Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance advises US Department of Energy LPO on first loan guarantee under the Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program

Global law firm Clifford Chance has advised the US Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office (DOE LPO) on its US$72.8 million partial loan guarantee of a U.S. Bank loan to finance the development of a solar-plus-energy-storage microgrid to be located on the tribal lands of the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians near Alpine, California.

This project is supported by a grant from the California Energy Commission, investments from U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance, a subsidiary of U.S. Bank, and Starbucks. Its construction will provide the Viejas Band with reliable utility-scale renewable energy generation and storage infrastructure through the installation of a 15 MW photovoltaic solar generation system and a 70 MWh battery long-duration energy storage system.  

Energy & Infrastructure counsel Peter Hughes led the Clifford Chance team along with associate Jenny Ahn. The wider Clifford Chance team included Energy & Infrastructure finance associates Serena Seaman, Anna O’Neil, and Douglas Mulliken; partners Alex Leff (tax) and Marcia Hook, associate Adriana Velez-Leon (energy regulatory), partner Ty’Meka Reeves-Sobers and associate Hannah Ebersole (environmental).

This work continues Clifford Chance's extensive record advising DOE LPO on energy transition projects, including recently advising DOE LPO on the US$102.1 million financing for the expansion of the Syrah Vidalia facility producing material used in batteries for electric vehicles, the US$504.4 million loan guarantee for the ACES clean hydrogen production and storage project, and the US$2 billion loan guarantee for Ultium Cells' lithium-ion battery manufacturing facilities.