Norton Rose Fulbright advises Kansai Electric Power in client’s first-ever US renewable energy investment

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright advised Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. (Kansai), an Osaka Japan-based utility holding company, in its purchase of an ownership stake in the Aviator Wind Project in Coke County, Texas.

In the agreement, Kansai acquired a 48.5-percent interest in Aviator Wind Holdings, LLC from Ares Management Corp.'s Infrastructure and Power division.

This transaction is Kansai's first renewable energy investment in the United States and its fifth overall outside of Japan. Kansai has also invested in similar projects in Ireland, the United Kingdom and Finland.

Developed by Apex Clean Energy, the Aviator Wind Project – the largest single-phase and single-site wind facility in the United States – is a 191 turbine, 525 MW onshore project located just over 200 miles northwest of Austin.

The Aviator Wind Project is expected to become operational in August 2020.

Led by Raquel Bierzwinsky (New York) and Becky Diffen (Austin), Norton Rose Fulbright's core deal team also included Sam Porter (Austin), Sue Wang (Washington, DC), Josh Rocha (Austin) and Anne Levine-Nussbaum (New York), with key assistance from Amy Mitchell (Austin), Eli Gaylor (Austin), David Burton (New York), Bob Greenslade (Denver, Houston), Bob Shapiro (Washington, DC), Joy Langford (Washington, DC), Geetika Jerath (Houston), Steve Kuntz (Houston), Stefan Reisinger (Washington, DC) and Larry Franceski (Washington, DC).