Lauren A. Collins
Two California Plaza
350 South Grand Avenue
Suite 2100
Los Angeles, California 90071
Lauren Collins focuses on tax matters related to project finance, with an emphasis on renewable energy and infrastructure assets. Lauren has represented clients in the financing, disposition, acquisition, and development of renewable energy and energy transition projects, including solar, wind, energy storage, hydrogen, carbon sequestration, fuel cell, biogas, RNG, and manufacturing facilities, among others. She has considerable experience utilizing a variety of structures to finance these assets and has helped develop some of the most complex and cutting-edge renewable energy financing transactions in the U.S., including numerous first-of-its-kind deals.
In the course of her practice, Lauren represents Fortune 50 companies, investors, utilities, sponsors, and developers in the renewable energy space and has advised clients more broadly in connection with various federal and state tax matters. Her experience includes tax equity, tax credit finance and sales, M&A, reorganizations and bankruptcy, project finance, and structured finance.
Lauren is recognized globally as “Up and Coming” and nationwide as a Band 4 attorney in Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy by Chambers Global 2024 and Chambers USA 2024, respectively. Lauren is also recognized in Band 4 in Chambers USA 2024 Tax California: Southern, where one client notes she is “outstanding, both technically and commercially. She is able to deliver complex solutions across in a perfect manner to make the deal stronger.”
Experience Highlights
Swift Current Energy in the ~$700 million debt financing, ~$250 million tax equity financing, and ~$270 million ITC transfers for the 800 MWdc Double Black Diamond Solar project in Illinois, which is expected to be the second largest single phase solar project in the US and the largest solar project in MISO
Major financial institution in connection with its tax equity commitment in a 200 MW solar project in Milam County, Texas, including a first of its kind financing commitment for the Domestic Content Bonus
Vitol Inc. in a landmark tax credit transfer agreement with Avangrid, Inc. to purchase an estimated $100 million of wind PTCs
Major U.S. financial institution in connection with sale of $250 million of investment tax credits to various corporate buyers
Tax equity investor in their investment in two solar projects with 450 MW combined capacity in California
Tax equity investor in its approximately $320 million commitment to a portfolio of two solar projects in Arizona and Virginia totaling 355 MW and including 100 MW of storage, representing one of the first tax equity financings of a battery energy storage asset for this investor
Swift Current in the construction debt and tax equity financing of a 195 MW solar project in Texas
Terra-Gen in the approximately $270 million construction financing and $136 million tax equity financing for the 64.5 MW Tehachapi Plains, 60.3 MW Oasis Power, and 14.4 MW Oasis Alta wind generation facilities in Kern County, California, and the 61.2 MW Coachella and 46.8 MW Painted Hills wind generation facilities in Riverside County, California
MN8 Energy in the acquisition and tax equity financing of the 150 MW solar-plus-storage High Desert Solar Project in San Bernardino County, California
Brookfield Renewable Power in the approximately $1 billion acquisition of Scout Clean Energy from Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners
Brookfield Renewable Power in its investment of up to $500 million in California Bioenergy, a leading developer of dairy digesters for generating renewable vehicle fuel and electricity
Numerous tax equity investors in their initial investments in utility scale wind, solar, and storage projects including—with respect to solar and storage—commercial, industrial, and residential assets, utilizing partnership flip transactions, sale leaseback, and inverted lease structures
Tax equity investor in its investment in a portfolio of three utility scale solar photovoltaic projects in Texas, Colorado, and Vermont with nameplate capacities of 30 MW, 19.59 MW, and 50 MW, respectively
MN8 Energy in connection with the acquisition from Recurrent Energy and the development, debt and term financing of a 300MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plus 140.25MW/561MWh storage project in California. The project will sell power pursuant to 5 separate power purchase agreements, 4 of which include energy storage
JPM Capital Corporation in its approximately $160 million equity commitment to develop the approximately 126 MW Timber Road IV Wind Farm Project in Paulding County, Ohio, and the approximately 50.4 MW Los Mirasoles II Wind Farm Project in Hidalgo and Starr Counties, Texas
Tax equity investor in the $185 million tax equity investment and lender in a $60 million loan to repower three wind generation facilities in Texas totaling 546MW, each being developed by one of the largest renewable energy project developers in the U.S.
