name

Gwenneth O'Hara

Partner
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Buchalter

California-Southern, USA
    Local Time: Sunday 06:08

Practice Expertise

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Areas of Practice

  • Energy & Natural Resources Law
  • Environmental Law Practice
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WSG Practice Industries

Profile

Gwenneth O'Hara is Chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Practice Group and a member of the Firm's Corporate Practice Group. With over 25 years of experience in the energy industry, Ms. O'Hara advises public and private entities with large infrastructure projects, and advises on all aspects of traditional energy, gas, and renewable portfolios. Ms. O'Hara counsels clients on renewable contracting and development of form RFPs and PPAs incorporating recent utility standards and regulatory changes, including CAISO market changes.  She advises clients on negotiation and drafting of interconnection, transmission, energy, gas and related contracts, including ISDA, EEI,WSPP, NAESB, GISB and custom bilateral arrangements. Ms. O'Hara also advises clients on clean energy and climate change aspects of the Inflation Reduction Act and its impact on transactions, regulatory ramifications and tax credit benefits, including ITC, PTC and the newly added credits for storage and other technologies. In addition, Ms. O'Hara represents clients at the CPUC, CAISO, FERC, CARB, and CEC.

Prior to joining Buchalter, Ms. O'Hara was the founding member of a boutique energy law firm with three offices in California.

Ms. O'Hara has been recognized as one of Sacramento Magazine's Top Lawyer in the field of Energy & Natural Resources since 2021.


Bar Admissions

  • California

Education

  • UC Berkeley School of Law, J.D.
  • University of California, Berkeley, B.A.

Areas of Practice

  • Energy & Natural Resources Law
  • Environmental Law Practice

Professional Career

Significant Accomplishments
  • Advised on interconnection and transmission related to a state-wide infrastructure project, including regulatory, contracting, and coordination with interconnection specialists and legal counsel for utilities, participating transmission owners, balancing authorities, and other entities
  • Advised an RTO on interconnection issues and creating systems to track compliance with Tariff provisions
  • Primary responsibility for the administration of a $46 billion portfolio of power contracts including negotiation and amendment of contracts, administration, operations, as well as regulatory and CAISO matters
  • Advised on a major utility rate case




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