Elliot D. Hinds

Hinds grew up in Los Angeles and has based his practice there, working extensively on mergers and acquisitions, debt financings, project development and finance, and joint ventures for energy companies.

He continues to represent French developer Photosol in corporate and financing matters for utility-scale solar and battery storage projects in the United States, including complex joint ventures and equity investments.

Photosol has three solar projects proposed for San Juan County in New Mexico, near the Four Corners Power Plant and San Juan Generating Station. The projects, which include solar arrays and energy storage, will serve customers moving away from coal-fired energy as the region prepares for the potential closure of both the power plant and generating station.

“That’s a good example of the fact that there’s a lot of foreign investment in the U.S., particularly in renewable energy,” Hinds said. “It’s not only complicated and exciting, but also impactful to the area that I live in, because we work on projects all over the country.”

Even closer to home, Hinds has taken a leading role in Hydeal Los Angeles, an initiative that aims to bring clean-burning green hydrogen to the L.A. Basin by 2030.

“It’s one of more interesting projects because that could be a game changer that ultimately eliminates carbon from our power grid here in Southern California,” he said.

The challenge with Hydeal, he said, is the lack of a regulatory regime that deals with how to transport green hydrogen.

“It’s great to have innovation, but oftentimes, the law and regulation is lagging behind it,” Hinds said. “So being able to advise clients about implementing their solutions at the right moment in the market is a difficult and critical thing to maneuver. If we’re too early, then you’re wasting money needlessly because the law hasn’t caught up. And if you’re too late, then you lose the first mover’s advantage in a crowded field.”

Hinds has served on the board of the Los Angeles Urban League since 2019. The 100-year-old civil rights organization advocates for the economic improvement of African Americans and other underserved minorities in Los Angeles.

“Like many others here, and particularly blacks that live in L.A., I have a particularly close affinity and personal relationship with the L.A. Urban League,” he said. “This is an organization that I really believe in and have put a lot of work into helping to thrive.”

- Jennifer Chung Klam