Profile - Graeme Dennis

Key Points:

Graeme is recognised as a leading energy and resources lawyer. He has particular experience in energy market regulation and reform, and has advised clients in relation to privatisation. He has worked on a range of electricity and gas projects involving project finance and energy purchase and trading contracts, including the development of energy futures, swaps and hedges.

Graeme has a reputation for developing innovative solutions for complex issues, particularly in trading, greenhouse and energy areas.

Expertise

• Corporate and Commercial
• Energy and Resources
• Major property and infrastructure

Relevant experience

• Legal design and documentation for the first "green warrants" product, combining Kyoto Protocol emissions, renewable energy rights, green energy rights and greenhouse abatement rights
• Acted for the Queensland Government on the development of the Greenhouse Gas Electricity Certificate (GEC) scheme
• Acted for the Energy Suppliers Association of Australia on the development of the Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) scheme
• Acted for the National Generators Forum (NGF) on several key industry concerns, including the passage of the National Electricity Law, the standards for operation of power stations, and officer liability issues
• Acted for a working group including Santos, AGL, Origin, Alinta, EnergyAustralia, TRU, Esso-BHP to develop standard form documentation for short-term trading in the gas market in Australia
• Recently appointed to act for a similar working group to develop standard form documentation for gas derivative trading in Australia
• Acted for the AFMA Environmental Products working group to develop standard documentation for trading RECs, GECs, NGACs, Green Power, etc in Australia
• Acted for Sydney Futures Exchange on the development of an exchange-traded carbon sequestration product
• Acted for 10 creditor counterparties upon the insolvency of Enron Australia
• Acted for bidders on privatisation of energy assets including Dampier-Bunbury Pipeline, Victorian generators and distributors, and South Australian generators
• Project and structured finance for major projects including the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, the Perisher Skitube Railway, the Adelaide Casino Development, and Chifley Tower
• Legal design of the documentation for the first inter-regional power hedge in Australia, 1996