Dive into the dynamic world of energy with the Firm’s US Energy leaders Clint Vince and Emma Hand! They share their thoughts on industry expansion, cutting-edge legal solutions and Dentons' role in the Hydrogen Demand Initiative.

1. Introduce yourself.

Clint Vince: My name is Clint Vince and I founded and chair our US Energy practice. I also serve as co-chair of Dentons Global Transportation and Infrastructure sector, and together with my teammate Emma Hand, I co-chair the first-of-its-kind Dentons Smart Cities & Connected Communities Think Tank.

Emma Hand: My name is Emma Hand, I am a partner at Dentons and serve as the US sector co-chair of the Firm’s Energy practice.

2. As leaders of Dentons' award-winning Energy practice, what strategic decisions have contributed to the success and recognition of the practice, and how does Dentons stay at the forefront of legal services in the energy sector?

Vince: Emma and I have been fortunate to have continuous high-profile projects and lawsuits in the Energy sector that have brought recognition to the practice and hugely rewarding results. In addition to our day jobs, we serve in leadership positions on some of the leading Energy and Environmental Think Tanks in the US and abroad. This helps us to understand critical issues as they are developing and the perspectives of stakeholders from all points on the compass.

Hand: We move to meet our clients as they develop new issues and areas of interest, and we work closely with our colleagues across practice groups to learn about trends and issues they are seeing that may affect our clients, as well. Our Smart Cities and Connected Communities Think Tank is one example of how we bring our clients, colleagues and friends together to share knowledge across sectors that impact us all.

3. How do you see emerging technologies and innovations influencing the energy sector and the future of smart cities and connected communities?

Vince: Emerging technologies and innovation are having a profound impact on both the energy sector and the future of Smart Cities and Connected Communities. The Cleantech industry has received a tremendous infusion of capital and is causing growth within our practice and among our Smart Cities endeavors. For example, we have dramatic growth in renewables, energy storage, hydrogen and use of advanced communications technology to modernize the electric grid, as well as new technology developments for virtually every fuel source.

4. How is Dentons assisting clients in navigating the evolving landscape of renewable energy policies, and what trends do you foresee shaping the future of renewable energy projects?

Hand: We help our clients navigate the tricky waters of achieving their climate goals while maintaining reliability and quality of service. As more and more intermittent renewables such as wind and solar enter the market, we assist our clients in trying to balance between the development of battery storage, securing dispatchable power for the near term and developing new resources such as hydrogen that can be green and dispatchable. It will be very interesting to see how the grid balances out in the future between battery-supported intermittent renewables, hydrogen-fueled generation and nuclear generation and the cheapest form of clean power

5. Dentons recently announced its participation in the Hydrogen Demand Initiative coalition, leading a new demand-side initiative to support DOE-funded Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs. How will this initiative influence the energy sector, and what opportunities might it present for Dentons and its clients?

Vince: The Hydrogen Demand Initiative Coalition is one of the most consequential projects in the energy industry. The goal is to design and implement energy markets for hydrogen throughout the United States. We serve on the Strategic Board for the Coalition and handle all the essential legal work including regulatory and environmental issues, contracts, operational policies and broad governance issues.

6. How do you see the role of energy efficiency evolving in the context of today's energy transition, and how is Dentons advising clients to navigate this shift effectively?

Hand: Energy efficiency should be everyone’s first clean resource - the cheapest and cleanest power is the power you don’t use! The rising energy efficiency standards for light bulbs, appliances and in building codes are changing the types of energy efficiency measure that need incentives through utility programs, adapting programs to reflect the new landscape is key to making sure that incentive money is wisely spent.

7. Anything else you’d like to add?

Vince: Our Energy practice has had several record years and we are the beneficiaries of tremendous growth caused by the transition to a Clean Energy economy.

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