Biography
Rachel Thomas focuses her practice on energy regulatory law, retail energy supply, and counseling both traditional and renewable energy developers in matters relating to real estate and site control throughout the project development phase and commercial operation. She has extensive experience permitting complex capital projects. Most recently, Rachel has spent time drafting and negotiating lease agreements and amendments, easements, and other lease-related documents for national renewable energy developers covering complex wind, solar and battery storage development. She is a member of the firm's Environmental, Energy + Telecommunications Group.
Rachel’s experience includes working in-house at a multinational electric and gas utility where she was responsible for securing state and local level permitting and siting approvals for large-scale capital utility projects across several New England states. She has collaborated with real estate and environmental counsel to secure needed permits and land rights for projects and assisted outside counsel on major projects, such as the interconnection for new offshore wind projects in Rhode Island.
Rachel has assisted senior attorneys with the drafting and filing of major permitting applications at the Department of Public Utilities and Energy Facility Siting Board, including state-level siting applications for the installation of transmission line extensions and substation work in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont. She also has drafted and submitted two amicus briefs to Massachusetts Superior Court in support of sister utilities as well as securing approvals for permits filed in relation to public hearings in local municipalities in Massachusetts.