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ESG & Energy Transition

The renewable energy industry is dynamic and disruptive. Technology, regulation and incentives are evolving quickly as organizations and governments work towards a sustainable future.

Our integrated team helps clients break new ground with smart and innovative legal solutions. We have over 25 years of experience advising at the industry’s cutting edge, working on landmark renewable energy deals, emerging technologies and market-leading initiatives, including onshore and offshore wind, solar PV, hydrogen, electric storage, biomass and EV charging infrastructure.

Clients can act with confidence and overcome legal uncertainty, knowing that our lawyers have seen it all before.

Recent highlights

News
Best Law Firms 2026 - France
News
Legal Business “Green Ambassadors” Europe 2025
News
BCLP advises banking pool on financing Arkolia’s solar portfolio
News
Chambers Crisis & Risk Management Global-wide ESG Risk (Law Firms) 2025
News
BCLP advises Idex and Guyot on €70M investment in local, low-carbon energy plant
News
BCLP Advises on Financing of Solar Projects for CIBC
News
BCLP advises on the financing of agrivoltaic projects for the Akuo group Energy
News
BCLP advises banking pool in €350 million financing for solar energy producer Apex Energies
News
BCLP Lawyers Examine Diverging U.S. and EU Approaches to Sustainability Agreements in Competition Policy International
  • M&A
  • Joint ventures
  • Project development
  • Development finance
  • Project finance
  • Corporate fundraising
  • Tax credits and other clean energy incentives
  • Green sustainability-linked finance, such as green bonds, green loans, sustainability-linked loans, sustainability-linked bonds and sustainable securitizations
  • Advising on the application of the green loan principles and EU green bond standards
  • Land acquisition and site control
  • Environmental planning and compliance
  • Permitting
  • Carbon capture and sequestration
  • Construction
  • Environmental assessment legislation
  • Brownfield sites (including risk management and insurance)
  • Incentive schemes (including CfDs and RHIs)
  • Corporate PPAs
  • Operating and maintenance agreements
  • Procurement and service agreements
  • Environmental compliance

RGreen Invest

Advised RGreen Invest, the leading France-based portfolio management company focused on financing the energy transition, with more than €1.4 billion of assets under management in its partnership with NW Groupe for the creation of their strategic joint venture NW Storm and in the related fundraising.

NW Groupe is raising €300 million from RGreen Invest on behalf of its subsidiary NW Storm, thus becoming the first French unicorn of the energy transition, valued at €1.5 billion. This investment will allow NW Storm to accelerate its deployment program and significantly increase the number of high-powered electric charging stations (IECharge) and JBoxes for energy storage.

Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO)

Advised Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO), a subsidiary of American Electric Power, in connection with its proposed US$2.47 billion fuel-free power plan to purchase three new wind farms and three new solar facilities, which would provide 995.5 megawatts of new, cost-effective renewable energy. The six projects, consisting of facilities in Texas and Kansas, were chosen through a competitive bidding process and are expected to be completed in 2025.

Qair International

Advised Qair International, an independent renewable energy producer, on three issues of green bonds totaling €88.9 million. The issue will enable it to finance new power plants of renewable energy production in Europe. With this first Euro PP Green Bond, the group has undertaken to comply with strict “green” commitments in terms of use of the funds, traceability of investments made and reporting, thereby following the standards set by the Green Bond Principles issued by the International Capital Markets Association. The issue proved extremely successful with institutional investors. Crédit Industriel et Commercial (CIC) acted as arranger and lead manager, with the support of Crédit Agricole Languedoc as co-arranger. The European Bank subscribed to a part of these green bonds.

Port of London Authority

Advised the Port of London Authority (PLA) in providing a loan facility to Net Zero Marine Services (NZMS) for the construction and operation of charging points for electric vessels and equipment at two locations on the river Thames. The charging points will be located on moveable pontoon structures in the river and connected to the grid at permanent concrete platforms on the shoreline. This transaction highlights the focus of the PLA to support sustainable projects on the river and is a notable development in decarbonizing operations on the Thames.

