Photo of Barbara J. Koonz

Managing Partner

Practice Leader | Energy & Renewable Resources

Practice Leader | Data Center Development & Infrastructure

Barbara practices at the intersection of energy, infrastructure, and environmental law. She provides strategic representation to a full spectrum of energy industry stakeholders, from traditional power generation and LNG facilities to data center developers and renewable energy investors. As a highly tactical advisor, she seeks to address and mitigate the risks associated with complex projects.

Barbara guides clients through the labyrinth of state and federal environmental permitting, including Clean Air Act (Title V) air compliance, New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) and Coastal Area Facility Review Act (CAFRA) approvals. With over three decades of experience, she is a formidable negotiator in enforcement actions involving the EPA, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), and frequently serves as New Jersey local counsel for national law firms navigating the state's unique Industrial Site Recovery Act (ISRA) and Environmental Justice (EJ) mandates.

In the renewable sector, Barbara facilitates the development of solar, agrivoltaic, and battery storage facilities. She manages the entire transactional lifecycle, from securing solar development incentives to negotiating interconnection agreements with PJM. Her expertise extends to the "heavy lifting" of infrastructure development, including the drafting of Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and the acquisition of complex energy rights-of-way.

Barbara also serves as a resource for the solid waste and soil recycling sectors. She provides incisive counsel on the commercial and regulatory complexities of A-901 licensure, helping vendors and investors navigate the rigorous background checks and Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) requirements essential for operating in New Jersey.

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

Contact information:

bkoonz@greenbaumlaw.com | 973.577.1894 | vCard | LinkedIn

For more information visit the Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP website.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) has taken several significant actions affecting the state’s solar and energy storage programs, primarily in response to Governor Mikie Sherrill’s Day One Executive Orders addressing New Jersey’s energy cost crisis. This Client Alert from our Energy & Renewable Resources team provides the details.

As New Jersey begins its long-awaited build-out of energy and battery storage for electricity, the healthcare sector can look down the road for potential benefits and opportunities.  Although Phase 1 of the program is designed for large scale generation, it will set the framework and serve as a blueprint for healthcare facilities to add another…

The NJ Board of Public Utilities (BPU) has scheduled a stakeholder meeting for Tuesday, September 17, 2024, for the purpose of receiving comments and input regarding the Competitive Solicitation Incentive (CSI) component of the New Jersey solar energy renewable energy certificate program, sometimes referred to as the Successor Solar Incentive (SuSI) Program. Alternatively, stakeholders are…

The NJ BPU’s new Competitive Solicitation Incentive (CSI) Program, mandated by the New Jersey Solar Act of 2021, is available to qualifying grid supply projects, with or without energy storage, and net-metering installations in excess of 5 MWs. The deadline to submit applications to earn solar renewable energy certificates under the program is March 31…

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) is expected to soon release regulations implementing the New Jersey Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program, which will apply to commercial and institutional entities including hospitals and medical facilities.

Adopted on August 24, 2021, the C-PACE law establishes a mechanism to finance, among other things, commercial renewable …