Elizabeth Crouse provides business-focused solutions for U.S. federal, state, and international tax problems in a variety of transactions and investment structures. Elizabeth works hand-in-hand with clients to create and implement practical and efficient international and domestic corporate structures, negotiate tax-focused and tax-informed provisions in a variety of contracts, and lead transactions, particularly in the renewable energy and fuels, hydrogen, carbon, and cryptocurrency industries.
In addition to supporting her clients, Elizabeth is the practice group coordinator of K&L Gates’ global Power practice, co-chair of our ESG practice, co-chair of our Sustainability Initiative, co-director of the Seattle chapter of Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy, chair of the Renewable Hydrogen Alliance’s Oregon Policy Subcommittee, and a member of the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association (PNWH2) Board Advisory Committee.
Elizabeth has been recognized by Best Lawyers for Energy and Tax law and the Washington Rising Stars list.
Renewable Energy and Fuels, Hydrogen, and Carbon
Elizabeth has over a decade of experience assisting U.S. domestic and multinational investors, developers, and operators in the renewable energy and fuels, hydrogen, and carbon industries, particularly in regard to U.S. federal tax matters, including the ITC, PTC, and 45Q tax credit. These transactions include tax equity investments, acquisitions of and investments in renewable energy and fuels projects by taxable and tax-exempt organizations, more than 3GW of safe harbor procurement contracts, venture investments in climate tech companies, project development, and build transfer agreements.
Cryptocurrency
Since 2017, Elizabeth has assisted a variety of cryptocurrency-focused and cryptonative businesses in regard to international and domestic structuring and the U.S. federal income tax considerations of a variety of mining, DeFi, crypto lending, crypto leasing, exchange transactions, payments, investments, and other transactions in the global crypto marketplace.
Prior to beginning her legal career, Elizabeth served in the United States Navy.
- Recognized in Best Lawyers in America for Energy Law and Tax Law, 2022
- Selected to Washington Rising Stars list, 2017-2018
- Co-Chair, Seattle Chapter of WRISE (Women in Renewable Energy and Sustainable Industries), 2017 - present
- Co-Chair, Washington State Bar Association, International Tax Subcommittee, 2014 - 2018
- Presenter, Impacts of the IRA on Energy Storage Development, YES Energy Summit 2023, 21 February 2023
- Bank of America Carbon Capture & Sequestration Mini-Conference, Federal Income Tax Credit Outlook for Carbon Capture, 18 January 2023
- Clean Energy States Alliance, New Federal Money for Energy Storage: The Inflation Reduction Act, 16 December 2022
- Bank of America Securities Hydrogen Conference, Federal Income Tax Credit Outlook for Hydrogen, 14 December 2022
- Renewable Natural Gas Coalition Annual Conference, Inflation Reduction Act: A Conversation on the Critical Questions and Opportunities for RNG and Biogas in the IRA’s Energy Provisions and Tax Credits, 14 December 2022
- Edison Electric Institute, Powering the Future: How indigenous communities are harnessing renewables to achieve energy sovereignty, 14 December 2022
- Business Network for Offshore Wind, Executive U.S. Offshore Wind Policy Summit, Breaking Down The IRA Tax Credits And Requirements, 17 November 2022
- VERGE, Navigating Clean Energy Supply Chain Disruptions, 26 October 2022
- Renewable Thermal Collaborative, U.S. Policy Update: The Inflation Reduction Act - What Does it Mean for Renewable Thermal, and What Are the RTC’s Next Policy Priorities, 20 October 2022
- Hydrogen in Focus, Hydrogen Economics, 24 October 2022
- Pacific Ocean Energy Trust, Welcome to the Tax Credit Revolution for Offshore Wind, 27 September 2022
- World Forestry Center, Who Will Own the Forest, Formalizing ESG in Investment Mandates, 21 September 2022
- RE+, H2 Power Hour (How the IRA impacts the hydrogen industry), 20 September 2022
- Renewable Hydrogen Alliance, Welcome to Tax Credit Revolution: Focus on Renewable Hydrogen, 12 September 2022
- Northwest and Intermountain Power Producers Coalition (NIPPC), Offshore Wind: Nuts, Bolts, and the Pacific, 12 September 2022
- Welcome to the Tax Credit Revolution: What You Need to Know About Domestic Content Requirements, 8 September 2022
- Welcome to the Tax Credit Revolution: What You Need to Know about the Wage and Apprenticeship Requirements, 2 September 2022
- Welcome to the Tax Credit Revolution: What You Need to Know About Structuring Opportunities, Direct Pay and Transferability, 1 September 2022
- Renewable Hydrogen Association, Renewable Power to Clean Fuels Symposium, Investing in Renewable Hydrogen, 1 June 2022
- ESG Insights: Impact on Operations, 19 April 2022
- Federal Bar Association, Indian Law Section, Protecting Our Places: Sovereignty in a Time of Climate Change, 7 April 2022
- The Role of Green Hydrogen in Accelerating the Transition to Carbon-Free, Solar Power International, December 2021
- Update on Qualified Opportunity Zones and Tax Credits, Strafford CLE, July 2019
- Energy Storage Project Development: An Overview of Key Policy, Finance, and Development Issues with K&L Gates, June 2019
- Welcome to OZ: Leveraging the Opportunity Zones Incentive for Renewables and Storage, AWEA Windpower Conference, May 2019
- Let’s Make a Deal: Wind + Storage, AWEA Windpower Conference, May 2019
- Women in Power Seminar: Renewables 3.0, May 2019
- Energy Storage in OZ: Opportunities for Storage Developers, California Energy Storage Alliance, Annual Members Meeting, February 2019
- Qualified Opportunity Zones and Tax Credits, Strafford CLE, January 2019
- Blockchain Seattle, September 2018
- Clean Energy Solutions for All, GoGreen Seattle, April 2018
- Identifying and Innovating through Points of Resistance in Renewables, April 2018
- Post-2017 Partnership Audit Regime--Focus on Investors, The Regulatory Fundamentals Group, August 2017
- Navigating Changes in Energy Attitudes Coast to Coast, May 2017
- Inversions, Ireland, and Other International Tax Intrigue, Washington State Bar Association, December 2014
- Making Sense of the Cost Basis Reporting Rules, Seattle Tax Group, March 2011
- “A Primer On Effectively Connected Income,” Law360, 18 May 2017
- “Hitting the Sweet Spot: U.S. and Canadian Tax Treatment of Cross-Border Spinoff,” Tax Notes International, Volume 78, Number 12, 2015
- “Doing As They Say or Saying As they Do: Tax Policy and the (In)Effective and (In)Efficient Taxation of Credit Card Awards,” The Lydian Payments Journal, 2010
- “The Tax Treatment of Transferable Development Rights,” Michigan Tax Lawyer, Spring 2008
- Quoted, "Guidance Awaited on Energy Tax Credits in Low-Income Communities," Bloomberg Tax, February 6 2023
- Mentioned, "CleanCapital’s Acquisition of 37 MW Solar Project on Guam," Global Legal Chronicle, 28 July 2022
