Natasha-Luther Jones

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
About

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. 

 
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

  • 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

  • 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
  • Boardroom Brexit: What the deal means for energy and climate change, December 2020
  • Climate change convergence? The potential for global collaboration following China’s momentous announcement, December 2020
  • Five Years into the Paris Agreement – Success or stalling?, December 2020
  • How general counsel and lawyers must help deliver sustainability and ESG outcomes, December 2020
  • Three ESG steps to keep your project bankable in 2021, September 2020
  • Europe’s Subsidy-free Transition – The road to grid parity, December 2019
  • European Offshore Wind – What does the future look like?, 26 November 2019
  • Changes to Equator Principles introduce new requirements in relation to human rights, climate change and Indigenous Peoples for project debt, 22 November 2019
  • Corporate Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs): What are they?, 12 November 2019
  • Digital Transformation in Energy and Natural Resources, 9 October 2019
  • Alternative Energy & Power 2019 – UK, Chambers and Partners, August 2019
  • Proposed changes to Equator Principles enhance ESG requirements for project debt, 2 July 2019
  • Renewable Energy in Africa – edition 2, June 2019
  • Recent developments in the Greek renewable energy sector, 29 May 2019
  • Insurance asset management, April 2019
  • Energy & Natural resources UK case law updates
  • Podcast: Corporate PPAs – why merchant risk is here to stay, Sept 2018

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.

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