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Natasha Luther-Jones
PartnerGlobal Co-Chair, Energy and Natural Resources Sector
Natasha has over 20 years' experience of helping a range of clients with renewable energy (with a particular focus on wind, solar and storage) and other energy transition projects in the UK and internationally.
Natasha advises on developments, investments, financings, refinancings, acquisitions, disposals, and all the key project documentations (EPCs, O&Ms, service agreements and PPAs). She works with developers, contractors, equity investors, purchasers, sellers, utilities and off-takers in respect of the development, construction and operation of energy transition projects.
She has been assisting companies in meeting their sustainability objectives particularly through her instrumental role in developing DLA Piper's leading corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA) practice (virtual and physical). Natasha has been heavily involved in the evolving corporate PPA landscape internationally since 2009, having worked on early sleeved PPAs in the UK.
She has led on the development of DLA Piper's leading international corporate PPA practice and was responsible for the firm's own corporate PPA with NextEnergy. DLA Piper is the first law firm anywhere in the world to sign a corporate PPA.
Natasha consistently earns top rankings in Legal 500 and Chambers since 2016. She regularly receives awards such as The Lawyer Hot 100 and Yorkshire Lawyer of the Year. Natasha's inclusion in A Word About Wind's Legal Power List in 2020 and 2022 emphasizes her influence in the global wind industry. Natasha's team has also garnered numerous accolades, including Inspiratia's Law Firm of the Year: Renewables in 2023 and Project Finance Deal of the Year at the Wind Investment Awards 2023, among others.
Natasha is an engaging public speaker and is regularly asked to present at energy industry conferences, and to be a judge for industry awards. She is also the host of the Climate Transition Podcast series.
Highlights
EXPERIENCE
Highlights of Natasha's experience includes advising::
- H&M as offtaker on several long-term virtual PPAs, ensuring consistent agreements globally, including:
- in relation to the entry into three solar PPAs in Sweden for three solar sites with a combined capacity of 27MWp, which will help H&M in reducing its carbon footprint and add new green power capacity to the Swedish grid;
- on the largest solar PPA to date in Sweden with Neoen and Alight which will provide at least 90 MWp of renewable energy;
- on a PPA for three solar sites with Matrix Renewables in Spain; and
- on a UK PPA for the Streetfields and Northfield House solar projects with global energy company Lightsource bp.
- Natwest as lender on the project financing of the construction and operation of the 43MW Broken Cross wind farm in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, which benefits from a CfD. We also advised on a 6-year PPA for the project that was signed between SmartestEnergy Limited and BayWa r.e. at the end of 2023.
- Elgin Energy on multiple energy transactions including:
- on the sale of a 100 MW portfolio of three solar PV projects across the UK to Pennon Group PLC, an English-based water utility company; and
- on the sale of a 519MW portfolio of solar PV projects and 70MW of co-located energy storage capacity to ScottishPower Renewables, a subsidiary of global utility Iberdrola Group. The portfolio sale marks the UK’s largest solar PV transaction to date.
- Nord/LB in relation to the financing of the construction phase of a co-located solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) at Scurf Dyke project site in England.
- Nord/LB, LBBW and Rabobank (the lenders) on financing arrangements relating to two-long term corporate PPAs entered into between Irish renewables developer Highfield Solar and Meta, with an estimated investment of EUR180 million in two newly operational solar farms in Ireland. The transaction represents one of the largest corporate offtakes for solar energy in Ireland to date.
- Prime Capital:
- on the acquisition of the 192 MW Lappfjärd wind farm from CPC Finland; and
- Prime Capital and Enlight Renewable Energy, on their co-investment in the ready-to-build 372 MW Björnberget wind park project in Sweden. This was one of the biggest greenfield onshore wind transactions in Europe in 2020.
- College of Law, York, LPC Distinction
- University of Leeds, Joint Honours Degree – Law and French
Awards and recognitions
- A Word About Wind’s Women’s Power List, one of the 100 most influential women in the global wind energy industry, 2018-21
- The Lawyers’ Hot 100 2017
LEGAL 500
The independent legal sector rankings from Legal 500 2016-2023 quote her as a “corporate PPA expert”, "exceptional", "a go‐to name in the renewable energy space", "fantastic", "forward‐thinking", a "no‐nonsense deal maker" and “knowledgeable and experienced”.
- Leading individual, Power, London, The Legal 500 UK 2018 and 2020-23
- Leading individual, Infrastructure and Energy, Yorkshire and the Humber, The Legal 500 UK 2018-23
CHAMBERS
"She is very client-focused and well connected."
Renewables & Alternative Energy client, Chambers UK, Energy & Natural Resources
Natasha is 5-years ranked in Chambers: Energy & Natural Resources: Renewables & Alternative Energy and is also ranked under ESG Risk.
- Top Ranked Lawyer, Chambers Global Guide 2024: Climate change.
