John J. Leonti

John is recognized as one of the most innovative and well-respected electric power project finance attorneys in the U.S. and is at the forefront of advising clients on complex and groundbreaking financial transactions in the energy sector, having structured several novel deal structures and milestone “firsts” in the industry. He works with a wide range of assets, including solar, storage, gas, wind, and emerging technologies, ensuring that clients can navigate and succeed in the evolving renewable energy landscape. John counsels independent power producers, private equity and hedge funds, major utilities and their competitive subsidiaries, financial institutions, and power marketers.

John’s practice focuses on structuring, negotiating, documenting, and executing complex deals, including tax equity, pref equity and tax credit transfer transactions. He advises on debt transactions, ranging from construction financing to long-term commercial and institutional debt arrangements. Additionally, John is skilled in structured commodity transactions, covering both physical and financial electric power and gas hedges.

John is nationally ranked by Chambers USA and The Legal 500 and frequently shares his insights at conferences across the nation, solidifying his role as a thought leader in renewable energy. He contributes to the firm’s strategic direction as a member of the Executive Committee and serves as chair of the Energy Department.

• Represented a grid scale storage developer and operator in financing an 800 MWh energy storage project in Texas, structuring tax credit sales and negotiating financial and operational agreements.
• Represented a renewable energy project developer in debt and tax equity financing for a 150 MWac utility scale battery energy storage system in Brazoria County, Texas, including negotiating and closing the offtake agreement.
• Represented a lender and financial solutions provider as preferred equity investor in a 200.7 MWDC solar photovoltaic electric generating facility and an approximately 237 MWh battery storage facility located in Lamar County, Texas.
• Represented an electric and renewable energy project developer in the negotiation of tax equity financing and tax credit transfer agreement of a 178.9 MW solar project in Garrett County, Maryland.
• Represented a leading developer, owner, and operator of clean energy projects in a tax equity portfolio financing for a 100 MW solar project under construction in DeSoto County, Mississippi, a 100 MW solar project in Twin Falls County, Idaho, and a 140 MW solar project in Las Animas County, Colorado, coordinating both PTC and ITC projects with debt financing.
• Represented a developer, owner, and operator of large-scale solar, wind, and energy storage projects on the negotiation of a hybrid tax equity and tax credit transfer financing of three utility-scale solar photovoltaic projects under development, including a 100 MW solar project in Polk County, Wisconsin, a 117 MW solar project in Crawford County, Ohio, and a 125 MW solar project in Jackson County, Michigan.
• Represented a global energy company in the tax credit sale of six battery energy storage systems with an aggregate capacity of approximately 865 MWh located in Pecos County, Texas.
• Represented Sabanci Renewables in the acquisition and tax equity and debt financing of its first U.S. utility-scale solar project – a 270MW PV solar project located in ERCOT.
• Represented National Grid Renewables, as sponsor, in connection with the negotiation of the tax equity financing investment in an approximately 275MW (AC) ground-mounted solar photovoltaic power generation facility and an approximately 125MW (AC) battery energy storage system located in Denton County, Texas.
• Represented J. Aron, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., through their first hedge agreement for a standalone battery storage project.
• Represented Omega Energia, the largest renewable energy company in Latin America, in its first construction debt, tax equity financing, and back-leverage debt for the 531MW Goodnight 1 facility.

• Legal 500 United States for Energy: Renewable/Alternative Power (2021-2025); Finance: Project Finance (2021-2025); Energy Transactions: Electric Power (2023-2025)
• Chambers Global USA, Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy, Nationwide (2025)
• Chambers USA: Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy, USA Nationwide (2018-2025)
• IFLR1000, Project Development: Energy (2024)