California's climate reporting laws

Advising numerous companies on compliance with California’s new climate reporting laws. SB 253 applies to companies doing business in California with an annual revenue of US$1 billion or more and requires reporting scope 1 and 2 emissions in 2026, and scope 3 in 2027. SB 261 applies to companies doing business in California with annual revenue of US$500 million or more and requires reporting by 2026 climate-related risks and mitigation efforts.

Peabody Energy Corporation

Advising Peabody Energy Corporation in connection with its launch of R3 Renewables LLC, a renewable energy development company, in a joint venture with Riverstone Credit Partners and Summit Partners Credit Advisors.

Over the next five years, R3 intends to develop more than 3.3GW worth of solar PV facilities and 1.6GW of battery storage capacity. The company will initially focus on developing renewable energy assets at six sites near Peabody’s former mining sites in Indiana and Illinois.

  • M&A
  • Joint ventures
  • Project development
  • Development finance
  • Project finance
  • Corporate fundraising
  • Tax credits and other clean energy incentives
  • Green sustainability-linked finance, such as green bonds, green loans, sustainability-linked loans, sustainability-linked bonds and sustainable securitizations
  • Advising on the application of the green loan principles and EU green bond standards

  • Land acquisition and site control
  • Environmental planning and compliance
  • Permitting
  • Carbon capture and sequestration
  • Construction
  • Environmental assessment legislation
  • Brownfield sites (including risk management and insurance)

  • Incentive schemes (including CfDs and RHIs)
  • Corporate PPAs
  • Operating and maintenance agreements
  • Procurement and service agreements
  • Environmental compliance

RGreen Invest

Advised RGreen Invest, the leading France-based portfolio management company focused on financing the energy transition, with more than €1.4 billion of assets under management in its partnership with NW Groupe for the creation of their strategic joint venture NW Storm and in the related fundraising.

NW Groupe is raising €300 million from RGreen Invest on behalf of its subsidiary NW Storm, thus becoming the first French unicorn of the energy transition, valued at €1.5 billion. This investment will allow NW Storm to accelerate its deployment program and significantly increase the number of high-powered electric charging stations (IECharge) and JBoxes for energy storage.

Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO)

Advised Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO), a subsidiary of American Electric Power, in connection with its proposed US$2.47 billion fuel-free power plan to purchase three new wind farms and three new solar facilities, which would provide 995.5 megawatts of new, cost-effective renewable energy. The six projects, consisting of facilities in Texas and Kansas, were chosen through a competitive bidding process and are expected to be completed in 2025.

Qair International

Advised Qair International, an independent renewable energy producer, on three issues of green bonds totaling €88.9 million. The issue will enable it to finance new power plants of renewable energy production in Europe. With this first Euro PP Green Bond, the group has undertaken to comply with strict “green” commitments in terms of use of the funds, traceability of investments made and reporting, thereby following the standards set by the Green Bond Principles issued by the International Capital Markets Association. The issue proved extremely successful with institutional investors. Crédit Industriel et Commercial (CIC) acted as arranger and lead manager, with the support of Crédit Agricole Languedoc as co-arranger. The European Bank subscribed to a part of these green bonds.

Port of London Authority

Advised the Port of London Authority (PLA) in providing a loan facility to Net Zero Marine Services (NZMS) for the construction and operation of charging points for electric vessels and equipment at two locations on the river Thames. The charging points will be located on moveable pontoon structures in the river and connected to the grid at permanent concrete platforms on the shoreline. This transaction highlights the focus of the PLA to support sustainable projects on the river and is a notable development in decarbonizing operations on the Thames.

California's climate reporting laws

Advising numerous companies on compliance with California’s new climate reporting laws. SB 253 applies to companies doing business in California with an annual revenue of US$1 billion or more and requires reporting scope 1 and 2 emissions in 2026, and scope 3 in 2027. SB 261 applies to companies doing business in California with annual revenue of US$500 million or more and requires reporting by 2026 climate-related risks and mitigation efforts.

Peabody Energy Corporation

Advising Peabody Energy Corporation in connection with its launch of R3 Renewables LLC, a renewable energy development company, in a joint venture with Riverstone Credit Partners and Summit Partners Credit Advisors.

