Robert Lane is Head of the Regulated Industries Team, and has been advising in the energy sector for over 20 years.
Robert has worked extensively on the England & Wales electricity reforms and on the Northern Ireland restructuring including the recent introduction of the Single Electricity Market. This involved developing the design with the Regulator and Government, and designing the detailed documentary matrix. He regularly advises in relation to utility related M&A transactions, with recent transactions including a bid for United Utilities Electricity, and taking part in the auction for the new nuclear sites in the UK. He also acted for a potential bidder for British Energy.
Relevant experience includes advising:
Northern Ireland:
- Adviser to Northern Ireland Electricity on its re-structuring and privatisation, trading arrangements, Grid Code licences, connection and use of system, advising on the regulatory structure and on the overall contractual matrix. He continues to advise on matters, and more recently on the introduction of the SEM with extensive involvement on the regulatory design and documentation. He recently acted on the sale of SONI, the TSO within Viridian
- In Northern Ireland as well as the original restructuring, and ongoing commercial advice, he has advised on the further opening of the market, for the current full implementation of the IME Directive. He has just advised on putting into place the “All Island Market” creating a joint trading system for the north and south of the island of Ireland, which involved the putting in place of a “pool”. This includes advise on legislation, licences, codes, agreements, transition arrangements and some unique cross-border issues arising as part of the new structure
England and Wales: Adviser to National Grid and others.
- Initial Restructuring: From 1988 to 1990 advised on the re-structuring of the England and Wales electricity industry, including drafting the Grid Code for the England and Wales System, extensive involvement in the design of the regulatory regime and the pooling arrangements and produced or advised on many of the other documents, for example, those dealing with connection to and use of the System
- Continued advice to sector: From 1990 when the re-structuring took place he has continued to advise on the operation of the industry, including on metering issues. He advises on the evolution and development of all contractual arrangements and the Pool. This has involved work as diverse as advising on the changes needed to the operational and pooling documentation to reflect the introduction of CCGT Plant, to reflect the assumption of energy related costs responsibility
- More recently he has been heavily involved in the introduction of the "New Electricity Trading Arrangements" and the “British Electricity Trading and Transmission Arrangements” which introduce completely new trading and related arrangements into England and Wales and subsequently extend these to Scotland. This has involved work on new legislation, the new licensing regime and licences, the new trading arrangements documentation, the Balancing and Settlement Code (which includes the metering arrangements) and other relevant changes to the industry documentation, including the interconnection arrangements. He also introduced the new connection documentation, the CUSC. Current work includes Offshore Transmission and governance review issues
- Acting for a bidder for OFTO Assets
- Advising on wind farms
- RWE – advising on its joint venture with E.ON for sites for new nuclear plants in the UK.
Saudi Arabia: currently writing the electricity and water legislation and putting in place the tariff rules and licences, in advance of implementing a restructured system to encourage investment in the Kingdom
Greece: Drafting new electricity legislation to reflect the IME Directive
India: Government of Orissa on legislation and an innovative regulatory regime, contractual matrix, transfer scheme (assets, liabilities and staff) and negotiated the power purchase agreements for new and existing plant. We undertook an in-depth training programme for the Regulatory Commission and advised on the privatisation of all four distribution companies by means of a competitive bidding process
Philippines: on restructuring issues
Poland: on the establishment of the Energy Regulatory Authority
Republic of Ireland: ESB on restructuring issues including advising on the Grid Code, connection documentation, trading arrangements, structure, regulatory regime, on documentation for a peat fired power station and on power purchase agreements for alternative energy
Slovakia: the Government on the successful sale of power generation company to ENEL for €839 million, the introduction of new legislation and an electricity market
South Africa: South African Government on the restructuring of the electricity distribution industry and the design of the regulatory regime for electricity and for municipal government, including legislation, performance standard regimes and the management of the operation of distribution networks
The Balkans: advised and designed a cross border trading system
USA: on restructuring in California
Western European State: on implementation of the IME Directive including in relation to Grid Code, connection and use agreements (including access rights), legislation and concessions
External activities include:
- Chairman of the UK Government's Power Sector Advisory Group
- Executive Member of the Parliamentary Group for Energy Studies
- Board Member of the British Electricity Association
- Board Member of the Energy Industries Club
- Chairman of the Energy Committee of the City of London Solicitors Company
- Appointed CBE in 2001 for services to trade and business.
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