The electricity sector plays a key part in powering economic growth around the world. Governments across the Asia Pacific face twin challenges. On the one hand, they need to create the market and regulatory conditions needed to attract investment to develop new generation and transmission assets and to maintain and operate existing ones. On the other hand, they must contend with the mixed outcomes of industry restructurings and deregulation, uncertainty in the capital markets resulting from the financial scandals enveloping key industry players, an increasing focus on management of greenhouse emissions and other environmental issues, and political tensions.
Our lawyers and clients have played central roles in many of the reforms, projects and transactions that have reshaped the industry in New Zealand over the past decade.
We have represented local and foreign developers, generators, retailers, lines companies, financers and regulators on numerous projects and transactions involving the acquisition, development, financing and divestment of electric generation and transmission assets.
The important and growing part of our practice is the product of our market leading experience and expertise and includes:
greenfield generation projects
energy and utility asset sales and purchases
transmission (including grid upgrades and pricing methodology)
public private partnerships
competition and regulation
renewable energy and climate change (including carbon credits)
project finance
liaison and negotiations with government and regulators
energy derivative portfolios
environment planning
distribution (including embedded networks)
retail.
We aim to combine our in-depth knowledge of the electricity industry with our transactional skills and knowledge of the law to provide market-leading, effective and efficient support and services to clients in this industry sector.
Carolyn van Leuven and Andrew Matthews wrote the New Zealand chapter in the global publication, Getting the Deal Through - Electricity Regulation 2008. To review the publication please click here.
Reproduced with permission from Law Business Research. This article was first published in Getting the Deal Through -Electricity Regulation 2008, (published inDecember 2007- contributing editor EarleH O'Donnell). For further information please visitwww.GettingTheDealThrough.com