RJ Colwell
Senior Associate
RJ Colwell is a senior associate in the Energy & Mining Group at Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP.
RJ advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, private equity investments, joint ventures, and project finance transactions across the energy and natural resources sector. RJ’s transactional work spans oil and gas properties, pipelines and midstream systems, power generation facilities, LNG projects, CCUS assets, and AI data center infrastructure. RJ also practices before federal and state energy regulatory authorities, including FERC, DOE, the Texas Railroad Commission, the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. RJ regularly negotiates joint development and farmout agreements, gathering and processing agreements, power purchase agreements, tolling and offtake agreements, water supply and disposal agreements, and other commercial arrangements.
RJ’s data center practice covers the full lifecycle of energy infrastructure for data center projects, from site selection and carbon compliance strategy through behind-the-meter and co-located power generation structuring, regulatory approvals, and large-load interconnection. RJ advises on water supply and cooling infrastructure, including alternative sources such as treated produced water, reclaimed water, and brackish groundwater. RJ’s data center work encompasses battery energy storage and small modular reactor supply arrangements.
RJ represents both domestic and international companies, private equity funds and their portfolio companies, sovereign enterprises, and foreign investors. RJ’s cross-border work includes advising on U.S. regulatory requirements and transaction structures for inbound energy investments. RJ’s experience spans crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, biomethane, CO2, and conventional and renewable power commodities and assets; related processing, treatment, generation, transmission, storage, and carbon capture facilities; produced and recycled water systems; LNG and natural gas import/export terminals; and related energy markets, including carbon credits and environmental attributes.
Prior to joining Davis Graham, RJ practiced oil and gas and energy regulatory law in the Houston offices of three international law firms for six years, and served as global co-chair of the midstream practice group at one of those firms. During his time in Houston, RJ advised on transactions with an aggregate value exceeding $10 billion and represented clients in more than 400 proceedings before FERC. Before his legal career, RJ served as an honors attorney-advisor at the U.S. Department of Energy. At DOE, RJ advised on Strategic Petroleum Reserve operations, natural gas and LNG export authorizations under Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act, and the siting of small modular nuclear reactors at Idaho National Laboratory.
Before law school, RJ served as a field artillery officer in the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of Captain. RJ deployed to Iraq and earned the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Combat Action Badge.
RJ is active in several veterans organizations and initiatives, including Freedom Service Dogs of America’s Young Professionals Council and the Veteran Leadership Development Group.
RJ is admitted to practice in Texas, Colorado, and the District of Columbia.
PUBLICATIONS
- Author, “Battery Storage for Data Centers in 2026: FEOC Compliance, FERC Co-Location, and the Deals Getting Done Now,” Davis Graham Legal Alert (April 2026)
- Author,” Small Modular Reactors and Data Centers: The Emerging Regulatory Landscape for Next-Generation Nuclear Power Supply,” Davis Graham Legal Alert (March 2026)
- Co-Author, “Carbon Arbitrage in AI Data Center Siting: What Developers, Lenders & Their Counsel Need to Know,” with Randy Dann, Davis Graham Legal Alert (March 2026)
- Co-Author, “Water as Competitive Advantage: How Texas Can Lead the Next Wave of Sustainable Data Center & Energy Infrastructure,” with James Rees (March 2026)
- Co-Author, “U.S. Produced Water: The Emerging Value Chain Reshaping Energy, Water & Critical Minerals,” with Brian Annes, Lindsay Dofelmier, and Zach Miller, Clean Energy & Sustainability Newsletter, (March 2026)
- Author, “Federal and Colorado Action on Data Centers and Large Power Loads,” Davis Graham Legal Alert (January 2026)
Practices & Industries
Admitted In
Colorado
District of Columbia
Texas
Education
University of Denver Sturm College of Law, J.D., 2015
University of Wisconsin-Madison, B.A., 2007