With his extensive and broad practice in the energy industry, Peter Nelson is a pre-eminent lawyer handling a wide range of advisory and transaction-based commercial and government legal work.

For more than 25 years Peter has advised energy generators, energy retailers and large energy customers. He also advises on industry regulation having acted for many years for energy and infrastructure businesses, AEMO, the Victorian Government, the Essential Services Commission and others.

Peter’s current practice includes:

• Advising renewable energy projects on network connection, power purchase agreements, hedging and all related regulatory issues including under the National Electricity Rules and financial services laws.
• Advising large energy customers on corporate PPAs.
• Advising on energy licensing and exemptions.
• Assisting clients with applications to AEMO for registration under the National Electricity Rules as generators, customers and intermediaries, to ASIC for Australian financial services licences and to the AER and the Essential Services Commission for retail authorisations and licences.
• Working with retailers selling electricity to large customers and to domestic and small business customers including on their electricity sale agreement terms and conditions and their compliance plans.
• Advising developers, owners corporations and service providers on contractual arrangements within embedded networks and on embedded network regulation.
• Advising on behind-the-meter solar electricity and battery arrangements.
• Advising landowners on solar farm, wind farm and battery options to lease, leases and other land related documents.

Our clients attest to Peter Nelson’s experience, legal expertise and client relationship management skills. Peter was nominated as one of Australia’s best 100 lawyers in the Australian Corporate Lawyers Association’s 2010 Legal Department Benchmarking Report, with 160 leading general counsel identifying Peter as a lawyer who would be part of their ideal firm.

Peter’s dedication to the energy industry was also recognised in the prestigious Doyle’s Guide to the Australian Legal Profession in 2010, and again in 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, with Peter ranked as a pre-eminent or leading lawyer in Energy and Resources. Peter is also recognised in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in Australia, in Energy Law and Regulatory Practice, and Who’s Who Legal’s 2021 and 2022 Energy surveys, in Power, Electricity and Renewables.

Doyle’s Guide said:
Norton Gledhill’s Peter Nelson was viewed, both locally and nationally, as “brilliant” and “an outstandingly hardworking lawyer”. Nelson’s unrivalled focus on the electricity sector resulted in others noting he had “the deepest understanding of the historical development of energy regulation in Australia” and “an encyclopaedic knowledge of the NEM rules”. Nelson was also widely viewed as one of the country’s leading lights within the area of climate change and electricity derivatives.

Who’s Who Legal say:
Peter Nelson has “an excellent understanding of retail electricity regulation” according to sources who praise his “broad knowledge” and “pragmatic nature”. He has “an exceptional and deep knowledge of energy law” according to sources who note: “He instantly knows the various areas that need to be considered when making any decisions.

Peter’s own clients say:
Peter Nelson is “probably the best lawyer in Australia on … electricity”. He is highly accessible and is responsive to client needs. Peter provides strong communication, exceptional responsiveness, rapid turnaround times and is very commercial… Peter is complimented on the “timeliness” of his advice, “reasonable level of charges”… and for having “developed a reputation in the energy industry as a solicitor with immense knowledge and skills of the market, legislation and commercial arrangements”.