With a background in corporate law and structured finance transactions, Nelson has been engaged in renewable energy development for over a decade. Prior to co-founding HelioSage, Nelson worked as the Director of Project Transactions with Greenlight Energy, Inc., managing and negotiating a contract suite that became one of the country’s largest wind energy project pipelines. Following the sale of Greenlight Energy to BP Alternative Energy Services in 2006, Nelson joined BP where he led the development, project financing, and construction of the 300 megawatt Cedar Creek Wind Farm, a $480 million facility selling power to Xcel Energy under a long term power purchase agreement.

Nelson has also served as General Counsel for several renewable energy development firms in the arenas of utility scale solar (Axio Power), utility scale wind (Apex Wind Energy, Inc.), biofuels manufacture (Greenlight Biofuels, Inc.) and the commercialization of a wave to energy technology (Columbia Power Technologies). Nelson’s broad exposure to the renewable energy sector, combined with a deep understanding of the transactions that underpin the space, provide HelioSage, its clients and its partners with a critically valuable skill set.

Prior to getting involved with renewable energy project development, Nelson practiced law for Williams, Mullen, where he specialized in corporate law.  He also served as corporate counsel for Circuit City Stores, Inc. and two of its subsidiaries from 1994-1998.

Nelson holds a BA in Politics from Washington and Lee University and his law degree from the TC Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond.