Christian Termyn
Christian Termyn provides counsel in a wide range of energy and natural resource areas, with a focus on power and renewable energy development matters.
He plays a role in innovative projects in the Western United States, including proposed offshore and land-based wind energy facilities and the restoration of the Klamath River through removal of four dams. His regulatory and transactional experience is grounded in the public programs and private incentives driving the energy transition.
Christian works extensively with offshore wind developers and developers of onshore wind, solar, and energy storage assets to permit projects, comply with regulatory requirements, and influence critical regulatory policy proceedings at the state and federal levels. This involves obtaining and defending environmental approvals under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Clean Water Act (CWA), federal and California Endangered Species Acts (ESA/CESA), and California planning and zoning law. Christian effectively collaborates with experts on issues involving natural and cultural resources, energy, and climate change and has experience with the legal framework for protection of historic and culturally significant resources, including consultation requirements under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and California AB 52. Prior to joining Perkins Coie, Christian interned with the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the Southwest Regional Solicitor, where he advised Interior bureaus on issues of Federal Indian law, administrative procedure, and water law.
Christian's experience also includes matters before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), as well as comprehensive commercial counseling of energy providers, large industrial consumers of power, and offtakers of renewable power. This involves transactional matters, including power purchase and other offtake agreements, project development agreements, and regulatory due diligence in support of corporate and finance transactions.
One of Christian's strengths is in his ability to confront both the public policy issues and the narrow legal and technical questions that arise in controversial or complex undertakings in the energy sector. Before going to law school, he worked at Advanced Energy United, a national business association for companies innovating in the generation, transmission, storage, and consumption of energy, as well as for the Center for the New Energy Economy and the New Bedford Economic Development Council. His experience with these organizations provided unique exposure to the policies and economics driving shifts in how Americans generate and consume power.
Christian received his J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he served as an editor of the Columbia Journal of Environmental Law, and his B.A. from Yale University.
Areas of focus
Education & Credentials
Education
- Columbia Law School, J.D., James Kent Scholar, Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
- Yale University, B.A.
Bar and Court Admissions
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California
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Related Employment
- Perkins Coie, San Francisco, CA, Summer Associate, 2016
- U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the Solicitor, Albuquerque, NM, Legal Intern, 2015
Impact
Professional Leadership
- University Marine Energy Research Community, Director, 2021-present
Community Involvement
- Massachusetts Rivers Alliance Inc., Legal Committee, Volunteer
- Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill, Associate Board Member
Insights
News
Professional Experience
Project Permitting and Development
Restoration of the Klamath River
- Provide counsel on the proposed removal of four dams along the Klamath River, one of the most ambitious river restoration projects in the United States. Once completed, the project will restore more than 400 miles of fisheries habitat along the California and Oregon border.
Onshore Wind Projects in California
- Represent multiple developers in proposed land-based wind projects on private and public lands, including one project on a federal Indian reservation. The projects are under the jurisdiction of California state and local agencies and, in the case of the project on tribal lands, the Bureau of Indian Affairs within the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Offshore Wind Project in Hawaii
- Serve as environmental and permitting counsel on a proposed 400 MW offshore wind project in Hawaii, which will assist Hawaii in achieving its 100% renewable energy mandate. The project is under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and will require additional approvals from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and state and local agencies.
Offshore Wind Project in California
- Represent developer of a proposed offshore wind project near Morro Bay, CA. The project is under the jurisdiction of BOEM and will require additional approvals from NOAA Fisheries, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as California state and local agencies.
Water Recycling and Groundwater Replenishment Project in California
- Represent public agency in the development of a water recycling and groundwater replenishment project in the Monterey region, which will treat wastewater using state-of-the-art microfiltration and reverse osmosis technology for use in replenishing potable groundwater supplies and to supplement agricultural irrigation supplies.
Telecommunications Infrastructure
- Represent major telecommunications company in proceedings before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), including grant applications for projects to bring broadband services to underserved areas.
Transactional
Corporate Carbon-Free Energy Procurement & Policy
- Represent corporate offtakers in the negotiation of power purchase and sale agreements (both physical and virtual) for solar, wind, and other carbon-free energy resources in power markets around the United States, as well as innovative transactions related to carbon capture and storage, synthetic community solar, and complex sleeved retail supply arrangements.
Renewable Energy M&A
- Represent leading publicly traded renewable energy infrastructure investor Clearway Energy, Inc. in related transactions in which it acquired equity interests in a 1,204 MW portfolio of renewable energy projects, including five geographically diversified wind, solar, and solar-plus-storage assets.
Litigation
Infrastructure and Development Projects
- Represented developers of California utility-scale solar project in property dispute with landowner.
- Represented public water agency in challenge to proposed storage project involving claims under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Clean Water Act (CWA), and Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Construction Litigation
- Represented national solar developer in arbitration related to construction of two utility-scale solar projects in Oregon.
- Represented general contractor in multimillion-dollar dispute related to design and construction of a Los Angeles skyscraper.
Pro Bono
- Represent the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, an organization comprising thousands of current, former and retired employees, and volunteers of the National Park Service in regulatory matters concerning public lands management.
- Represent Rinzai Zen monastery located on National Forest System lands in permitting matters.
- In partnership with Legal Services of Northern California, represent victims of California wildfires in insurance recovery and real property matters.