Lauren A. Collins

Partner

Tax

“Renewable projects and business models involve complex technologies, counter-parties, and tax structures. I provide tax counsel on both the tax equity and project developer side to help clients navigate these challenges. I particularly enjoy working closely with my clients to adapt traditional project development and finance methods to suit their unique business models and close on their financing transactions.”

Lauren A. Collins Profile Picture

Overview

Lauren Collins focuses on tax matters related to project finance, with an emphasis on renewable energy and infrastructure assets. Lauren has represented clients in the financing, disposition, acquisition, and development of renewable energy and energy transition projects, including solar, wind, energy storage, hydrogen, carbon sequestration, fuel cell, biogas, RNG, and manufacturing facilities, among others. She has considerable experience utilizing a variety of structures to finance these assets and has helped develop some of the most complex and cutting-edge renewable energy financing transactions in the U.S., including numerous first-of-its-kind deals.

In the course of her practice, Lauren represents Fortune 50 companies, investors, utilities, sponsors, and developers in the renewable energy space and has advised clients more broadly in connection with various federal and state tax matters. Her experience includes tax equity, tax credit finance and sales, M&A, reorganizations and bankruptcy, project finance, and structured finance.

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Experience

  • Swift Current Energy in the ~$700 million debt financing, ~$250 million tax equity financing, and ~$270 million ITC transfers for the 800 MWdc Double Black Diamond Solar project in Illinois, which is expected to be the second largest single phase solar project in the US and the largest solar project in MISO

  • Fortune 500 company in the purchase of approximately $86.4 million of 45X manufacturing credits from a manufacturer of battery cells

  • Major financial institution in connection with its tax equity commitment in a 200 MW solar project in Milam County, Texas, including a first of its kind financing commitment for the Domestic Content Bonus

  • Vitol Inc. in a landmark tax credit transfer agreement with Avangrid, Inc. to purchase an estimated $100 million of wind PTCs

  • Major U.S. financial institution in connection with sale of $250 million of investment tax credits to various corporate buyers

  • Tax equity investor in their investment in two solar projects with 450 MW combined capacity in California

  • Tax equity investor in its approximately $320 million commitment to a portfolio of two solar projects in Arizona and Virginia totaling 355 MW and including 100 MW of storage, representing one of the first tax equity financings of a battery energy storage asset for this investor

  • Swift Current in the construction debt and tax equity financing of a 195 MW solar project in Texas

  • Terra-Gen in the approximately $270 million construction financing and $136 million tax equity financing for the 64.5 MW Tehachapi Plains, 60.3 MW Oasis Power, and 14.4 MW Oasis Alta wind generation facilities in Kern County, California, and the 61.2 MW Coachella and 46.8 MW Painted Hills wind generation facilities in Riverside County, California

  • MN8 Energy in the acquisition and tax equity financing of the 150 MW solar-plus-storage High Desert Solar Project in San Bernardino County, California

  • Brookfield Renewable Power in the approximately $1 billion acquisition of Scout Clean Energy from Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners

  • Brookfield Renewable Power in its investment of up to $500 million in California Bioenergy, a leading developer of dairy digesters for generating renewable vehicle fuel and electricity

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Credentials

Education

  • University of Southern California Gould School of Law, J.D., 2010 (Southern California Law Review, Senior Content Editor)
  • New York University School of Law, LL.M., Taxation, 2011
  • University of California – San Diego, B.A. Political Science with honors, 2007

Admissions

  • California

Recognitions

  • Chambers Global, Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy (USA), 2026; Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy (USA), 2023 and 2025; “Up and Coming” in Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy (USA), 2023 and 2024
  • Legal 500 U.S., “Next Generation Partner” in Energy: Renewable/Alternative Power, 2022–2026; Finance: Project Finance, 2022–2024; Tax: U.S. Taxes: Non-Contentious, 2023–2026
  • Chambers USA, Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy (Nationwide), 2024–2026; Tax (California: Southern), 2024–2026; “Up and Coming” in Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy (Nationwide), 2022 and 2023
  • Selected to the 500 Global Tax Lawyers, Lawdragon, 2025 and 2026
  • Kayo Conference Series, “Top 21 in ’21: Women in Power,” 2021
Insights

Client Alerts

Storing Up Certainty: IRS Expands the 45Q Safe Harbor

On August 14, 2026, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) issued its Notice 2026-50 (the “2026 45Q SH Notice”), which expands …

August 17, 2026

August 17, 2026 • 3-minute read

Events

Vinson & Elkins Sponsoring and Speaking at the SEIA Finance, Tax, and Buyers Seminar

Vinson & Elkins is sponsoring the SEIA Finance, Tax, and Buyers Seminar, taking place June 23 – 24 in New …

June 23, 2026

June 23, 2026 • 1-minute read

Client Alerts

5% Safe Harbor Resurrected for Wind and Solar (At Least for Now)

On Saturday, June 6, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (the “District Court”) vacated Internal Revenue …

June 8, 2026

June 8, 2026 • 2-minute read

Articles

Applying the Single Energy Project Framework to Prevailing Wage and Apprenticeship Requirements Under the Technology Neutral ITC

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 introduced the Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit under section 48E of the Code[1] (the …

May 15, 2026

May 15, 2026 • 5-minute read

Events

Lauren Collins Speaking at PLI’s Tax Planning Seminar

Partner Lauren Collins will speak at PLI’s Tax Planning for Domestic & Foreign Partnerships, LLCs, Joint Ventures & Other Strategic …

April 15, 2026

April 15, 2026 • 1-minute read

News & Achievements