About Sara

Sara Bergan is an energy law attorney who helps renewable energy clients navigate structured deals within a complex regulatory framework. She has broad experience helping renewable energy clients through the development, procurement, construction, and acquisition/divestiture stages. Although she has worked on wind, solar, storage and other renewable energy projects of all sizes, she has focused primarily on utility scale projects and has particular experience in community-based or shared solar programs.

Sara has long been active in policy, legal and regulatory issues related to the energy sector. Prior to joining Stoel Rives, Sara served for several years as the executive director of the Great Plains Institute, a Midwest non-profit that brokers consensus energy and climate policy decisions among diverse stakeholders.

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Experience

Representation of client in negotiating and closing build transfer agreements for large wind energy generation projects with several Midwest utilities.

Representation of numerous solar developers in the acquisition, divestiture and/or financing of portfolios of solar projects in various jurisdictions across the country.

Representation of developers and subscribers in the negotiation and drafting of subscriptions and offtake arrangements.

Negotiation and drafting of energy construction, balance of plant and energy supply contracts for various clients.

Assisted clients in various tax equity and debt financings related to projects in various locations (e.g. Minnesota, Colorado, California, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, and Massachusetts).

Representation of various clients in state energy permitting and regulatory matters for large energy facilities in the Midwest.

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Insights & Presentations

“Power Purchase Agreements and Renewable Energy Certificates: Distributed Generation Projects” (co-author), Chapter 2; “Solar Energy System Design, Engineering, Construction, and Installation Agreements” (co-author), Chapter 4; “Community Solar” (co-author), Chapter 9; The Law of Solar—A Guide to Business and Legal Issues, Stoel Rives LLP, Sixth Edition, 2022 (formerly Lex Helius: The Law of Solar Energy)
“Design, Engineering, Construction, and Procurement” (co-author), Chapter 8, The Law of Wind: A Guide to Business and Legal Issues, Stoel Rives LLP, Ninth Edition, 2022
“Minnesota is primed to turn a page on the conflict between solar growth and farmland preservation” (co-author), pv magazine, May 14, 2021
“Community Solar: Ready for the New Decade” (co-author), POWER magazine, February 3, 2020
“Balancing solar development and preservation of agricultural lands in the Midwest” (co-author), pv magazine, August 27, 2019
“Purchasing Power” (co-author), pv magazine, January 2017
“What’s Ahead For Community Solar In 2017?” (co-author), Solar Industry Magazine, December 2016
“Care in the Community” (co-author), pv magazine, September 2015
“Federal court uncovers utility sector secret: electrons don’t follow rules,” Intelligent Utility, May 19, 2014
“Minnesota Aims for Grand Solar Bargain” (co-author), pv magazine, May 5, 2014
“Spring in Minnesota: Will the Groundbreaking Value of Solar approach mean ground is broken on solar gardens?” pv magazine, March 28, 2014
Lex Helius: The Law of Solar Energy (co-author), Stoel Rives LLP, Fourth Edition, 2014
The Law of Biorefineries and Advanced Biofuels (co-author), Stoel Rives LLP, 2012
Lex Helius: The Law of Solar Energy (co-author), Stoel Rives LLP, Third Edition, 2011
“EPA Develops and Fortifies Renewable Fuel Standard with Proposed 2012 Rule” (co-author), Oregon Insider, 2011
“EPA Releases Draft 2012 Renewable Fuel Standards” (co-author), Oil Price Information Service, 2011
“Densification: Associated Legal Challenges and Opportunities” (co-author), Biomass Magazine, November 2011
Case Study: A Wind Development Project in the State of California, Stoel Rives LLP, June 2011 (PDF - available in English and Chinese)
Geological Disposal of CO2 and Radioactive Waste: A Comparative Assessment (co-author), Chapter, January 2011
“Assessing a Liability Regime for Carbon Capture and Storage” (co-author), Energy Procedia, February 2009
“Carbon Sequestration and Sustainability” (co-author), 44 Tulsa L. Rev. 237, 2008
Contributor, Stoel Rives Renewable Energy & Climate Policy Law Blog
Sara is also a frequent speaker on a range of renewable energy issues.