Court S. Rich
Court Rich is Co-Founder of Rose Law Group and is Director of the firm’s Regulatory and Renewable Energy Department. Court practices in the areas of renewable energy, utilities, municipal law, regulatory law, land use and zoning, administrative law, real estate, and handles administrative matters in front of the Arizona Corporation Commission, the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee, the Arizona Department of Real Estate, and lobbying at the State Legislature. Court serves as regulatory counsel for some of the largest solar companies and solar industry organizations in the United States. Court has extensive experience helping clients solve complicated real estate development and regulatory issues in all parts of the Valley and around the State of Arizona. Court has assisted clients in some especially unique development issues related to, utility services, floodplains, assurances, freeway and utility siting, as well as securing use permits, and variances where needed.
On the regulatory front, Court has worked on numerous groundbreaking matters in Arizona including acting as lead counsel before the Arizona Corporation Commission for the largest solar energy industry groups in the country in matters relating to the future of distributed generation in Arizona. Court has negotiated numerous power purchase agreements and turnkey agreements for utility scale solar generation facilities with utilities including among others Arizona Public Service, Pacific Gas and Electric, and Tucson Electric Power. In addition, Court has drafted and negotiated solar service agreements, solar lease agreements, and solar purchase agreements for numerous distributed scale solar projects with a variety of off-takers.
Under Court’s leadership, Rose Law Group pc has become the leading firm in Arizona for renewable energy and its renewable energy department was just ranked number one in the state by Ranking Arizona.
Court’s work demands that he have close relationships with elected officials and state, municipal, and county staff members throughout Arizona. As a result, Court is often involved in election campaigns in support of local and state candidates and stays involved in the communities in which he works. Court is always ready to assist clients in working with municipal, county, or state officials in an effort to build better communities and solve local and regional issues.
Court is a regular speaker and panelist on all things related to renewable energy. Court also has served as pro bono counsel for the Institute for Justice (representing a Winchell’s Donut shop against first amendment abuse) and has been an associate scholar at the Goldwater Institute which published his policy brief, “Protecting Private Property Rights: The Case for Vested Property Rights.”
He supports and serves on committees for various Valley philanthropic organizations including Teen Lifeline, which is one of his favorites. Former Governor Jan Brewer appointed Court to sit on her Solar Energy Advisory Task Force. Court was recently appointed by the Mayor and Council to sit on the City of Phoenix’s ad hoc committee on electric vehicle issues. Court is Vice President of the Arizona Solar Energy Industry Association, and a member of the Phoenix Green Chamber’s Public Policy Committee. Court also sits on the City of Scottsdale Cultural Council’s Scottsdale Public Art Advisory Board, the Board of the Arizona chapter of Gen Next, the Board of Directors for the Gen Equity Political Action Committee, and formerly served on the executive board of the Economic Development Group of Eloy (EDGE). Court is a proud graduate of Scottsdale Leadership’s Class 23, a member of Gen Next, and Pinal Partnership.
Court received his B.A. in philosophy from University of Arizona in 1998 and his J.D. from Arizona State University in 2001 where he was a Pedrick Scholar. He is a member of the State Bar of Arizona Association.
On the lighter side, he was named “Best Name for a Lawyer” in the Phoenix New Times’ Best of Phoenix Issue, 2001.
In The News
In The Mix: Rose Law Group hosts local candidate mixers to talk solar energy
By Madelaine Braggs | Rose Law Group Reporter At the polls this November, choosing a candidate who will make energy affordable and sustainable is one of the most pressing issues in a voter’s mind. In partnership with Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) and the Arizona Solar Energy Industries Association (AriSEIA), Rose Law Group hosted current leading Republican and Democratic candidates for
Court Rich, Rose Law Group Co-founder featured in ABC15 report: Denied again: ACC will not reconsider SRP gas plant expansion
(Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Sierra Club.) By Courtney Holmes | ABC15 Arizona Corporation Commission once again shot down Salt River Project’s effort to get the commission to approve its $1 billion gas plant that the utility wants to build in Coolidge. Back in April, the ACC voted 4-1 to deny the plant expansion, with the commission citing the negative impact
Arizona regulators asked to reconsider SRP gas plant expansion; Corporation Commission says ‘no’ again; a ‘terrible project,’ says Court Rich, Rose Law Group co-founder, and director Renewable Energy Department
By Ryan Randazzo |Arizona Republic Salt River Project’s bid to expand a Coolidge natural-gas plant was rejected again by state regulators Monday after the utility requested a special meeting for reconsideration of the April vote that went against the project. Commissioners initially rejected the expansion in a 4-1 vote in April. Commissioner Justin Olson was the lone regulator favoring the
Your business & the law: Rose Law Group Co-founder Court Rich and firm Web3 attorney Omar Abdallah talk to InBusiness about environmental and cybersecurity issues
By RaeAnne Marsh | InBusiness Phoenix The upheaval of the past couple of years has required businesses to adapt and adopt a lot of change to survive. Some of this comes from social pressures as attitudes and habits change, and some comes from new regulatory guidelines and requirements. Attorneys bring businesses expertise to help them navigate the changing landscape and,
Arizona solar trends: Court Rich, Rose Law Group co-founder, talks to YourValley about industry’s ‘tremendous potential’ for expansion
By Caroline Yu | Your Valley Visualizing Arizona’s desert landscape, the blazing hot sun rises to the front of the mind; and with government interest in creating more renewable energies, it begs the question of how much solar energy could be developed within the state. In an April 20 news release, the U.S. Department of the Interior discussed its updated
Court Rich, Rose Law Group co-founder, visits Energy Markets Podcast to discuss how Arizona utilities worked to overturn state law promoting retail competition in electricity
By Brian Lee| Energy Markets Podcast Court Rich, an attorney representing solar developers and others before the Arizona Corporation Commission, recounts how the state’s 20-year-old law promoting retail competition in electricity was thwarted for years by the state’s utilities and then, recently, ultimately repealed after an army of more than a hundred lobbyists descended on the Legislature. The bill, through
