised developers, energy asset owners and investors in project finance, M&A, off-take and state regulatory/community solar matters.
Professional experience
Collapse allJD, cum laude, Lewis and Clark Law School, 2020
BA, magna cum laude, Providence College, 2015
- Colorado State Bar
- Oregon State Bar
Energy Regulatory
- Represented multiple developers and large C&I customers in the negotiation and drafting of unbundled renewable energy credit agreements.
- Advised national integrated power company on community solar programs in New York, Maine, Delaware, Illinois, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Mexico and Minnesota. Researched state regulations and drafted energy credit purchase agreements for community solar participants.
- Advised national residential solar provider on rooftop PPA and lease offerings. Researched consumer protection and state energy regulations. Drafted PPA and lease offerings in ten different jurisdictions to comply with state and federal law.
- Advised multinational technology conglomerate in potential siting of datacenters in South Dakota. Researched state and local regulations on renewable energy siting and virtual and physical PPA offerings.
M&A
- Represented international renewable energy developer in the partial sale of two solar facilities amounting to 232 MW and a 50 MW battery energy storage system located in California to a German based renewable asset owner.
- Represented national developer and asset manager in the purchase of 58 operating solar projects located in California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and South Carolina amounting to 219.5 MW.
- Represented global financial investor of renewable assets in the purchase of a holding company seeking to construct a 300 MW solar facility located in Ohio.
Project Finance
- Represented a multinational renewable energy corporation as sponsor in multiple tax equity financings for large scale wind, solar and battery projects, with investment by major US banks. Financings included projects throughout Texas and Illinois.
- Represented renewable energy investment firm in offering a development loan to a regional solar developer for approximately US$2m in order to advance six early-stage solar projects.
- Contributor, Energy Regulatory Updates, Stoel Rives LLP
- Co-Author, "Oregon's Community Solar Program is Underway," Portland Business Journal, August 2021
- Co-Author, "Energy Development," Washington State Real Property Deskbook, 5th Edition, (pending publication)
- Board Member, WRISE Portland, October 2022 – June 2023
- Volunteer, Lewis and Clark Law School Mentor Program, September 2022 – June 2023
- Advocate, Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children, February 2021 – June 2023