Lynne E. Gedanken

Partner

Practice Description

Lynne Gedanken, a Washington, D.C partner, has worked in the electricity sector for over 30 years. Ms. Gedanken advises developers and lenders with respect to the full range of project, equity and loan agreements for and the structuring of electric generation, transmission and distribution projects throughout the world. She also advises private companies and governmental entities on matters relating to the privatization of utility assets and systems, and tenders for existing companies, assets and greenfield projects.

She has worked on transactions involving private sector financing, as well as financing provided by multilateral institutions, export credit agencies and development finance institutions. Ms. Gedanken has represented several large industrial corporations in negotiating contracts and rate schedules relating to their electricity needs, as well as providing counsel on alternative approaches for meeting those needs. She negotiates transactions in English and French.

Representative Matters

• Representing the U.S. Department of Energy in connection with proposed loan guarantees to (i) Georgia Power Company, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, and Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia for the financing of the 2,214 MW Vogtle nuclear power project in Georgia and (ii) Calvert Cliffs 3 Nuclear Project, LLC for the financing of the 1600 MW Calvert Cliffs 3 Nuclear Power Project in Maryland, sponsored by UniStar Nuclear Energy, LLC.
• Advising a European developer in connection with the development and financing of 300 MW of solar photovoltaic projects in East Africa. 
• Advising the lenders (including IFC, Asian Development Bank, the Export-Import Bank of Korea, Korea Export Insurance Corporation, BNP Paribas and the State Bank of India) to Coastal Gujurat Power Limited in connection with the $4.25 billion financing of the 4000 MW Mundra Ultra Mega Power Project.
• Representing ABSA Bank and Nedbank in connection with the financing of the 100 MW Phase I of the approximately 550 MW Dorper wind farm in South Africa.
• Represented The Royal Bank of Scotland plc in an application to the U.S. Department of Energy for a loan guarantee under the Section 1705 Financial Institution Partnership Program and the related financing for the Topaz Solar Project, a proposed 550 MW photovoltaic solar project to be constructed in San Luis Obispo County, California. The developer is First Solar.
• Advising Nedbank in connection with the financing of the approximately 20 MW Klawer wind farm in South Africa.
• Representing the U.S. Department of Energy in connection with proposed loan guarantees to (i) U. S Geothermal Oregon LLC in connection with the financing of an approximately 20 MW geothermal power plant in Oregon, (ii) Nordic Windpower in connection the financing of a wind turbine manufacturing facility and (iii) Mississippi Power Company in connection with the financing of its 582 MW Kemper IGCC power project.
• Advising a solar power developer in connection with a fund raising for a portfolio of solar pv projects.
• Advised a bidder in connection with a tender for a solar thermal power project in Israel.
• Advising Gigawatt Global in connection with the development and financing of solar photovoltaic power projects in Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. 
• Representing AES Jordan in connection with the bid, development, financing (by OPIC, JBIC and commercial banks with a partial risk guarantee from the World Bank) and construction of the 370 MW Amman East Power Project in Jordan.
• Advised Zorlu Energji, a Turkish power project developer, in connection with the development of the Dorad Energy Power Project, an 800 MW combined cycle power project in Ashkelon, Israel and in connection with a 55 MW cogeneration facility in Israel.
• Advised IFC, EIB and Frontier Market Fund Managers in connection with the financing of the Geometric Power Project, a gas-fired electric generation facility along with electricity distribution company, in Abia, Nigeria.
• Advising a bidder in connection with the Fujeij wind power project in Jordan.
• Represented a consortium of Globeleq Limited and Eskom Enterprises in connection with the concession for the electricity distribution system in Uganda and partial risk guarantees for the project from the World Bank.
• Represented Zorlu Energji in connection with the development and financing of two heat and power projects in Moscow. 
• Advised White Rock Associates and Kleen Energy Systems in connection with Kleen Energy’s 620 MW combined cycle power project in Middletown, Connecticut.
• Represented Office National de l’Electricité, the national electric utility of Morocco, in connection with a tender for an IPP project. 
• Represented AES Kyivoblenergo and AES Rivineoblenergo, two Ukrainian electricity distribution companies in connection with the financing, by the International Finance Corporation, of their capital investment programs.
• Represented Cyprus Minerals in connection with its transmission contract with Minnesota Power for its Silver Bay, Minnesota power plant. 
• Represented a UK investment fund in connection with the proposed acquisition of an Estonian electricity distribution company. 
• Advised CDC Globeleq on the acquisition of the Kelvin Power Project in South Africa and the Songo Songo Gas to Electricity project in Tanzania. 
• As lead attorney, advised Carthage Power Company, a Tunisian company owned by affiliates of Marubeni Corporation, PSEG Global and Sithe Energies, Inc., in connection with the development and financing of the $260 million Radès II Power Project, a 471MW gas-fired combined cycle power plant that is the first IPP in Tunisia. 
• As lead attorney in a team, advised the Government of Israel regarding a tender for an independent power project in that country, including advising the Government of Israel on the formulation of necessary regulations and contracts for IPPs. 
• Advised AES Kelvin Power, the buyer of the first privatized power project in South Africa on the acquisition and financing of the project. 
• Advised a subsidiary of AES on the acquisition of a 270MW barge-mounted power station in Nigeria. 
• Senior legal advisor to a company bidding in the privatization of Senelec, the integrated electric utility in Senegal. 
• Advised the state government of Victoria, Australia, on matters relating to the privatization of its gas utility system through a divestiture of assets. 
• Advised a subsidiary of AES on the development of the Sapele ROT project in Nigeria. 
• Advised AES Corporation on the acquisition through a privatization of the 4,000MW Ekibastuz Gres I power project in Kazakhstan. 
• Represented clients in the United States in state and federal regulatory proceedings and counseled clients on electric regulatory matters.

Honors

Activities and Affiliations

Publications

Speeches and Events

Ms. Gedanken has spoken and led seminars on topics including the financeability of power projects, issues and risk allocation in power purchase contracts, transfer conditions in BOT contracts, electric transmission issues, and rate design.