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Eleanor

Eleanor "Cacki" Chote Jewart

Partner
Austin
phone: 512.479.9718
fax: 512.479.1101
Overview

A trusted advocate, Cacki draws on more than 25 years of experience in the renewable energy industry to help clients achieve their goals.

One of the founders of the firm’s renewable energy practice, Cacki leads multidisciplinary teams in project development and investment for wind, solar, energy storage, and data center projects in Texas and throughout the U.S. She has closed more than 20,000 MW worth of projects for sponsor/developers and more than 8,000 MW worth of projects for tax equity investors and lenders.

Cacki regularly handles early, mid-stage, and late-stage projects, including construction and post-construction asset management, with a particular focus on real estate, environmental, regulatory, general development, preparation for financing, and state and local tax matters. She advises on financing for developers and investors, and she negotiates real estate leases, easements, acquisitions, and dispositions of property. Cacki and her team frequently advise clients regarding minerals and title issues for development as well as all other development and financing matters.

Cacki’s experience in the renewable energy sector dates to the technology’s early days. When she first began to assist with renewable energy projects, most attorneys were unfamiliar with the topic, and an early client’s development manager taught her the field. Her own practice grew with the industry, and today, Cacki has the extensive, inside knowledge of a professional who has worked in renewables from their very beginning. She also devotes a significant portion of her time to training and mentoring others who are new to the industry, from developers to in-house attorneys to new colleagues at the firm.

With a reputation for both her practical mindset and her industry knowledge, Cacki partners closely with clients’ in-house teams. She always has an eye on financing requirements, and—having represented both the financing parties and the developers across the table from them—has both experience and an instinctive feel for what both sides are going to want and need in a deal, helping clients get to yes faster.

In addition to her role as a founding member and former leader of the firm’s renewable energy practice, Cacki is also a former member of the firm’s executive board. She currently serves as an ethics partner for the Energy & Natural Resources business unit and as a member of Husch Blackwell’s opinion committee. Cacki is also a proud member of the firm’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group, HB Pride.

Industry

Services

Recognition

  • Austin Monthly magazine, Top Austin Attorney, Energy, Oil and Gas, 2023 and 2024
  • BL Rankings’ The Best Lawyers in America®
    • Real Estate Law, 2018-2025
  • Texas Lawyer, Women in Energy, 2016

Education

  • J.D., Georgetown University Law Center
    • CALI Award for Excellence, 1997
  • B.A., College of William and Mary

Admissions

  • Texas
  • New York

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • Austin Bar Association
  • State Bar of Texas
  • Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) — Board of Directors, 2011-2017; Austin Chapter, President 2016
  • Gulf Coast Power Association
  • Real Estate Council of Austin, Board of Directors, 2013
  • Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow
  • CleanTX, Austin chapter
Experience
  • Represents stand-alone battery storage developer as project counsel for more than 30 projects in the U.S. (between 10 and 300 MWs each) for real estate, regulatory, tax incentives, permitting, and other development issues, plus employment, benefits, and privacy matters.
  • Represents sponsor on early stage permitting analysis for urban and near-urban sites for BESS projects.
  • Represents European developer in early-stage development, including site control, title, survey, and environmental work for stand-alone battery and solar projects throughout the U.S.
  • Represents developers in leasing for hydrogen projects and combined generation projects.
  • Represents developers of solar and battery storage projects in development of land for behind-the-meter data centers and other offtakers.
  • Represents BESS (battery energy storage systems) developer on all development work through construction debt and tax equity financing for multi-stage projects, including shared facilities arrangements.
  • Led project development work for Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners over several years and through multiple fundings for Fighting Jays 476 MWdc solar project.
  • Advised renewables development company on development and financing of what was the largest solar project in Texas at the time – 315 MWdc in Winkler County.
  • Advised U.S. renewable energy developer in developing 379 MW solar project in Andrews County, and in completing funding of the tax equity investment by Facebook, a construction loan by a consortium of lenders, plus energy hedge negotiation.
  • Advised European developer in mid-stage development of a 240-MW solar energy project in Childress County, Texas, and financing the project with an inverted lease structure.
  • Counseled renewable energy development company on development and financing of wind energy project near Texas/Mexico border – 237 MW.
  • Advised California-based solar energy developer in acquisition of late-stage development solar project in Cameron County, Texas, for real estate, regulatory, tax and environmental matters.
  • Advised national utility on purchase and development of 267-MW wind energy project.
  • Advised European infrastructure fund on development and construction of first and second phases of wind energy project in Glasscock County, Texas.
  • Represented European infrastructure fund in development of wind energy project in Southwest Power Pool (SPP) – Bailey and Lamb counties.
  • Represented international developer on development and financing of 198-MWac solar energy project in Texas.
  • Advised renewable energy operator on real estate, regulatory, and environmental matters in connection with repower of three phases of wind projects near Sweetwater, Texas and subsequent repower.
  • Represented renewable energy developer in lease and easement negotiation, real estate due diligence, project development and construction issues involved with 150-MW wind project as Phase I and 200-MW wind energy project as Phase II – Floyd County, Texas.
  • Represented distributed generation solar developer on development issues in Texas.
  • Counseled two national investors on Texas real estate issues for $225 million wind energy tax equity investment.
  • Represented multiple tax equity investors in real estate and local issues involving investment in solar and wind projects throughout United States.
  • Represented European infrastructure fund as developer's counsel for the purchase, development, hedge equity investment and tax equity financing of 848 GW of wind and solar projects in Texas.
  • Represent European investment and asset manager in the development, construction lender financing, tax equity financing and hedge financing of a 336 MW TG East wind project in Texas.
  • Represented developer of 440 MWs of solar projects. Provided development, real estate, environmental, electric regulatory, and state tax acumen on all matters.
Outside the Office

Cacki enjoys playing pickleball and baking, but she’s at her happiest when spending time with her two adult daughters, Ames and Helen, in Colorado.

Community Leadership
  • St. James’ Episcopal Church, member and immigration program volunteer, 2024-present
  • SafePlace, Legal Advocacy Program, 2012-2014