Bill Holmes focuses his practice in the area of energy and infrastructure projects and transactions with an emphasis on wind energy, solar energy, and energy storage. His experience extends to corporate transactions and real estate law. Bill also advises clients in negotiating major power purchase agreements, membership interest purchase agreements and asset purchase agreements for the acquisition or sale of renewable energy projects, performing project due diligence on wind, solar, and energy storage projects in connection with acquisitions, debt financing and tax equity financing, and utility-scale build-transfer agreements, EPC agreements, O&M agreements, and energy project development agreements. Bill has a particular focus on energy storage, and was previously on the Board of the Energy Storage Association, the leading trade association for the storage industry, which has since merged with ACP.
Prior to joining K&L Gates, William was a partner in the Portland office of Stoel Rives LLP.
- Recognized by Chambers USA for Energy & Natural Resources in Oregon, 2022-2024
- Recognized by The Legal 500 United States as a Recommended Lawyer for Energy: renewable/alternative power, 2024
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America® every year since 2007 (Energy Law, Energy Regulatory Law, Environmental Law)
- Recipient of "Lawyer of the Year" award for Energy Regulatory Law in Portland, 2018
- Recipient of "Lawyer of the Year" award for Energy Law in Portland, 2019 and 2017
- Recipient of the inaugural Champion Award, Women of Wind Energy, 2012
- Selected as a "Leader in the Field" by Chambers Global (Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy - USA), 2011
- Named the Best Lawyers® 2011 “Energy Lawyer of the Year” for the Portland, OR region
- Board of Directors, Energy Storage Association
- Board of Directors, Smart Grid Northwest
- Member, Oregon State Bar Public Utility Law Section
- Member, American Bar Association Energy and Natural Resources Section
- Adjunct Professor, University of Oregon Law School, "Renewable Energy Law," Spring of 2008 – 2012
- Panelist, “Renewable Energy Storage: Implementing Projects, Overcoming Co-Location Challenges, and Mitigating Risks,” Strafford, January 26, 2022
- Presenter, “Benefits and Challenges of Incorporating Storage Into a Solar VPPA,” REBA Connect: Virtual Member Summit, May 21, 2020 and July 21, 2020
- Master of Ceremonies, Infocast’s Wind Power Finance & Investment Main Summit, February 5-6, 2020
- Moderator, “The West Coast - The Economics of Floating Technology,” Infocast’s Wind Power Finance & Investment Summit, February 4, 2020
- Panelist, “How to Finance A Better (C&I) Portfolio,” Solar Power International, September 25, 2019
- Co-chair, LSI Presents: Second Annual In-Depth Conference on Energy Storage, Seattle, Washington, June 13-14, 2019
- Presenter, “Ins and Outs of Energy Storage Agreements”, The Energy Storage Association Annual Conference, Phoenix, Arizona, April 17, 2019
- Speaker and panelist, “Advanced Contracting in Energy Storage (ACES) Workshop”, Energy Storage Association Annual Conference, ACES Workshop, Phoenix, Arizona, April 16, 2019
- Moderator, “Distributed Energy Solutions to Meet Corporate Goals,” Renewable Energy Buyer’s Summit, January 9-11, 2019
- Moderator, “Assessing the Potential of Green Tariffs as a Renewable Sourcing Option,” Renewable Energy Buyer’s Summit, January 9-11, 2019
- Panelist; “Identifying, Assigning and Allocating Risk,” Energy Storage North America Expo, November 6-8, 2018
- Session Co-host; “PPA Innovations and Risk: The Legal Perspective,” Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance Summit, October 14-16, 2018
- Presenter, “Storage as the Next Breakthrough Technological Solution: Utility Scale and Off the Grid Options”, LSI Buying & Selling Electric Power in the Southwest, August 6-7, 2018
- Co-chair, LSI Energy Storage Conference, Seattle, Washington, June 11-12, 2018
- Moderator, “Monetization and Financing for Energy Storage Projects,” Energy Storage, Distributed Generation, and the Evolving Grid: Policy Developments and Market Opportunities, October 11, 2017
- Panelist, “Energy Storage,” Energy Storage, Distributed Generation, and the Evolving Grid: Policy Developments and Market Opportunities, October 11, 2017
- Panelist, “Sealing the C&I Deal: Innovations, Challenges, and Opportunities,” AWEA Windpower, May 22-25, 2017
- Co-host, “Corporate Renewables 101 Workshop,” Infocast’s Corporate Renewables, September 26-28, 2016
- Presenter, “Storage and Solar: the Intertwining of Technical and Legal Innovations”, American Bar Association, Section of Environment Energy, and Resource, GPS and RADER Committee (2014)
- Moderator, “Exploring Business Opportunities: Paying Your Bills with Energy Storage,” Energy Storage Association 24th Annual Conference (2014)
- Presenter, “Long-Term PPAs for Energy Storage,” Energy Storage Association 24th Annual Conference (2014)
- Panelist, “Energy Storage – What Will it Take?: Recent Developments in US Energy Storage Law and Policy,” 2014 Oregon Future Energy Conference, April 22, 2014
- Moderator, “Current Storage Technologies Panel,” 2014 University of Texas Renewable Energy law Conference, January 28, 2014
- Presenter, “Future of Hydroelectric Generation in the Pacific Northwest: Provisions of the Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2013,” 19th Annual Conference on Buying & Selling Electric Power in the West, January 13, 2014
- Panelist, “Legal and Regulatory Perspectives on Energy Storage,” Hydrovision International, 2013, Denver, Colorado, July 24, 2013
- Panelist, “Valuing Hydro in Today’s Energy Markets,” National Hydropower Association Annual Conference, Washington, DC, April 22-24, 2013
- Moderator, “Storage Sector Update,” Future Energy Conference, Portland, Oregon, April 16-17, 2013
- Summit Chairman, 6th Annual Storage Week, 2012, Austin, Texas, April 3-4, 2013
- Moderator, “Storage Policy in Texas: Comparison with California,” 2013 University of Texas Renewable Energy Institute, Austin, Texas, January 29-30, 2013
- Presenter, “Future of Hydroelectric Generation in the Pacific Northwest,” 18th Annual Conference on Buying & Selling Electric Power in the West, January 18, 2013
- Presenter, “Understanding Power Purchase Agreement Contracting with DoD,” 2nd Defense renewable Energy & Military Microgrids, Washington, DC, Nov. 28-30, 2012
- Moderator, "Energy Storage for the Grid: Watchful Waiting or Perfect Storm," MIT Enterprise Forum Northwest, Seattle, Washington, May 8, 2012
- Moderator, "Integration, Reliability, Operational and Regulatory Issues for Renewables," Wind, Solar and Storage CLE, Austin, Texas, Feb. 15, 2012
- Presenter, "Transmission & Grid Integration", The Renewable Energy Technology Conference & Exhibition, Washington DC, Sept. 22, 2011
- Summit Chairman and Moderator, "Developing and Financing Pumped Hydro Projects," Storage Week, 2011, San Diego, California, July 13, 2011
- "Financing and Monetizing Energy Storage," Project Finance International, November 2017
- “Corporate Energy Sourcing: A New Engine For Renewables,” Law360, 27 October 2015