Tax equity investor in its approximately $350 million tax equity commitment in a 485 MW solar project in Virginia, which is the largest solar facility east of the Rocky Mountains
Residential solar project developer in tax equity financings with multiple tax equity sources, major equipment procurement contracts, and related strategic advice regarding growth strategies
Terra-Gen in the approximately $250 million construction financing and $170 million tax equity financing for the 193.5MW Voyager Wind II Project in Kern County, California, and the 32.7MW Texas Big Spring Project in Big Spring, Texas
Wells Fargo in their tax equity investment to construct the 145 MW Aragonne Mesa Wind Project and to repower the 90 MW Aragonne Wind Project, both in Guadalupe County, New Mexico
Monolith, a green hydrogen project developer, in tax credit advice and representation in connection with its qualification for and monetization of IRA hydrogen project tax credits
Wind turbine manufacturer and solar project inverter manufacturer in connection with each of their sales of IRA manufacturing credits
Various sponsors and developers in domestic content and energy community qualification analysis and preparation of related tax opinions and memorandums
Preparation of comments to Treasury and other stakeholder comments relating to various Inflation Reduction Act matters on behalf of investors, sponsors, developers, and trade associations
Negotiation of tax insurance policies covering tax risks relating to the Inflation Reduction Act
8 Rivers Capital in its joint venture with ADM to develop the 280 MW Broadwing Clean Energy Complex in Illinois, one of the world’s first zero emissions Allam-Fetvedt cycle power plants, including CO2 storage capabilities
8 Rivers Capital in its joint venture with The Southern Ute Indian Tribe Growth Fund to develop the 280 MW Coyote Clean Power Project in Colorado, one of the world’s first zero-emissions NET Power natural gas-fired power plants, including CO2 capture and storage capabilities
MN8 Energy in connection with the acquisition from Recurrent Energy and the development, debt and term financing of a 300MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plus 140.25MW/561MWh storage project in California. The project will sell power pursuant to 5 separate power purchase agreements, 4 of which include energy storage
Private equity fund in a $150 million debut joint venture with a solar developer to acquire and develop community solar and other eligible renewable projects
Credentials
- University of Southern California Gould School of Law, J.D., 2010 (Southern California Law Review, Senior Content Editor)
- New York University School of Law, LL.M., Taxation, 2011
- University of California – San Diego, B.A. Political Science with honors, 2007
- Chambers Global, Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy (USA), 2023; “Up and Coming” in Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy (USA), 2023 and 2024
- Legal 500 U.S., “Next Generation Partner” in Energy: Renewable/Alternative Power, 2022-2024; Finance: Project Finance, 2022-2024; Tax: U.S. Taxes: Non-Contentious, 2023 and 2024
- Chambers USA, Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy (Nationwide), 2022; “Up and Coming” in Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy (Nationwide), 2022; Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy (Nationwide), 2024; Tax (California), 2024
- Kayo Conference Series, “Top 21 in ’21: Women in Power,” 2021
- California
- EventDecember 5, 2024Webinar
- Event RecapNovember 7, 2024
- InsightOctober 30, 2024
V&E Renewable Energy Update
