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Portrait ofChris McGarvey

Chris McGarvey

Partner

Contact
CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP
1 West Regent Street
Glasgow
G2 1AP
United Kingdom
Languages English

Chris is a partner in the Energy & Climate Change Team at CMS.  He specialises in complex process engineering projects, often involving new and innovative technologies including electricity generation and transmission, water and waste-to-energy projects and regulatory compliance work for electricity, gas and water utilities.  Chris joined CMS in May 2019 and has over 17 years of experience advising in the energy and climate change sector. 

Chris has worked on power projects across various European, Sub-Saharan African and South American jurisdictions advising project sponsors, offtakers and funders. 

With more than 450 energy and climate change lawyers, including over 100 partners, the CMS Energy and Climate Change practice is one of the largest of its kind in the world. Led from its centres of excellence such as London and Aberdeen, the practice works across 75 offices globally. Building on 40 years of experience advising on power, oil & gas and renewables through to energy disputes, emerging areas and Energy Transition, CMS is uniquely placed to ensure clients receive advice best suited to their commercial needs and to our collective future.

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"Chris McGarvey is an exceptional lawyer. He is very smart and really understands the market."

Legal 500, 2024

"He's an excellent lawyer who really knows his stuff, particularly in projects."

Chambers, 2023

Relevant experience

  • A Global Energy Major on renewables offtake and energy trading in Nordic and Iberian power markets. 
  • Project Sponsors on the Acorn St Fergus, Caledonian Grangemouth, White Rose and Longannet Carbon Capture and Storage and Hydrogen Projects. 
  • A leading infrastructure fund on its investments in GB offshore transmission assets.
  • Independent Power Producers and Offtakers on CCGT projects in GB, Netherlands, France, Chile and Rwanda. 
  • Offshore wind developers and equity investors on various offshore wind farms.
  • A Transmission Network Owner on financing and construction procurement of a HVDC Interconnector Link.
  • Sponsors, financiers and offtakers on solar photovoltaic projects in GB, Spain and Nigeria.
  • Sponsors, financiers and offtakers on onshore wind projects in GB, Sweden, Croatia and Ukraine.
  • Energy Retailers and developers on battery storage, demand side response, energy service and asset optimisation projects.
  • Water Utilities on Wastewater Concessions, non-domestic retail and sustainable finance across the UK.
  • Sponsors and equity investors in various biomass CHP, district heating and heat decarbonisation schemes.
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Education

2001 – LL.B (Hons), University of Glasgow 

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Feed

18/01/2023
Accelerating onshore electricity transmission investment: a step forward...
Ofgem has published its decision on accelerating onshore electricity transmission investment (the “Decision”), which follows the consultation in which Ofgem sought views on its proposals to support...
11/11/2022
UK Government publishes Energy Bill Relief Scheme rules
Forming part of the Government’s response to the current energy crisis, the Energy Prices Act (the “Act”) received royal asset on 28 October 2022. The Act grants the Secretary of State broad powers...
12/08/2022
Funding announced for pioneering new space technologies
On 20th July 2022, the UK Government announced £3 million funding to support pioneering new space technologies. The funding is to be made available for space-based solar power (SBSP) projects that collect...
28/07/2022
CMS helps the NeuConnect project reach Financial Close
With ongoing support from CMS, NeuConnect Britain Limited and NeuConnect Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG (together NeuConnect) have achieved financial close on their £2.4bn (EUR 2.8bn) electricity in­ter­con­nect­or...
19/07/2022
Energy Bill 2022 - Electricity networks (Onshore Competition and MPIs) 
On 6th July 2022, the UK Government published the Energy Security Bill (the “Bill”) which draws together a range of measures which are aimed at improving independence and security of supply and contribute...
14/06/2022
Launch of the UK’s first ever carbon storage licensing round 
A key plank in the North Sea Transition Deal and the Government’s plans to reach its Net Zero target is the development at pace of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Projects, in which the oil & gas industry...
05/11/2021
Clarity on the scope for Ofgem to provide for self-modi­fic­a­tion of electricity...
The Competition and Markets Authority (the CMA) published the non-sensitive version of its final determination on the Energy Licence Modifications Appeals on 1 November 2021.  Although it is easy to...
05/11/2021
One small step for space based solar power
On 27 September, 2021, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (“BEIS”) published an independent report titled “Space Based Solar Power: De-risking the pathway to Net Zero”...
27/08/2021
Offshore Wind Energy for Innovation Projects and Targeted Oil and Gas Decarbonsation
On the 24 August 2021, Marine Scotland released The Offshore Wind Energy for Innovation Projects and Targeted Oil and Gas Decarbonisation (INTOG) Planning Specification and Context report for public...
12/08/2021
The end of an (tender revenue stream) era?
On 23 July 2021, Ofgem published its Decision on the End of Tender Revenue Stream (“the Decision”). The Decision follows the March 2021 Consultation, which raised 23 important questions relating to...
11/08/2021
Finally the introduction of CATO legislation? 
Background On 3 August, BEIS published a consultation on Competition in Onshore Electricity Networks. This follows the Government’s confirmation in December 2020 that it would bring forward legislation...
18/06/2021
Early Competition: opportunities and challenges for all, but we cannot...
Ofgem’s ambition of being able to compete onshore transmission projects within the wider market, to companies other than the incumbent transmission owners (TOs), has taken a step closer to fruition...