Willem Bosma
Area of law
Energy
The energy sector and the area of energy law are quickly evovling. The energy demand is will rise even further during the coming years. At the same time, all kinds of complex issues and questions arise on how to manage the transition from fossil energy to renewable and sustainable energy. These issues affect policy-making regarding the environment, spatial planning, market regulation, and social distributions of burdens and benefits. Laws and regulations need to be harmonized with agreements made on these issues at a global level, to ensure a transition to a more sustainable energy supply. Additionally, at the European level, increasingly greater expectations regarding sustainability will influence national legislation, as this trend is already evident from issued directives and regulations that aim to monitor and order the internal European energy market and to stimulate sustainable energy generation.
The government, especially municipalities, will give substance to their new leading role regarding the energy transition. They will carry a great responsibility in facilitating the incorporation of the energy infrastructure and arranging the demand and supply of heat. Industrial companies will implement new arrangements for sustainability and CO2 emission reduction. These arrangements are under a constant tension between individual and public interests. Because of our experience at the public-private intersection, we can navigate within this tension.
Intergrated approach sustainable projects
Our team of lawyers has wide-ranging specialist knowledge of and experience in the energy sector to help answer these questions from a legal point of view. Our expertise extends across the entire spectrum of energy law, from exploration, production and transmission up until the distribution and supply of energy. With an integrated team we help our clients to navigate the legal aspects of the energy transition and to realise sustainable projects. Our specialized lawyers work together, each from the perspective of their own expertise, and advise or litigate diverse judicial issues.
We assist not only parties in the private sector such as developers, contractors, the chemical industry and other industries, but also government bodies, municipalities and utility companies.
One aspect of our work is advising parties on projects for generating energy from sustainable sources, such as the sun, wind, geothermy, hydrogen, biomass. These projects need space, and it is here that spatial planning law and environmental law play a crucial role. We are also involved in projects developing new energy infrastructure, both above ground (cables, pipelines, plants) and underground (cables, pipelines, storage of gas and CO2) and advise our clients on licensing procedures for large industrial plants. Sustainability plays an important role in all these areas. Our team also has particular expertise in the licensing procedure for gas extraction.
Our team has the competence and knowledge of both the technical developments and the developments relating to national and European policy and law-making.
Recent work
Advising a leading corporation in the energy field on the acquisition on several onshore wind farms in the Netherlands
Advising an offshore wind company on the feasibility of new off shore wind energy regulations providing for combined permit procedures for both the construction and operation of wind farms and the production of hydrogen
Advising an energy multinational on hydrogen EU regulations for the purpose of their participation in ambitious hydrogen initiatives
Advising a consortium of a water company, grid company, and municipality on their joint development of a large scale cooling and heating system based on drinking-waterpipes for the supply of a new housing project with regard to the energy law issues such as the ownership of the infrastructure, connection and distribution agreements and governance.
Advising a national grid operator on the main legal requirements for compliance with the administrative competences of authorities regarding unexploded ordnance measures off shore for placement of cables in the North Sea
Advising a German utility company on the structuring options for its onshore, nearshore and offshore wind farms in the Netherlands
Insight
Michelle de Rijke in IJ Global magazine Spring 2021 issue on comibined tenders for offshore wind and hydrogen projects in the Netherlands.
What others say about us
Legal 500 2022 Energy: Regulatory (Tier 2): "Van der Feltz Advocaten's team, which has ‘excellent knowledge of energy law’, is sought out for advice on planning, permitting, tariff regulation, CO₂ emissions and the environmental issues of energy projects."
Leading Individual, Legal 500 2022, Energy, Regulatory: 'Michelle de Rijke not only has a very good knowledge of the subject matters at stake, but also has a widespread network of people within the regulatory scope that helps to solve matters.’ ‘Michelle de Rijke is very knowledgeable, pleasant to work with and has a lot of experience.’ ‘Michelle de Rijke is always very pleasant to work with, respectful and patient.’
Ranked Lawyer, Chambers Europe 2022 Energy & Natural resources, Regulatory (Band 2): "She has very good practical experience in the energy market and the regulatory frame thereof, and has very useful contacts in the field of energy."
