As data centers seek sufficient power to support their operations, some are pursuing behind-the-meter gas generation. Balch partner Bill Johnson discusses the infrastructure, permitting and gas supply considerations involved in moving these projects forward.
Developing behind-the-meter generation requires coordination beyond the generating facility itself. Pipeline companies must navigate permitting, rights-of-way and gas supply arrangements to deliver the fuel these projects need. In this episode of Get Ahead of the Current, Bill Johnson explains how these pieces connect and how Balch draws on its experience representing pipeline operators, businesses securing gas contracts and gas-generation companies to help clients advance projects from planning through construction.
Bill Johnson, a partner in the firm’s Austin, Texas office, has a diverse practice focusing on complex business litigation, energy law, and administrative law. He has extensive first-chair courtroom experience in state court, federal court, arbitrations, the Texas Railroad Commission, and the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT). His legal experience includes oil-and-gas litigation, electric-utility litigation, fiduciary-duty litigation, partnership disputes, environmental litigation, and real-estate litigation.
GET AHEAD OF THE CURRENT
In Balch & Bingham’s Get Ahead of the Current video series, our attorneys share insight on the issues shaping the energy industry and other highly regulated sectors, along with the experience, perspective and client-focused approach they bring to helping organizations prepare for what’s next.
TRANSCRIPT
If we can help our clients get ahead of the current and get their projects permitted faster, then that puts them ahead of the game.
Right now, there's a huge backlog with requests for electric service to build a sufficient capacity for a data center, and so one solution we're helping clients with is to help them build behind the meter gas generation facilities and helping our gas clients build out their facilities and deliver the gas so they can self-generate.
The challenge that pipelines face with data centers is building out infrastructure in municipalities, for example, getting the project permitted, getting the right of way, and then getting the rights to the gas to be able to serve those centers.
Our team has been on all sides of that project from representing the pipeline companies, representing the companies securing the gas contracts, representing companies actually on the gas generation side. We have attorneys that handle all phases of the project.
Energy demand is huge and I like helping clients get their projects through the regulatory process and get the permits they need and get the projects built.
There's a lot of challenges in building these facilities. There's a ton of competition and so if we can help our clients get ahead of the current and get their projects permitted faster, then that puts them ahead of the game.
