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Katherine E. Ross

Partner
Energy Industry Team Leader
Raleigh | 919.835.4671
Fax | 919.834.4564

Katherine Ross is an accomplished renewable energy and environmental lawyer who advises clients on their transactional, regulatory, and contractual needs. She leads Parker Poe’s Energy Industry Team. 

Katherine provides counsel on the permitting, buying, selling, and financing of renewable energy projects. She advises renewable energy developers and independent power producers across the Southeast on site control and land acquisition agreements, land use permits, zoning entitlements, environmental permits, and local incentive and tax abatement agreements. She regularly represents clients before state commissions and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Katherine represents developers on portfolios of renewable energy projects ranging in value from tens of millions of dollars to hundreds of millions of dollars, including representing developers on acquisitions, joint ventures, construction financing, permanent financing, and tax equity structures. Her clients include international solar energy companies, one of the largest American utilities, and some of the biggest independent power producers in the U.S. She also represents investors in renewable energy projects, entities providing loans and credit vehicles for those projects, and commercial and industrial businesses seeking renewable energy resources.

Katherine’s clients and peers consistently rank her among the top lawyers in North Carolina.

Katherine and the Parker Poe Energy Team routinely advise energy clients on development services agreements, engineering, procurement, and construction agreements, power purchase agreements, interconnection agreements, and agreements for the sale of renewable energy certificates.

In addition, Katherine serves on the Parker Poe Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and is a past chair and active member of Parker Poe's Pro Bono Committee.

Representative Experience

  • Represented clean energy developer on a portfolio of over 15 solar facilities across NC and SC with site control, land use and zoning permits, environmental approvals, REC contracts, engineering and construction contracts, debt and tax equity financing.
  • Represented independent power producer in obtaining a use permit from the local jurisdiction, a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Convenience and Cecessity from the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC), and a wind siting permit from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality for a large scale wind project.
  • Represented clean energy company on the acquisition of portfolios of solar facilities sited across NC, SC, GA, and VA, with a transactional value in excess of $100 million.
  • Represented developer on the development and sale of a merchant solar facility to an investor-owned utility.
  • Advised on electric generator lessor applications to the NCUC.
  • Represented developer on multiple sale-leaseback transactions involving solar facilities sited in NC.
  • Represented developer on a tax equity (partnership flip) transaction involving solar facilities in GA.
  • Advised large independent power producer on form and site-specific site control documents across multiple states.
  • Advised clients on developing solar farms, wind farms, anaerobic digestive facilities, and fuel cell systems.
  • Assisted clients with regulatory filings before the NCUC and FERC.
  • Represented developers in the sale of early, mid, and late stage developments to independent power producers.
  • Advised clients on economic development opportunities; federal, state, and local development incentives; grants, tax credits, and tax exemptions.

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Honors & Awards

  • The Best Lawyers in America in Energy Law, 2022-2025; Municipal Law, 2019-2023
  • The Best Lawyers in America "Lawyer of the Year" in Raleigh for Energy Law, 2022
  • Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers in Energy & Natural Resources and Environmental Law, 2021-2024

Memberships

  • StepUp Ministry (Raleigh), Board of Directors, 2017-present
  • StepUp North Carolina, Board of Directors, 2022-present
  • Southeastern Wind Coalition, Vice Chair/Member, 2019-present
  • Parker Poe, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, 2022-present; Pro Bono Committee, 2017-present, Former Chair; Social Justice Taskforce, 2020-2022
  • North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center, Advisory Board, 2018-2022
  • North Carolina Bar Association, Environment, Energy & Natural Resources Law Section Council, Former Member; Energy Committee, Former Chair; Administrative Law Section Council, Former Member
  • Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE), Former Member
  • KidzNotes, Program Committee Member, 2014-2017
  • Raleigh Chamber, Leadership Raleigh Class 32, 2015-2016