Natasha Luther-Jones

Partner

International Head of Sustainability and ESG
Global Co-Chair, Energy and Natural Resources Sector

She is an excellent professional who really knows her field and is easy to work with.

— Client, Chambers UK 2022

Emailnatasha.luther-jones@dlapiper.com

Call+44 (0)7968 558 634

Leeds London

About

Natasha has over 20 years' experience of helping a range of clients with renewable energy and sustainability projects in the UK and internationally.

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 (PPA) practice.

Natasha advises on developments, investments, financings, refinancings, acquisitions, disposals, EPCs, O&Ms and PPAs. She works with developers, contractors, equity investors, purchasers, sellers, utilities and off-takers in respect of the development, construction and operation of renewable energy projects.

Corporate PPAs

Natasha has been heavily involved in the evolving corporate PPA landscape internationally since 2009, having worked on early sleeved PPAs in the UK. She also worked on Google’s first PPA outside of the US in 2013 and is today firmly embedded in the market as a well-recognised practitioner.

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 assists a large roster of clients with corporate PPAs, most recently including H&M, NSG, City of London, Prime Capital, Power Capital, Goldman Sachs, NextEnergy and Greencoat, among others.

Wind

Natasha advises on onshore and offshore wind projects and regularly leads teams working on international and multijurisdictional wind transactions, including advising on over 6 GW of capacity across the Nordics.

She is consistently recognised in A Word About Wind’s "Women’s Power List", a biennial independent report that ranks and profiles the 100 most important and influential women working in the global wind industry.

Solar

Natasha advises on ground-mounted and roof-mounted PV projects in the UK and internationally.

She was asked to give the keynote address at the Solar Finance & Investment Europe 2020 conference and chaired a panel at the 9th Annual Solar Finance & Investment Summit in 2022. She has also authored thought leadership on solar and renewables, such as the firm’s Europe’s Subsidy-free Transition report.

Natasha regularly contributes to publications and events on corporate PPAs, renewable energy, the climate transition, sustainability and ESG. She is an engaging public speaker and is regularly asked to present at energy industry conferences and other events, and to judge at industry awards – most recently for Inspiratia and Financing Wind. She is also the host of the Climate Transition Podcast series.

Areas of FocusEnergy and Natural Resources Finance Projects and Project Finance Environmental, Social and Governance

Professional QualificationsSolicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales

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.

Education

College of Law, York, LPC Distinction

University of Leeds, Joint Honours Degree – Law and French

Awards and recognitions

Publications and media

Speaking Engagements

9th Annual Solar Finance & Investment Summit, March 2022: Natasha moderated and spoke on the panel session ’Large scale rooftop on the rise’.
The Legal 500 roundtable/webinar, March 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, February 2022: Natasha was a guest lecturer on corporate PPAs.
Wind Power Finance & Investment Summit Panel Session, December 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, October 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’, May 2021.
Invest Africa, May 2021: ESG and Renewable Energy in Africa webinar.
IFF Energy and Renewables Conference, April 2021: Natasha gave a talk on European corporate PPAs.
Energy Forum Roundtable ‘Renewables And The Road Ahead’, March 2021.
RE-Source UK Technology Sector virtual conference, September 2020: Natasha was a panellist discussing sourcing clean energy through PPAs in the UK and abroad.
Redefining Energy podcast ‘PPA Masterclass with DLA Piper’, June 2020: Natasha featured on this podcast which was downloaded 1,252 times in its first week of release.
Reuters Events ‘PPAs: Buyers, Sellers and Lenders’ webinar, June 2020. This is also available on YouTube.
Nordic Renewables, September 2020: ‘Key success factors of a dominant investment strategy’ – Natasha was a speaker at this webinar hosted by Prime Capital.
Hawthorne Club ‘Beyond 100% Renewable – Innovating in Renewable Energy Procurements’ webinar, July 2020: Natasha was a speaker together with Global Head of Energy for Google (Amanda Peterson Corio) and Global Head of Energy for Facebook (Urvi Parekh).
Hawthorn Club ‘The Road to Self-Healing Grids’ event, March 2020: Natasha hosted and spoke on the panel.
Solar Finance and Investment Europe Conference, February 2020: Natasha opened the Solar Finance and Investment Europe conference as keynote speaker, discussing what 2020 would hold for energy investment across Europe.