Energy & Climate Change

With more than 450 lawyers globally, including over 150 partners, the CMS Energy & Climate Change practice is one of the world’s largest. We provide crucial advice to governments and businesses as they engage with the challenge of climate change, global geopolitics, economics and each specific country’s regulation and shape their responses to it.

The energy sector in Colombia is complex and entails significant regulatory and contractual challenges that vary depending on whether the matter relates to electricity -where regulations differ for generation, transmission, commercialization and distribution activities -, mining, oil and gas -where the applicable regulations depend on the specific activity to be developed within the supply chain- , or renewable energy generation.

CMS advises the Colombian Government and private companies, both domestic and foreign, in the structuring, design and implementation of energy projects. The Firm has played a significant role in shaping the legal framework of the energy industry in Colombia, having played key roles as advisor to the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH), among other agencies, on various critical matters for the country.

The Firm has participated in advice and support to clients in relation to the following matters:

• Structuring and negotiation of complex petroleum projects, including:

1. Incorporation of companies in the country;
2. Award of blocks for oil and gas exploration and production;
3. Drafting and negotiation of joint operating agreements (JOAs); 
4. Structuring, drafting and negotiation of operation contracts (CPF construction, drilling services, EPCs, BOMTs, associated production services, etc), Farm Out and Farm In Agreements, among others;

• Acquisition of participations in E&P contracts;
• Structuring, acquisition, financing and regulatory advice related to electricity generation projects;
• Negotiation of contracts for access to energy supply infrastructure, including midstream and downstream infrastructure;
• Generation and self-generation energy projects, securing connection points and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).