Over the next five years, R3 intends to develop more than 3.3GW worth of solar PV facilities and 1.6GW of battery storage capacity. The company will initially focus on developing renewable energy assets at six sites near Peabody’s former mining sites in Indiana and Illinois.

Discover our latest Insights

Insights
Nov 28, 2025

Regulatory and ESG challenges in the data centre sector: Building a sustainable future

This is the fifth in a ten-part article series on the legal strategies shaping the future of data centre development in the UK. The United Kingdom’s data centre sector is undergoing a profound transformation. Having established itself as a cornerstone of the nation's economy, the industry now faces its most complex challenge: adapting to an increasingly demanding regulatory and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) landscape. The sector's exponential growth, driven by the insatiable demand for data, has placed it under an intense spotlight. Its high power and water consumption, and the physical impact of large-scale facilities, have brought questions of sustainability and community impact to the forefront. Today, a data centre’s success is no longer measured solely by uptime or tenant covenant strength, but by its ability to maintain a social licence to operate. And this is granted not just by regulators, but by investors, tenants and local communities. These issues are central to risk management, value creation and long-term commercial strategy. Neglecting them can jeopardise financing, erode asset value and cause operational and reputational damage. This instalment of our Insight Series looks beyond individual transactions to the frameworks that shape the entire data centre lifecycle. We explore how leading developers and investors can turn regulatory and ESG pressures into opportunities to build more resilient, responsible and valuable assets.
Insights
Nov 11, 2025

COP30: An insight into the Amazonian Climate Conference

With the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference, “COP30” taking place in Belém, Brazil from the 10th to the 21st of November 2025, BCLP explore key themes emerging from the COP30 Agenda, and the potential discussions ahead. Below we explore topics of climate finance, through our discussion of the much-anticipated Baku to Belém Roadmap and the transition from fossil fuels to renewables as pledged in the Belém 4x Pledge. We go on to discuss climate adaptation and resilience, via commentary on the Global Goal on Adaptation and progress towards National Adaptation Plans and finish with an overview of Conference's commitment to nature via the Tropical Forest Forever Facility.
Insights
Oct 14, 2025

Mastering powered land transactions for UK data centres

This is the first in a ten-part article series on the legal strategies shaping the future of data centre development in the UK. The UK’s data centre market is entering a period of rapid expansion, set to grow from $10.7 billion in 2024 to $22.7 billion by 2030. This is being driven by the computational demands of artificial intelligence, the widespread shift to cloud services and the relentless rise of enterprise-level computing. The result is a highly competitive market for powered land. For hyperscale operators, institutional investors and specialist developers, the acquisition of these sites is no longer confined to the parameters of conventional real estate. Instead, it’s now a complex, high-stakes convergence of energy regulation, planning law and strategic commercial negotiation. Successfully navigating this landscape to deliver projects on time and on budget requires commercially astute legal advice to mitigate risk, unlock value and achieve market-leading outcomes. In this article, we explore the legal, regulatory and commercial strategies that underpin successful data centre development, from planning consent and power supply agreements to ESG integration and emerging technological requirements.
Insights
Mar 12, 2025

Environmental Justice Revisited

Since January 20, 2025, the Trump Administration has implemented numerous changes to federal environmental justice (“EJ”) initiatives which are expected to result in reduced permitting and regulatory burdens. While the current administration may continue to make changes to EJ policies on a federal level, it is important to know that many states still have their own EJ policies that remain enforceable. This insight discusses the following three things: provides the necessary historical context regarding EJ; outlines the recent actions by the Trump Administration; and explores some state regulations and potential ramifications for your business. It is vital for your business to stay current with these developments and to consult with legal counsel before making any changes to your operations based on the current administration's actions.

