Energy & Utilities

Miller Nash provides trusted legal counsel to clients across the energy industry. We gained our experience and expertise through close working partnerships with our clients, helping them maximize opportunities while managing costs and risk in a rapidly evolving energy landscape. Our attorneys are committed to delivering results-driven solutions that align with our clients’ strategic objectives.

We represent a diverse range of clients, including oil and gas companies, investor-owned utilities, developers, investors and lenders, contractors, manufacturers, suppliers, such as battery energy storage suppliers, and customers/purchasers. Our clients are active in both traditional energy sources—such as oil and natural gas—and renewable energy resources, such as wind, solar, and alternative fuels. In addition, we serve nonprofits, private businesses and public institutions seeking to reduce carbon emissions, such as schools and universities.

We provide a full spectrum of legal services. Our multidisciplinary approach covers a range of needs, including:

• Siting, development, and construction, including EPC, PPAs, and supply agreements.
• Project finance and state and federal tax credits and incentive programs.
• Operations and management, such as O&M agreements, master services agreements, and LTSAs.
• Environmental and regulatory compliance.
• Labor and employment.
• Alternative dispute resolution, litigation, and appeals, including disputes involving administrative and regulatory matters, project contracts, real estate and title, environmental compliance, class actions, intellectual property, privacy, and insurance recovery.

Regulatory and Commercial Support

Miller Nash offers legal support throughout the lifecycle of energy infrastructure projects. Our team guides clients through complex siting and permitting processes and helps them obtain the requisite land use approvals and agency certifications, including from the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council. We help clients identify and overcome development hurdles early, enabling projects to stay on schedule, within budget, and in compliance with applicable law.

Miller Nash stays at the forefront of energy regulation, assisting clients in understanding and adapting to dynamic energy and environmental policy. We also provide strategic guidance on legislative policy, helping clients shape energy and environmental statutes and regulations at state, local, and federal levels. Our attorneys also advocate before legislative and rule-making bodies, including the Oregon Public Utility Commission and the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission.

Investor-Owned and Public Utilities

Our team provides strategic legal counsel to investor-owned and public utilities. We support clients on ongoing commercial matters, strategic transactions, real estate matters, and capital projects, offering practical, industry-informed guidance. Several Miller Nash attorneys have worked in-house at energy companies. We help clients ensure compliance with local land use and zoning laws, state and federal regulatory frameworks, and environmental review processes. Our team handles EPC agreements, BTAs, PPAs, LTSAs, master service agreements, real estate and title documents, and a wide array of regulatory filings.

From rate cases and service territory disputes to infrastructure development, we represent clients before state utility commissions and local jurisdictions. Whether structuring public-private partnerships or advising on decarbonization and modernization initiatives, we deliver tailored legal solutions that support sustainable growth and regulatory resilience.

Renewable Energy

Our renewable energy practice delivers comprehensive transactional support to developers, investors, utilities, and independent power producers across the clean energy landscape. We work with clients on solar, wind, battery storage, and other emerging technologies, providing practical, industry-specific legal counsel at every stage of a project's lifecycle.

Our attorneys are skilled in negotiating and drafting the full suite of project agreements essential to renewable energy development and operation. This includes development agreements, PPAs, EPC contracts, equipment supply and warranty contracts, LTSAs, and site control documents such as leases, easements, and license agreements. We ensure each agreement is aligned with project goals, risk tolerance, and financing requirements.

We also advise clients on structuring and closing complex joint ventures, tax equity investments, and project financing, tailoring solutions to meet the unique demands of renewable energy markets. Our team helps secure land use entitlements, manage permitting pathways, and ensure compliance with state and federal regulations.

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Our energy clients trust our litigation team to resolve their disputes efficiently and effectively. We regularly appear in federal and state courts, arbitration, and before regulatory bodies, offering subject matter expertise, advocacy skills, and credibility before the decision-maker. We adopt a strategic, results-driven approach to every case regardless of the size of the dispute, the jurisdiction, or the nature of the claims.

Our litigation capabilities include:

• Complex contract disputes.
• Product liability claims.
• Construction defect.
• Torts and catastrophic accidents, including climate change and wildfires.
• Class actions.
• Labor disputes and union grievances.
• Employment investigations and litigation.
• Regulatory and government investigation and enforcement proceedings.
• Real estate and condemnation matters.
• Antitrust and unfair competition claims.
• Appeals.

We are adept at all phases of litigation, including trial, protecting and advocating for our clients’ interests throughout the litigation process.

Miller Nash is a leader in providing legal services across the energy sector. Our attorneys have the experience, skill, and industry knowledge to support clients in the development, operation, and maintenance of energy projects, while ensuring compliance with complex regulatory frameworks. Whether you are developing new renewable energy projects, managing conventional energy operations, or navigating regulatory challenges, Miller Nash is your trusted legal partner.