- Ranked lawyer, Energy & Natural Resources: Renewables & Alternative Energy, Chambers UK 2021-23
Team’s awards:
- Law Firm of the Year: Renewables, inspiratia’s Energy and Sustainability Awards 2023;
- Project finance deal of the year, Wind Investment Awards 2023;
- #1 global energy transition legal advisor (by volume), inspiratia 2021-2023;
- Outstanding Legal Advisor of the Year, inspiratia Energy and Sustainability Awards 2022;
- ESG Advisor of the Year, Legal Business Awards 2022;
- ESG Legal Advisor of the Year, IJGlobal ESG Awards 2022;
- ESG Law Firm of the Year, Partnerships Awards 2022 – for DLA Piper’s ESG commitments and virtual PPA;
- Best ESG Initiative – DLA Piper’s Corporate PPA, Wind Investment Awards 2022;
- #1 corporate PPA legal advisor in Europe, inspiratia’s inaugural corporate PPA dashboard;
- Global Law Firm of the Year, Wind Investment Awards 2022 and 2021;
Publications and media
- Irish Advertising Standards Authority decision on Budweiser’s renewable energy claims: What it means for corporate PPAs, 30 January 2024
- Interviewed by Legal Business: Life during Law - Life During Law: Natasha Luther-Jones - Legal Business (2023)
- Ready and waiting: Opportunities for energy storage, 27 June 2023
- Report: Hydrogen 2022 – Tracking progress towards a clean hydrogen economy, 16 October 2022
- Global Renewable Energy Guide - An online comparative tool, 11 October 2022
- Episode 12: How can we finance a storage revolution?, 3 October 2022
- Episode 11: Can renewables investors become smart energy traders?, 1 August 2022
- UK Contracts for Difference and the Capacity Market: review and evaluation, 16 May 2022
- Corporate Power Purchase Agreements – Irish structures and issues, March 2022
- The Glasgow Climate Pact: What does it mean for Business?, November 2021
- The role of offshore wind in O&G's energy transition, November 2021
- Energy Suppliers in Crisis – The Legal Issues, September 2021
- ESG and Renewable Energy in Africa, June 2021
- The Hydrogen Revolution in EMEA, February 2021
Speaking Engagements
Natasha is continuously invited to take part in events. Recently, this has included:
- Spoke on a panel at Solar Finance & Investment Europe on Unlocking the Potential of the European PPA Market - Unlocking the Potential of the European PPA Market - Finance Europe (2024).
- Women Powering Smart Energy – Spoke at an evening forum on innovation in PPAs - Women Powering Smart Energy PPA event | LinkedIn (2024).
- Spoke on a panel at the Nord/LB European Energy seminar on ‘offtake optimisation’ (2024).
- Participated on a panel titled “All eyes on PPAs” at Financing European Renewables 2023 (Inspiratia) in Madrid - Top takeaways from inspiratia’s Financing European Renewables event (2023).
- A fireside chat at the Financing Wind Conference with a focus on project finance, inflation and interest rates - Financing Wind Annual Conference - Tamarindo (2023).
- Spoke on a panel in Athens at the Green Cement Conference on Clean Renewable Energy – A Pathway Cement Needs to Take - The Green Cement Conference - CemBR (2023).
- Hosted an Energy Transition dinner debate at COP28 Dubai - DLA Piper's presence at COP28 | DLA Piper (2023).
- 9th Annual Solar Finance & Investment Summit (2022): Natasha moderated and spoke on the panel session ’Large scale rooftop on the rise’.
- The Legal 500 roundtable/webinar (2022): Natasha spoke about the current corporate governance systems in large corporations and a glimpse into the future of corporate governance in terms of sustainability and ESG.
- UCD Smurfit Graduate Business School (2022): Natasha was a guest lecturer on corporate PPAs.
- Wind Power Finance & Investment Summit Panel Session (2022). Natasha spoke on the panel session ‘Routes to market for power – a deep dive into PPAs and trading’.
- inspiratia - Subsidy-free Renewables & Offshore Wind Summit (2021): Natasha moderated a panel discussion on ‘The role of Corporate PPAs in sustainability strategies’.
- RE-Source 2021 (Amsterdam): Natasha was a panellist discussing virtual PPAs and the transition to clean energy.
- Reuters Events ’Offshore & Floating Wind Europe' digital conference and exhibition: Natasha moderated the panel discussion: ‘Is a Zero Subsidy Landscape Within Reach?’.
- China-Britain Business Council ‘Power Purchase Agreements by corporates in UK/Europe and the opportunities for companies in China’ (2021).
- Invest Africa (2021): ESG and Renewable Energy in Africa webinar.
- IFF Energy and Renewables Conference (2021): Natasha gave a talk on European corporate PPAs.
- Energy Forum Roundtable ‘Renewables And The Road Ahead’ (2021).
Podcasts
Natasha took part in the following Climate Transition Podcasts:
- Can we retrofit cities for an EV revolution? with Asif Ghafoor, CEO and Co-Founder of Be.EV;
- Can renewables help fashion to go green? – with Asmma Chaudry Landfeldt, Head of Renewable Energy Investments at H&M Group;
- Green hydrogen in the Nordics – with Jens Walzner, Executive Director Infrastructure and Renewables at Prime Capital; and
- Is floating wind about to go super-sized? – with Andy Lewin, Head of Engineering at global wind developer Corio Generation.
- Redefining Energy podcast ‘PPA Masterclass with DLA Piper’, June 2020: which was downloaded 1,252 times in its first week of release.