From Competitive Markets to Land Leasing for Renewable Energy

Scott Aaronson | Demeter Land Development, LLC

Scott Aaronson received his JD/MBA from University of Toledo in 2010. In addition to his law firm, he also owns Demeter Land Development, a company dedicated to assisting renewable energy developers with land acquisition and early-stage development for DG solar facilities. In this role, he has worked with many of the major renewable energy developers in the United States. He has been a practicing attorney for 13 years licensed in Michigan and Illinois.

He also owns a real estate portfolio throughout the metro Detroit area including The Hamtramck Hostel, a youth hostel in Hamtramck MI. In his free time, he enjoys traveling and hangs out with his dog Jazzy and wife, Mallerie.

Ashley Hallene | Demeter Land Development, LLC

Ashley Hallene is a lawyer and land acquisition specialist with 13 years combined experience in oil and gas and renewable energy. She specializes in the negotiation of leases for oil and gas, solar, and battery energy storage, along with exploration agreements, farm-out/farm-in agreements, joint operating agreements, and field-wide unit agreements.

In her spare time, Ashley is a co-author in several titles, including Technology Tips for Seniors Volume 2.0 (2018), Technology Tips for Lawyers and other Business Professionals (2016), Technology Tips for Seniors (2016), Technology Solutions for Today’s Lawyer (2013) and the iPad for Lawyers (2013). She has published articles on legal technology in GP|SOLO Magazine, GP|SOLO eReport, Experience Magazine, Voice of Experience, and the Attorney at Work and Techno Lawyer Newsletters. Ashley is an active member of the American Bar Association’s General Practice Solo & Small Firm Division and the Senior Lawyers Division. She is Editor-in-Chief of the GP|Solo eReport. She earned her J. D. from University of Houston Law Center in 2009 and her B.S. from University of Houston in 2004. Ashley lives in Katy, Texas with her husband, Jack, and their son, Cyrus. Ashley is licensed to practice law in Texas.

Porter Wiseman | Hogan Lovells

Porter has extensive experience with competition issues in the power sector, including the development and operation of organized electricity markets. Her work includes regulatory support and due diligence for all types of transactions in the energy space, such as the sale of generation facilities—including nuclear and hydropower stations—and the development of merchant transmission. Porter has advised clients in dozens of matters relating to renewables and distributed generation, including onsite generation for industrial and data applications. In addition, Porter has provided regulatory and industry-knowledge support for multiple utility financial restructurings and represented a major oil company in securities class action litigation.

In addition to her work in the energy space, her work on behalf of clients has also included antitrust and telecommunications matters before the courts and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), including a major international telecommunications litigation involving allegations of anticompetitive behavior and litigation before the FCC regarding telecommunications mergers.

Furthermore, Porter has represented clients, pro bono, in the fields of voting rights, immigration, tenants’ rights, international human rights, forced marriage, and lead contamination.

I. Understand Regulatory Frameworks | 1:00pm – 1:15pm

• Analyze the division of authority between state public utility commissions and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and how this impacts the U.S. power sector

II. Explore the Evolution of Competition | 1:15pm – 1:30pm

• Examine the historical transition of the U.S. power sector from a fully regulated industry to one driven by competitive markets over the past 30 years

III. Navigate Power Markets | 1:30pm – 1:45pm

• Gain insights into how regional wholesale power markets operate and understand the processes of power buying and selling, including bilateral power sale agreements

IV. Address Challenges in the Energy Transition | 1:45pm – 2:00pm

• Identify key regulatory and market challenges related to renewable energy development, battery storage integration, data center corridor demands, and transmission infrastructure barriers

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

V. Master Renewable Energy Land Leasing | 2:10pm – 2:30pm

• Learn the critical elements of land lease agreements for renewable energy projects, including site selection, lease term negotiations, and balancing financial terms with project viability

VI. Evaluate Key Site Characteristics | 2:30pm – 2:50pm

• Identify and assess site-specific factors that influence renewable energy project success and their impact on lease agreement negotiations

VII. Develop Strategic Advocacy Skill | 2:50pm – 3:10pm

• Acquire strategies to advocate effectively for clients leasing land for renewable energy development while aligning with industry practices and project needs