Janet Howard Bio

Janet Howard is regional leader of Fasken’s global energy and climate group and co-founder of the firm’s hydrogen energy advisory team. She has a corporate transactional practice with a particular focus in the areas of renewable energy and natural resources. Janet provides strategic advice to clients engaged in domestic and international corporate finance, merger and acquisition and private equity transactions. Janet’s hydrogen practice spans the complete value chain from the production of “green” electrons and “clean” hydrogen through the distribution of molecules to the end-users. Through a practical and collaborative approach, Janet supports the efforts of clients and their strategic partners to secure financing, access to on-grid and off-grid clean power, hydrogen production and carbon storage equipment and engagement with local community and Indigenous stakeholders. In connection with the global development of large-scale hydrogen production projects, Janet has been involved in negotiations to secure investment from private equity and sovereign wealth funds, the formation of strategic joint ventures and partnerships and preliminary discussions with federal regulators to secure export permits. Janet has participated in several regulator initiated stakeholder engagement projects, providing input on energy storage design initiatives and strategies to expand participation in the energy and operating reserve markets for hydrogen producers. Her efforts have been directed towards enhancing the resiliency and flexibility of Ontario’s electricity grid, encouraging the development of market rules and regulations to facilitate the integration of distributed energy resources which can leverage the benefits of hydrogen energy production and storage solutions.