Overview
We have extensive experience assisting clients in permitting, constructing, and operating energy infrastructure projects, including fossil-fueled and nuclear electrical power plants, renewable energy facilities, and electrical transmission lines. We have helped clients obtain approvals to construct, operate, and maintain energy facilities throughout Florida at the local, regional, state and federal level.
Our team has extensive experience licensing projects under the Florida Power Plant Siting Act (PPSA) and Transmission Line Siting Act (TLSA), including assisting in the licensing of over 8,000 MW of new generation for Florida utilities. In working with clients to obtain necessary approvals, we draw on our experience in other practice areas such as land use, air, water, solid and hazardous wastes, wetlands, and listed species, to build teams of lawyers and other professionals with the knowledge and experience to navigate potential issues. Our experience extends beyond construction to assist our clients in maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements and permit conditions, defend third-party challenges to approval issuance, and in enforcement defense when needed.
Our goal is to help clients prepare strategies that anticipate concerns raised by regulators as well as challenges from potential opponents. If a governmental entity or third party tries to block a project, we represent clients in formal administrative hearings, civil litigation, and appeals to demonstrate why the project should go forward. Our experience also includes agency rulemaking and legislative efforts when appropriate to meet the client’s goals.
Range of Services
Administrative & Regulatory
- Approvals under the PPSA and TLSA
- Administrative hearings, litigation and appeals
- State lands
- State and federal rulemaking
Environmental & Natural Resources
- Environmental permitting and compliance
- Solid and hazardous waste regulation and permitting
- Water use and wastewater regulation and permitting
- Wetlands/surface water regulation and permitting
- Air quality
- State lands and sovereign submerged lands
- Conservation easements, planning and incentives
- Protected species and habitat conservation regulation and permitting
- Environmental review requirements – National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
- Climate resiliency/sea level rise
- Environmental enforcement and litigation
Land Use & Zoning
- Local development order approvals
- Land development code amendments
- Historic and archaeological resources
Executive and Legislative Branch Lobbying
Land Development Planning Services
Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Mapping, GIS & Data Analysis
- Entitlement (land use & zoning changes)
- Permitting assistance
- Legal description mapping (easements, deeds, mineral rights)
- Site selection
- Proximity analysis
Notable Experience
- Represented Florida investor-owned, municipal, and cooperative utilities in licensing over 8,000 MW of electrical generation and associated transmission lines under Florida’s electrical power plant siting act (“PPSA”).
- Served as outside counsel to Florida utilities in certification proceedings for new electrical transmission lines under Florida’s Transmission Line Siting Act (“TLSA”).
- Represent Florida utilities on various matters before the Florida Public Service Commission.
- Assisted Florida utilities in obtaining local government entitlements to develop multiple large-scale solar facilities.
- Served as lead counsel to multi-national renewables developer in litigation challenging denial of local government approvals for large-scale solar facility.
- Assisted in obtaining state and federal environmental approvals, including wetlands, listed species, and water supply, for electrical generating facilities and transmission lines.
