SHERIDAN J. PAUKER
SHERIDAN J. PAUKERRegulatory Counsel
Energy & Clean Technology
Project Development & Finance
Climate Change & Carbon Counseling
Government Initiatives
Sheridan Pauker is a senior associate in the San Francisco office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Her practice focuses on renewable energy and energy efficiency regulation, incentives, and financing, with particular emphasis on state energy regulatory programs. In this capacity, Sheridan represents clients before the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Independent System Operator, the California Air Resources Board, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and other agencies; drafts and analyzes clean energy legislation; and counsels companies and investors regarding the evolving nature of energy regulations and incentives and their implications for project and business plan development. She also advises clients with regard to renewable energy project development and finance and serves as corporate counsel to companies in the clean technology sector.
Sheridan's expertise includes Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs and legislation, as well as the development of novel public-private structures to finance and advance clean energy and energy efficiency improvements. She also advises clients regarding climate change regulation, including California's Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32), and drafts and provides counsel regarding carbon offset transactions. Sheridan received the State Bar of California's Wiley W. Manuel Certificate for Pro Bono Legal Services and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati's 2009-2010 John Wilson Award in recognition of outstanding legal service to the firm's pro bono clients.
Sheridan brings more than 15 years of experience in energy and climate policy and regulation, environmental law, finance, and sustainability. Prior to joining the firm, she practiced as an environmental fellow at Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger in San Francisco, and clerked for the Honorable Richard A. Paez of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Sheridan previously served as a financial advisor with a focus on sustainable investments in U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray's Social Equity Investment Group, and as an aide to U.S. Representative Henry A. Waxman.
REPRESENTATIVE ENGAGEMENTS:
- Advise solar energy developers regarding consumer and energy regulations applicable to power purchase agreements (PPAs) and solar leases
- Negotiated and managed over $75,000,000 in tax equity investments in residential solar projects by Google and other investors on behalf of Clean Power Finance
- Draft and file comments on behalf of clients before the California Public Utilities Commission regarding energy efficiency finance structures, distributed generation incentive programs, and the California RPS
- Draft and analyze federal and state PACE legislation on behalf of Vote Solar Initiative and Natural Resources Defense Council; drafted and filed comments to the Federal Housing Finance Agency on behalf of 63 major organizations regarding residential PACE programs
- Advise carbon offset credit developers and funds regarding terms of carbon offset purchase and sale agreements in connection with AB 32 cap and trade regulation
- Represented developer of novel directed biogas/fuel cell project regarding eligibility for Self Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) funding and sales of renewable energy credits (RECs)
- Advise renewable energy project developers regarding eligibility requirements, transactional considerations, and regulatory development of California feed-in tariff (FIT), Renewable Auction Mechanism (RAM), and California RPS programs
- Advise Environmental Defense Fund regarding on-bill repayment programs in California
- J.D., Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley, 2004
Order of the Coif; Articles Editor, Ecology Law Quarterly - A.B., Environmental Science and Public Policy, Harvard College, 1996
Magna Cum Laude
- Member, Environmental Section, State Bar of California
- Advisory Committee Member, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) Finance Forum (2013)
- Co-author, "Innovations and Opportunities in Energy Efficiency Finance," Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati white paper, May 2012
- "'Spraying First and Asking Questions Later': Congressional Efforts to Mitigate the Environmental, Health and Economic Impacts of U.S.-Sponsored Aerial Fumigation of Coca in Colombia," 30 Ecology Law Quarterly 661, 2003
- "Ninth Circuit Follows Laidlaw by Keeping the Door Open to Environmental Citizen Suits," 29 Ecology Law Quarterly 438, 2002
- Co-author with T. Van Dyck, "Qualitative Screening: Looking Behind the Balance Sheet," Public Retirement Journal, April 2001
- Co-author with T. Seastedt, "Effects of Mobile Tree Islands on Soil Carbon Storage in Tundra Ecosystems," 77(8) Ecology 2563, 1996
- "Residential PACE Litigation and Rulemaking Update," California Statewide PACE Symposium, Los Angeles, California, March 14, 2013
- Moderator, "Innovations in Energy Efficiency and Distributed Generation Finance II," Large Corporate & Industrial panel, February 28, 2013
- "Keeping PACE with CA: Energy Efficiency Finance and Other Energy Updates from the Golden State," Washington Society of Municipal and Public Utility District Attorneys, Vancouver, Washington, December 5, 2012
- "State Electricity Storage Policies," Clean Energy States Alliance Energy Storage Technology Advancement Partnership webinar, July 12, 2012
- "The Latest on PACE," American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) Finance Forum, Boston, Massachusetts, May 7, 2012
- Moderator, "Opportunities and Challenges for the Expansion of Distributed Generation in California," Infocast webinar, April 19, 2012
- "Harnessing the Power of Utility Partnerships," Cleantech Group Power Breakfast, San Jose, California, January 19, 2012
- Moderator, "Investments in Emerging Technologies and Energy Efficiency Companies," California Energy Efficiency Industry Council's Energy Efficiency Financing Conference, San Francisco, California, May 25, 2011
- "Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Overview, Legal Structure and Key Issues," UC Berkeley School of Law, Berkeley, California, March 9, 2011
- "Overview of PACE Legal Authority," PACE @ Pace: A Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing Symposium, Pace Law School, White Plains, New York, April 23, 2010
- "Strategies for Passing PACE Enabling Legislation," Vote Solar Initiative webinar, March 26, 2010
- "Getting Started: Legal Authority & Administering PACE Financing Programs," U.S. Department of Energy webinar, December 11, 2009
- "Climate Change Regulation: What Does It Mean for the Geothermal Industry?" Geothermal Energy Association's Geothermal Issues and Outlook Workshop, Reno, Nevada, October 4, 2008
- State Bar of California
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
