Allison C. Smith
Experience
Allison Smith focuses her practice in environmental and energy law. Her experience
includes CEQA and land use litigation, and permitting solar, wind, biomass,
geothermal and gas-fired energy facilities. Allison conducts environmental due
diligence and negotiations for mergers and acquisitions and project finance
transactions. Allison also counsels companies on federal and state air quality and
greenhouse gas regulations, including permitting, compliance, and enforcement
actions.
Prior to practicing law, Allison was a volunteer in the Peace Corps in Côte d'lvoire and
taught English in Tokushima, Japan with the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program.
Representative Work

Provide CEQA and permitting advice for the development of solar, wind, biomass,
geothermal, and gas-fired energy facilities throughout California.

(916) 319-4759 direct
acquisition of energy facilities. Negotiate contractual terms related to
(916) 447-4781 fax
transactions.

Sacramento, CA
Conduct permitting and environmental due diligence for the sale, financing, and
environmental matters and give environmental and permitting opinions for such

Associate
allison.smith@stoel.com
Helped successfully defend the City of Sacramento and Redevelopment Agency
Education
against CEQA challenges to a large-scale mixed use redevelopment project.

2005
Defended a biomass plant against multiple CEQA law suits, settling both suits and
Certificate in Environmental Law
obtaining a release of all claims against the project owner.

Member, Environmental Law Journal
Order of the Barristers
Willem C. Vis International
Counsel electricity producers and importers on compliance with the California
cap and trade program and mandatory greenhouse gas emissions reporting.


Commercial Arbitration Moot Court
Negotiated an amendment of a power purchase agreement with Southern
Competition, Quarter Finalist
California Edison to provide for reimbursement to the facility owner of California
Chair, Tulane Law School Summit on
cap and trade compliance costs.
Environmental Law
Vice President, Environmental Law
Advised an investment bank on the risks and liabilities associated with a loan to
purchase real property to create a forest offset project under the California cap
and trade program, helped draft related terms of the loan and security
Society

Anthropology, 1996
Counseled a timber company on creating a project to generate carbon offsets
from forest lands for sale in the California cap and trade market, including
negotiation of a carbon development services agreement.

University of Virginia, B.A.,
Environmental Science and
agreement.

Tulane University Law School, J.D.,
Handled the sale of emission reduction credits, including drafting a purchase and
Admissions

California

U.S. District Court, Eastern District,
California
sale agreement.
Languages

French
Allison C. Smith

Assist with permitting and provide advice on compliance with the Clean Air Act new source review and prevention of significant
deterioration programs, as well as local air quality regulations, including San Diego Air Pollution Control District, San Joaquin
Valley Air Pollution Control District, and South Coast Air Quality Management District rules.

Defend sellers and manufacturers of consumer products against enforcement by the California Air Resources Board.

Defended a pollution control device manufacturer against lawsuits for civil penalties brought by the California Air Resources
Board, South Coast Air Quality Management District, and Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District.
Presentations

"EPA Enforcement Update," Stoel Rives 2015 Workshop Series, Oct. 15, 2015.

"Growing Trends in Forest Offset Projects: The legal landscape of development for the California carbon market," Stoel Rives
Forest Products Industry Webinar, Nov. 19, 2013

"Strategies for Complying with Current GHG Regulations in California," EUEC 2012, Feb. 2012

"Getting Ready for Greenhouse Gas Requirements in California," Infocast Webinar, Oct. 2011

"Land Use Implications of Renewable Energy Projects," Northern California County Counsel Association Annual Conference, July
2010

"Renewable Energy Facility Siting," California Bar Association Environmental Law Section Spring Roundtables, June 2009

"California's Green Building Standards," LSI Legal and Regulatory Issues in Green Development, Jan. 2009
Publications

Regular contributor to the Stoel Rives Renewable + Law Blog and the California Environmental Law Blog

"California Dreaming," PV Magazine, July 2015

"The Short and Long Game of California's GHG Reduction Plan," Law360, May 2015

"Get Ready for California's Energy Storage Boom," Solar Industry Magazine, April 2014

"Supreme Court to Review EPA's Authority to Regulate Stationary Sources of Greenhouse Gases," Law360, Oct. 2013

"California's Cap and Trade Program under AB32 – a Primer" (co-author), Stoel Rives LLP December 2012

"Siting Plants (All Scales)" Chapter, The Law of Biorefineries and Advanced Biofuels, Stoel Rives LLP, 2012 Edition

"Sacramento Railyards: How the City of Sacramento is Facilitating Development of the Largest Brownfield Infill Site in Americ a"
(coauthor), California Real Property Journal, Vol. 29, No. 2, 2011

"Wind Projects Enter New Permitting Reality: Policies Addressing Wind Development on Federal Lands May Favor the Easiest –
Rather Than the Best – Projects" (coauthor), North American Windpower, Vol. 8, No. 9, Oct. 2011

"How to Negotiate Like a Lawyer", Comstock's Magazine, March 2011

"California Adopts its Cap-and-Trade Program for Greenhouse Gas Emissions," Fresno Bar Journal, Feb. 2011

"Ailing California Works to Solve Wind Slowdown," (co-author) North American Windpower, Oct. 2009
Allison C. Smith

"Water—Know Your Rights," (co-author) Wine Business Monthly, Dec. 2008
Professional Activities

Editor, Climate Change Law and Policy Reporter

California Bar Association, Environmental Law Section, Environmental Legislation Committee Co-Chair

American Bar Association, Environment, Energy and Resources Section

Sacramento County Bar Association, Environmental Law Section

Women Lawyers of Sacramento

Member, Power Association of Northern California

Member, Association of Women in Water, Energy and Environment

Member, California Women in Energy