About Skye Kirby
Skye is a senior renewable energy and infrastructure lawyer with broad experience in major project delivery and specialist expertise in electricity and water regulation.
Skye has over 15 years' experience advising Government, market bodies, transmission network businesses, generators, water and waste providers, investors and lenders across the energy and water sectors in Australia and the UK.
Over this time, Skye has been based at Allens in Melbourne and Linklaters in London. Her relevant experience includes advising:
- Government – on major project delivery, financing and procurement, and energy and water regulation.
- Transmission network businesses – on transmission regulation and funding, in particular network augmentation, connections and contestability.
- Electricity market bodies – on various NEM reforms, including for renewable energy zones, generation and transmission investment, and network service pricing.
- Water and sewerage infrastructure owners – on economic regulation, licensing and supply contracts.
- Private capital – in relation to investments in electricity generation, retail and transmission, and in water infrastructure.
Skye has particular interest in regulated assets, energy market reforms, and facilitating government support for major projects. She is well connected with decision-makers and regulators. Her Australian practice currently focuses on:
- Major project delivery – such as advising State Governments on the delivery of transmission infrastructure, including procurement, regulation and project agreements.
- Energy market policy – such as advising market bodies on transmission access reform and their formal reviews of transmission planning and investment in the NEM.
- Bespoke funding mechanisms – such as advising private capital clients on the revenue support available for renewable energy projects, such as the capacity investment scheme.
- Energy competition matters – advising investors on competition and consumer regulation across the electricity supply chain, including regulated pricing, ring fencing and market conduct.
During her time in the UK, Skye enjoyed her exposure to world-leading energy and water projects, which she can now leverage to the benefit of her Australian clients. Her valuable international experience includes:
- Regulated asset base models – advising Thames Water Utilities Limited on the £4.2 billion Thames Tideway Tunnel Project. Skye led the regulatory workstream for the TTT Project, which was the first network infrastructure project delivered in the UK using a regulated asset base model.
- Electricity market reform – advising National Grid plc on its delivery of the capacity market and Contracts for Difference to support the development of renewables.
- Zero emissions technology – exposure to projects deploying newer zero emissions technology, such as new nuclear, offshore wind and carbon capture and storage.
- Interconnectors – advising the UK Government on the regulation of European interconnectors post-Brexit.