Discover our latest Insights

Insights
Nov 28, 2025
Regulatory and ESG challenges in the data centre sector: Building a sustainable future
This is the fifth in a ten-part article series on the legal strategies shaping the future of data centre development in the UK. The United Kingdom’s data centre sector is undergoing a profound transformation. Having established itself as a cornerstone of the nation's economy, the industry now faces its most complex challenge: adapting to an increasingly demanding regulatory and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) landscape. The sector's exponential growth, driven by the insatiable demand for data, has placed it under an intense spotlight. Its high power and water consumption, and the physical impact of large-scale facilities, have brought questions of sustainability and community impact to the forefront. Today, a data centre’s success is no longer measured solely by uptime or tenant covenant strength, but by its ability to maintain a social licence to operate. And this is granted not just by regulators, but by investors, tenants and local communities. These issues are central to risk management, value creation and long-term commercial strategy. Neglecting them can jeopardise financing, erode asset value and cause operational and reputational damage. This instalment of our Insight Series looks beyond individual transactions to the frameworks that shape the entire data centre lifecycle. We explore how leading developers and investors can turn regulatory and ESG pressures into opportunities to build more resilient, responsible and valuable assets.
Insights
Nov 28, 2025
UK Electricity Gridlock: Tackling the Connections Queue and Demand Projects
Insights
Nov 11, 2025
COP30: An insight into the Amazonian Climate Conference
With the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference, “COP30” taking place in Belém, Brazil from the 10th to the 21st of November 2025, BCLP explore key themes emerging from the COP30 Agenda, and the potential discussions ahead. Below we explore topics of climate finance, through our discussion of the much-anticipated Baku to Belém Roadmap and the transition from fossil fuels to renewables as pledged in the Belém 4x Pledge. We go on to discuss climate adaptation and resilience, via commentary on the Global Goal on Adaptation and progress towards National Adaptation Plans and finish with an overview of Conference's commitment to nature via the Tropical Forest Forever Facility.
Insights
Oct 22, 2025
“One Big Beautiful Bill Act”: Five changes oil and gas businesses need to know about now
Insights
Oct 14, 2025
Mastering powered land transactions for UK data centres
This is the first in a ten-part article series on the legal strategies shaping the future of data centre development in the UK. The UK’s data centre market is entering a period of rapid expansion, set to grow from $10.7 billion in 2024 to $22.7 billion by 2030. This is being driven by the computational demands of artificial intelligence, the widespread shift to cloud services and the relentless rise of enterprise-level computing. The result is a highly competitive market for powered land. For hyperscale operators, institutional investors and specialist developers, the acquisition of these sites is no longer confined to the parameters of conventional real estate. Instead, it’s now a complex, high-stakes convergence of energy regulation, planning law and strategic commercial negotiation. Successfully navigating this landscape to deliver projects on time and on budget requires commercially astute legal advice to mitigate risk, unlock value and achieve market-leading outcomes. In this article, we explore the legal, regulatory and commercial strategies that underpin successful data centre development, from planning consent and power supply agreements to ESG integration and emerging technological requirements.
Insights
Jul 28, 2025
The wait for CATOS continues, but the picture might just be getting clearer
Insights
Jul 18, 2025
What the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” means for the renewable energy industry, and how it can adapt
Insights
Mar 12, 2025
Environmental Justice Revisited
Since January 20, 2025, the Trump Administration has implemented numerous changes to federal environmental justice (“EJ”) initiatives which are expected to result in reduced permitting and regulatory burdens. While the current administration may continue to make changes to EJ policies on a federal level, it is important to know that many states still have their own EJ policies that remain enforceable. This insight discusses the following three things: provides the necessary historical context regarding EJ; outlines the recent actions by the Trump Administration; and explores some state regulations and potential ramifications for your business. It is vital for your business to stay current with these developments and to consult with legal counsel before making any changes to your operations based on the current administration's actions.
Insights
Updated: March 2025
State specific requirements for wind and solar project land contracts

Meet our sector leaders

David Blondel
David Blondel
+33 (0) 1 44 17 77 05

Mark Richards

Mark Richards
+44 (0) 20 3400 4603
Peter Hansen
Peter Hansen
+1 303 866 0206
David Blondel
David Blondel
+33 (0) 1 44 17 77 05

Mark Richards

Mark Richards
+44 (0) 20 3400 4603
Peter Hansen
Peter Hansen
+1 303 866 0206
Bryan E. Keyt, Partner and Global Practice Group Leader - Energy, Environment and Infrastructure, Chicago
Bryan E. Keyt, Partner and Global Practice Group Leader - Energy, Environment and Infrastructure, Chicago
+1 312 602 5036