new hire

Law firm expands energy transition-focused, Houston-based team

Jenny Speck joined Vinson & Elkins as a Houston-based partner in its Energy Transition and Tax Practices. Photo via velaw.com

An energy transition-focused legal team has on boarded its newest member.

Jenny Speck joined Vinson & Elkins as a Houston-based partner in its Energy Transition and Tax Practices. According to V&E, she will advise clients on energy transition tax incentives. Her experience includes working on renewable projects from onshore and offshore wind, solar, combined heat and power to biogas property, carbon capture, hydrogen, and more.

“Jenny has a commercial sensibility that our clients will value. She knows how to get deals done and is adept at calibrating tax advice to a company’s strategic objectives,” Vinson & Elkins Partner Sean Moran, one of the leaders of the firm’s Energy Transition Practice, says in a news release. “She is another phenomenal addition to our Renewable Energy and Tax Practices, which are booming as the Inflation Reduction Act continues to drive unprecedented investment and development in renewable energy.”

Joining V&E from Bracewell, Speck previously served as the senior manager of tax and regulatory compliance at Navigator CO2 Ventures LLC and also worked in the National Tax practice of Deloitte Tax LLP in Washington, D.C. She earned her undergraduate degree from Northeastern State University and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Tulsa College of Law. She's been ranked by Legal 500 U.S. and included in the Lawdragon 500 Leading US Energy Lawyers guide for “Energy Transition Incentives.”

“I have worked across from Vinson & Elkins on transactions and have seen the depth of their experience, along with the efficiency and camaraderie they bring to projects,” Speck adds. “I look forward to joining my new colleagues and strengthening their tax and energy powerhouse.”

She will work with partners Moran and Lauren Collins, who joined V&E along with four renewable energy and tax lawyers in 2021, as well as Jorge Medina, who was on boarded to the team earlier this year.

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A View From HETI

Hobby Airport's new solar canopy is operating at 100% capacity. Photo courtesy Houston Airports.

Houston's William P. Hobby Airport is generating its own clean energy.

Houston Aiports announced that Hobby's red garage is now home to a "solar canopy" that is producing energy at 100 percent capacity to power daily operations. The photovoltaic (PV) solar system generated more than 1.1 gigawatt-hours of electricity in testing, and is expected to produce up to 1 megawatt-hour now that it's operating at full power.

“This project is proof that sustainability can be practical, visible and directly tied to the passenger experience,” Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for Houston Airports, said in a news release. “Passengers now park under a structure that shields their cars from the Texas sun while generating clean energy that keeps airport operations running efficiently, lowering overall peak demand electrical costs during the day and our carbon footprint. It’s a win for travelers, the city and the planet.”

The project was completed by Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) and CenterPoint Energy. It's part of Houston Airport's efforts to reduce carbon emissions by 40 percent over its 2019 baseline.

In a separate announcement, the airport system also shared that it recently reached Level 3 in the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Carbon Accreditation program after reducing emissions by 19 percent in three years. This includes reductions at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Hobby and Ellington Airport/Houston Spaceport.

The reductions have come from initiatives such as adding electric vehicles to airport fleets, upgrading airfield lighting with LED bulbs, adding smarter power systems to terminals, and improving IAH's central utility plant with more efficient equipment. Additionally, the expansion to Hobby's West Concourse and renovations at IAH Terminal B incorporate cleaner equipment and technology.

According to Houston Airports, from 2019 to 2023:

  • IAH reduced emissions by 17 percent
  • Hobby reduced emissions by 32 percent
  • Ellington Airport reduced emissions by 4 percent

"I see firsthand how vital it is to link infrastructure with sustainability,” Houston City Council Member Twila Carter, chair of the council’s Resilience Committee, said in the release. “Reducing carbon emissions at our airports isn’t just about cleaner travel — it’s about smarter planning, safer communities and building a Houston that can thrive for generations to come.”

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