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 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.

 

Professional QualificationsSolicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales

Highlights

EXPERIENCE

Natasha's experience includes advising:

  • H&M on two significant long-term partnerships with global solar energy companies. These will enable the growth of the renewables sector and accelerate the decarbonisation of the global fashion industry and its transition to renewable energy:
    • Partnership with Lightsource bp: This will have a positive impact on the local environment through Lightsource bp’s approach to sustainable project development, which involves working with environmental and planning experts to ensure its projects benefit local ecosystems and boost biodiversity.
    • Partnership with Matrix Renewables, a Madrid-based global renewable energy platform.
  • Elgin Energy on the sale of a 519 MW portfolio of solar PV projects and 70 MW of co-located energy storage capacity to Scottish Power Renewables (UK) Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of global utility Iberdrola Group, one of the world's largest energy companies. The portfolio sale marks the UK’s largest solar PV transaction to date, consisting of 12 projects at the pre-construction stage located across England, Wales and Scotland, with a combined capacity of 519 MW. The portfolio also includes a co-located 70 MW battery solution that is at an advanced stage of development. It is anticipated that the projects will be operational between 2023 and 2025.
  • Coöperative Rabobank U.A., Landesbank Baden-Württemberg and Norddeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale as the lenders to Highfield Solar Limited on the financing of two separate solar energy projects in Ireland with a total capacity of 282 MWp.
  • The City of London Corporation on the UK’s largest public sector tender to date, resulting in its entry into a 15‐year sleeved PPA with Voltalia to procure electricity for the square mile in London from a 49 MW solar farm in Dorset. The deal is set to save the City Corporation approximately GBP3 million in energy costs over its lifetime and will serve as a template for other local councils across the country to help cut carbon emissions and save money on their energy bills.
  • Kommunalkredit Austria AG as lender to Renewable Power Capital (RPC) on the financing of a portfolio of three onshore wind farms with a total capacity of 154 MW in Finland, known as Merkkikallio, Puutikankangas and Rustari. Natasha also acted for the client on acquisition financing of two solar PV projects in Hungary; on the development and construction financing of solar PV projects in Ireland and Italy; and on the acquisition and subsequent construction financing of a wind project in Spain.
  • Greencoat Solar and Greencoat Wind on various operational matters across their portfolio, including advising on a number of PPAs.
  • Greencoat Renewables PLC, through a multijurisdictional team from the UK, Sweden and Germany, on the acquisition of the 101.1 MW Ersträsk South Wind Farm, Greencoat Renewables PLC’s first transaction in Sweden. This brings Greencoat Renewables PLC’s total installed generating capacity to 787 MW and expands its operating presence in the Nordics. The project consists of 26 Enercon E103 and 10 Enercon E126 turbines and was fully commissioned in January 2021. Enercon will continue to provide long term operations and maintenance services. Ersträsk South forms part of a large emerging cluster of renewable generators in the Markbygden area, with a potential installed capacity of 4 GW.
  • Prime Capital AG and Enlight Renewable Energy (Enlight), on their co-investment in the ready-to-build 372 MW Björnberget wind park project in central Sweden. This was Prime Capital’s first investment from its newly launched Prime Green Energy Infrastructure Fund (PGEIF) and one of the biggest greenfield onshore wind transactions in Europe in 2020.
  • EIP Energy Infrastructure Partners (EIP) on its acquisition of an 80% stake in a four-windfarm portfolio from Fortum Oyj (who will retain 20%), with an option to purchase an additional wind farm once built and exclusivity to develop a sixth together. The majority stake 500 MW Nordic wind portfolio is located in Norway, Sweden and Finland.
  • NTR plc on the financing and corporate PPA with NORD/LB of 94 MW wind projects in Sweden (69 MW and 10 MW) and in Finland (15 MW).
  • NSG on its first virtual PPA. The contract will see approximately 100 gigawatt hours (GWh) of NSG Group’s annual electricity demand supplied at a fixed price, reducing exposure to the volatile wholesale electricity prices currently seen. This amount of clean energy is equivalent to avoiding the carbon emissions from nearly 15,000 passenger vehicles driven for one year, or more than 278 million kilometres driven by an average passenger car.
  • Solar Century on the sale of its business. Natasha led the team on the production and discussion of all the vendor due diligence. The vendor due diligence included detailed analysis of the company’s solar projects in the Netherlands, Spain and Mexico, as well as lighter due diligence on other assets in Latin America and Africa.
  • A major global tech company on corporate PPAs across EMEA and Asia-Pacific.
  • Ignitis Group on its acquisition of a minority stake in the Moray West offshore wind farm development project on the east coast of Great Britain.
  • USS as part of the privatisation of the Green Investment Bank. Natasha led the largescale due diligence process required for the debt acquisition of 16 projects by USS. The portfolio of assets included onshore and offshore wind, energy from waste, biomass and energy efficiency.
Education
  • College of Law, York, LPC Distinction
  • University of Leeds, Joint Honours Degree – Law and French

Awards and recognitions

  • Top Ranked Lawyer, Chambers Global Guide 2024: Climate change.
  • Leading individual, Power, London, The Legal 500 UK 2018 and 2020-22
  • Leading individual, Infrastructure and Energy, Yorkshire and the Humber, The Legal 500 UK 2018-22
  • Ranked lawyer, Energy & Natural Resources: Renewables & Alternative Energy, Chambers UK 2021-22
  • 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

Natasha and her team’s recent achievements include:

  • Global Energy Transition Innovator: Green Finance, Wind Sector Finance Advisory Expertise, Reuters: Top 100 Innovators Report 2022
  • Global Law Firm of the Year, Financing Wind 2021
  • #1 for volume of deals closed globally, Inspiratia Renewable Energy Deal Rankings 2021
  • Tier 1: Power/Renewables practice, The Legal 500 UK 2020-21
  • Projects, Energy & Natural Resources Firm of the Year, The Legal 500 UK Awards 2020

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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