Edward W. Zaelke has been engaged in the renewable energy industry for more than 30 years. His experience extends to all elements of alternative energy development and finance, including equity and debt financing, merger and acquisition transactions, equipment purchase and sale agreements, power purchase agreements, siting and other real property issues, governmental approvals and construction and Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracts.
Edward is the former president of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and was a board member of AWEA for 12 consecutive years (2003 – 2014). He is also a founding board member of the American Wind Energy Foundation.Edward is one of only three attorneys in the United States listed by Chambers in Band 1 for renewable energy projects.
Experience:
- Clients include many of the top renewable energy developers and private equity investors in the United States and abroad.
- Practice focuses on project development and finance, with a particular emphasis on representing companies engaged in the development, financing and operation of wind power, solar power and other alternative energy projects.
Representative Work:
- Advised PNC Bank in a tax equity-focused financing of a series of solar projects located near Holyoke, Massachusetts, then being developed by the subsidiary of an international solar developer.
- Assisted a U.S. solar energy development subsidiary of a European developer in the structuring and negotiation of a $500 million platform agreement with an international insurance company that will provide funding for the development and the eventual sale of a portfolio of utility-scale solar projects in the United States.
- Guided Royal Bank of Canada in the debt and tax equity financing of the Buckthorn Wind Project developed and constructed in Texas by a subsidiary of NRG Energy, using power and hedge and corporate offtake arrangements.
- Represented Northleaf Capital Partners in its significant investment in a portfolio of solar and wind projects then being developed in Texas by APEX Energy. The transaction was unprecedented in that it involved Northleaf’s providing development capital when the project had secured necessary debt and tax equity financing and had provided a notice to proceed with construction. It also involved a relatively new “proxy revenue swap” agreement with an international insurance company in lieu of a traditional power purchase A portion of one of the projects was located on and sells power to a military base. The project was one of the nominees for the Renewable Deal of the Year for 2016 by Project Finance.
- Aided Terra Gen Partners and Coso Operating Company in the restructuring of $665 million of lease obligations, pass-through trust certificates and debt service reserve letters of credit for the Coso BLM, Navy 1 and Navy 2 geothermal projects in California.
- Represented Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) in the 1,180 MW Sweihan Solar Facility, which included representing ADWEA and its affiliates in structuring and implementing a long-term offtake and shareholder arrangement with third-party financing through a combination of competitive bid processes and negotiations.
Education:
- J.D., University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, 1983
- B.A., California State University, Long Beach, 1980
Bar Admissions;
- California
Cost
Rate : $$$