Jim Bennett is the Program Manager for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) Renewable Energy Program. With nearly 40 years of experience in the environmental and energy sectors, Jim oversees the responsible development of renewable energy resources on the Outer Continental Shelf through conscientious planning, stakeholder engagement, comprehensive environmental analysis, and sound technical review.
Offshore wind is a vital national asset and has the potential to help contribute to the nation’s energy diversity for decades to come. BOEM’s renewable energy program now manages 16 active leases of more than 1.7 million acres on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) from Massachusetts to North Carolina.
Previously, Jim led BOEM’s Division of Environmental Assessment, overseeing the Bureaus compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other environmental laws focusing on Federal OCS programs, including oil and gas, sand and gravel, and renewable energy. His experience encompasses events such as the Exxon Valdez and the Deepwater Horizon oil spills, the Cape Wind energy project, and offshore renewable energy activities particularly in the promising waters of the Atlantic.
He is a graduate of the Department's Manager Development Program and has earned two Master’s degrees -- one in Environmental Planning and the other in Computer Systems Management.
Mike Celata leads BOEM for all leasing, regulatory oversight, and resource management functions for offshore energy and marine minerals development on the U.S. Gulf of Mexico OCS. He has worked for the Department of Interior for more than 30 years.
Celata also is a Field Special Assistant (FSA) to the Secretary of the Interior for Interior Region 6, which encompasses Texas and Oklahoma. As FSA, he leads inter-bureau collaborations to increase operational efficiency, develop shared priorities, and facilitate problem resolution within Region 6.
Sophie Hartfield Lewis is an energy industry professional with over 13 years of experience in energy project permitting, strategic planning, stakeholder management in various markets and for various technologies. Sophie’s professional background includes experience of working in various energy sectors from energy trading to conventional power station permitting through to onshore and offshore wind. Sophie led and managed the team that achieved the permission to build the world’s largest offshore windfarm at the time, Hornsea Project Two, following this Sophie managed the UK strategic and permitting team from an environmental perspective to maintain the Orsted UK Portfolio of Projects, which generates over 2.5 GW for the UK. Sophie now leads the North America Permitting, Marine Affairs and Real Estate department who support Orsted’s variety of Projects in various stages throughout the development cycle and provide strategic and project specific advice on mitigating environmental risks, securing real estate, stakeholder management, maritime advice and ensures the successful progression and operation of the North America portfolio.
James McGinnis joined PJ SOLOMON as a Managing Director in 2018, with client responsibility in the Renewable Energy sector.
Prior to joining PJ SOLOMON, Mr. McGinnis was CEO of Mainstream Renewable Capital, the New York-based financing and investments arm of Mainstream Renewable Power Ltd., a wind and solar company based in Dublin, Ireland with over 8,000 MW’s in development, under construction and in operation, a position he held from October 2016 until February 2018. In January 2013, Mr. McGinnis founded and until 2016 served as Portfolio Manager of the Halcyon Energy, Power and Infrastructure Capital Fund, L.P. From 2008 to 2012, Mr. McGinnis was a Managing Director at Harbinger Capital Partners, where he led a team with responsibility for that partnership’s public and private energy and power investments and its pan-Asian infrastructure investment portfolio. From 2005 to 2008, Mr. McGinnis headed the energy private equity investment business of AIG Financial Products Corp. in Wilton, CT, where, among other transactions, he initiated that firm’s leading role in the $23 billion leveraged buyout of Kinder Morgan, Inc. and advised on the creation of and investment by AIG-FP in Tenaska Marketing Ventures, Inc.
Before joining AIG-FP, Mr. McGinnis was an investment banker for eighteen years. He was a Managing Director in the investment banking division of Morgan Stanley, where he rose from Vice President from 1993 to 2005, advising public, private, government and financial sponsor clients on M&A, initial public offerings, privatizations, restructuring and complex capital-raising in the energy and power sectors from New York, Singapore and Australia. From 1989 to 1993, Mr. McGinnis was an investment banker at Goldman, Sachs & Co. in the energy and power group, focused primarily on M&A, restructuring and capital-raising in the US domestic power sector. Prior to attending Harvard Business School, Mr. McGinnis was an analyst in the M&A Group at PaineWebber, Inc.
Mr. McGinnis was elected to and served from 2004 to 2013 on the Board of the non-profit Center for Climate and Energy Solutions in Arlington, VA, and its predecessor, the Pew Center for Climate Change. He has also served on the corporate boards of: Kinder, Morgan, Inc., NextDecade, Inc., CODA Automotive, Tenaska Marketing Ventures and Kelson Energy, LLC.
Mr. McGinnis earned an A.B. in Government from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School, both with honors.
Christopher Gladbach counsels clients in energy M&A, project development, tax equity and project finance transactions.
Chris works with energy clients in structuring complex equity and debt investments, advises both buyers and sellers in the power sector in mergers and acquisitions, and joint ventures, and on the development of large-scale energy projects. He assists his clients in mitigating and allocating risk associated with these transactions in conjunction with achieving their primary business and financial objectives.
Chris has extensive experience advising clients pursuing opportunities involving the development and financing of United States Department of Defense (DoD) energy projects. He counsels developers, purchasers, lenders and tax equity investors in government contracts and structuring project development and financing arrangements to account for unique risks.
In addition, Chris represents market-leading private equity funds and institutional investors in power asset transactions, and understands the unique challenges and opportunities that these clients face.
Chris is recognized nationally for his client work in the energy sector. He was awarded the honor of “Rising Star” by the National Law Journal, demonstrating “success on the highest stages” in managing transactions for clients. Chris was also commended by the Financial Times in their Innovative Lawyers Report in the category of “Driving Value” for clients. He has been recognized by the Legal 500 for his work in project finance and has served for three years running on Law360’s Project Finance Editorial Board. Chris also serves on the American Council on Renewable Energy’s (ACORE) Leadership Council.
Chris is a frequent speaker and writer on topics related to M&A, private equity and institutional investments in power assets.
Alfredo “Alfie” Zarate is a Senior Manager in Deloitte’s Infrastructure and Capital Projects Practice, specializing in the energy and resources sector. Mr. Zarate leads engagements and transactions supporting the feasibility, development, financing, and commerciality for a variety of asset classes including offshore liquified natural gas (LNG) export and import projects, shipping, port infrastructure, and wind power generation. He leads engagements in the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia.
Prior to Deloitte, Mr. Zarate worked for Excelerate Energy, a world leader in floating LNG regasification and liquefaction projects, where he led the development and project financing of LNG and gas-to-power projects in the U.S. and emerging markets. Prior to his time at Excelerate Energy, Mr. Zarate worked at Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank in New York where he originated and executed project finance transactions in the renewable and thermal power generation, midstream natural gas, and transportation sectors in North America. He has an MA from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies with a specialization in International Finance and an AB from Brown University with a concentration in Comparative Politics.