Energy
Energy laws, regulations, and policies set out the legal framework for the development of a wide range of energy projects across Canada. These include renewable energy projects involving hydroelectric power, wind power, and solar power. Energy Boards set requirements for transmission and distribution networks, conservation, and demand management programs, and incentives for sustainable energy programs. Energy lawyers play an important role in guiding the energy sector through complex regulatory requirements including environmental assessments, approval hearings, and negotiation of procurement agreements, and project agreements with Indigenous peoples across Canada.
How our energy lawyers help
We understand the challenges inherent to planning, structuring, and implementing energy projects. Our lawyers support our clients by providing advice to energy project proponents, assistance to Indigenous groups seeking to promote economic development, and representation before energy boards and the courts.
Energy law expertise
Our team of energy lawyers understands the challenges inherent in Canada’s dynamic energy sector.
We support clients in the areas of:
- project approvals
- environmental assessments
- energy procurement and power purchase agreements
- cleantech
- energy efficiency
- renewable energy
- wind energy projects
- energy regulatory compliance
- negotiating impact benefit agreements
- negotiating with Indigenous communities
- energy board hearings
- appeals
- administrative challenges
- litigation claims
- defence of prosecutions.
Project and approvals
Our lawyers guide clients through the environmental assessment legal process for projects across Canada to ensure successful completion of the approval process.
Environmental assessments
We represent clients in environmental planning, negotiating with regulators, public consultations, Indigenous consultations, environmental assessment process stages, and hearings at the federal and provincial levels.
Energy procurement
Our lawyers advise clients about power purchase agreements including various programs involving power generation from small renewable energy projects.
Cleantech
Green technology, clean technology, or “cleantech” is one of the fastest-growing drivers of Canada’s economy. As a firm uniquely situated to respond to this growing sector, we help clients navigate the complex bureaucracy that oversees the registration, assessment, permitting, and approval of cleantech projects, and how to plan and implement robust environmental management strategies that meet and exceed compliance requirements.
Energy efficiency
Efficient energy use can be as beneficial as finding new renewable energy sources. Our lawyers advise businesses about power conservation initiatives and help guide energy efficiency projects through policy and regulatory processes to completion.
Renewable energy
Our energy lawyers have a broad range of experience advising and representing renewable energy developers, equipment suppliers and distributors, and landowners. We understand the challenges inherent in renewable energy generation for private developers. Our involvement with energy demand, supply, and conservation planning processes combined with energy development expertise makes our team unique in its ability to meet our client’s needs.
Leveraging our extensive experience and expertise in this area, we provide representation and advice to project proponents in the planning, structuring, and implementation of renewable energy initiatives that achieve our clients’ goals.
Regulatory compliance
We have many years of experience in helping clients negotiate and obtain environmental approvals and regulatory approvals.
Energy board hearings
We represent clients in energy board hearings on regulatory matters including utility rate-fixing hearings, demand side management and conservation demand management programs, energy policy and leave-to-construct hearings. Our lawyers have experience representing clients before the Canadian Energy Regulator (CER) (previously the National Energy Board) and provincial regulators, including the Ontario Energy Board (OEB).
Appeals and administrative challenges
Our lawyers represent clients in appeals and administrative challenges to government and tribunal decisions and actions at all levels including intervention in the regulatory approvals process, tribunal, and court appeals, and applications for judicial review.
When an appeal or challenge is necessary, we have a history of providing effective advocacy to achieve the best possible outcomes for our clients, their stakeholders, and their projects.
Negotiation and dispute resolution
Energy projects benefit from the support of neighbours and Indigenous communities. This support often comes from the negotiation of agreements that incorporate solutions to mitigate potential adverse effects or to provide for partnerships with Indigenous peoples.
We have successfully negotiated adaptive management plan agreements with neighbours and have advised clients negotiating Impact Benefit Agreements and Indigenous partnerships. We also negotiate with regulators to find positive solutions when our clients are met with regulatory hurdles. Where we cannot achieve a negotiated solution, we launch appeals of orders, judicial reviews of government decisions, and vigorous defences to charges.
Energy litigation
Our energy law litigators represent clients before energy board hearings on regulatory matters, regulators on project approvals, and courts and tribunals on appeals and administrative challenges.
Learn more about how our litigators can help.
Contact our energy lawyers today
Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers has offices in Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto, and Yellowknife. Our lawyers are called to the Bar in Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Ontario.
To speak with an Energy lawyer, contact us today.