- InsightOctober 29, 2024
- Deals & CasesOctober 23, 2024
- InsightOctober 16, 2024
Published by Crux
- Deals & CasesOctober 1, 2024
- InsightSeptember 25, 2024
V&E Renewable Energy Update
- InsightSeptember 13, 2024
V&E Renewable Energy Update
- InsightAugust 5, 2024
Published by Bloomberg Tax, August 5, 2024
- InsightJuly 15, 2024
V&E Renewable Energy Update
- Rankings & AwardsJune 12, 2024
- Rankings & AwardsJune 6, 2024
- InsightJune 5, 2024
- InsightJune 4, 2024
V&E Renewable Energy Update
- InsightMay 17, 2024
V&E Renewable Energy Update
- Event RecapMay 8, 2024
- InsightApril 30, 2024
- InsightApril 26, 2024
V&E Renewable Energy Update
- InsightMarch 25, 2024
V&E Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Update
- Deals & CasesMarch 13, 2024
- InsightMarch 6, 2024
V&E Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Update
- Deals & CasesFebruary 22, 2024
- Rankings & AwardsFebruary 15, 2024
- Event RecapJanuary 31, 2024
- Deals & CasesJanuary 10, 2024
- Event RecapJanuary 9, 2024
- InsightDecember 22, 2023
V&E Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Update
- InsightDecember 18, 2023
V&E Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Update
- Deals & CasesNovember 29, 2023
- InsightNovember 21, 2023
V&E Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Update
- Event RecapOctober 26, 2023
- Deals & CasesOctober 3, 2023
- InsightSeptember 18, 2023
Published by Renewable Energy SmartPod
- Event RecapSeptember 13, 2023
- InsightSeptember 5, 2023
- InsightAugust 16, 2023
V&E+ Views
- InsightAugust 14, 2023
V&E IRA Update
- Deals & CasesAugust 9, 2023
- InsightJune 16, 2023
V&E Renewable Energy Update
- InsightJune 16, 2023
V&E Renewable Energy Update
- InsightJune 15, 2023
V&E Renewable Energy Update
- Rankings & AwardsJune 12, 2023
- InsightJune 5, 2023
- InsightJune 2, 2023
V&E Renewable Energy Update
- InsightJune 2, 2023
V&E Renewable Energy Update
- Rankings & AwardsJune 1, 2023
- InsightMay 12, 2023
V&E Renewable Energy Update
- Deals & CasesMay 2, 2023
- Treasury Quietly Changes Energy Community Guidance, Redefining Beginning of Construction Timing RuleInsightApril 10, 2023
V&E Renewable Energy Update
- InsightApril 3, 2023
V&E Renewable Energy Update
- Rankings & AwardsFebruary 16, 2023
- InsightFebruary 15, 2023
- InsightFebruary 14, 2023
V&E Renewable Energy Update
- Deals & CasesJanuary 4, 2023
- InsightNovember 30, 2022
V&E Inflation Reduction Act Update
- Deals & CasesNovember 21, 2022
- Deals & CasesSeptember 29, 2022
- Event RecapSeptember 13, 2022
- InsightSeptember 2, 2022
Published by Bloomberg Tax on September 1, 2022
- Deals & CasesAugust 17, 2022
- InsightAugust 16, 2022
- Event RecapAugust 16, 2022
- InsightAugust 12, 2022
V&E Energy Update
- Deals & CasesAugust 4, 2022
- Event RecapAugust 4, 2022
- InsightJuly 28, 2022
V&E Energy Update
- Rankings & AwardsJune 16, 2022
- Rankings & AwardsJune 1, 2022
- Deals & CasesMarch 29, 2022
- Event RecapMarch 29, 2022
- Deals & CasesApril 16, 2021
- Press ReleaseFebruary 3, 2021
- “2018 in Retrospect: The Renewable Energy Industry in a Post-TCJA World,” Tax Notes, February 11, 2019 (co-author)
- “Is It Safe? – A Solar Safe Harbor,” Tax Notes, July 3,2017 (co-author)
- “Back to the Beginning: Energy Property Revisited,” Tax Notes, December 19, 2016 (co-author)
- “The Unwind: ‘I Don’t Want It’,” Tax Notes, September 12, 2016 (co-author)
- “Renewable Power Facilities: Placed-in-Service Issues,” Tax Notes, Vol. 151, No. 8, May 23, 2016 (co-author)
- “Renewable Structures: Choices and Challenges,” Pratt’s Energy Law Report, Vol. 15, No. 7, July 2015 (co-author)