Law Seminars International Presents

The Fourth Annual Comprehensive Conference on

Energy in the Southwest 2007

New directions in energy regulation, current markets and environmental challenges

July 16 & 17, 2007
Eldorado Hotel in Santa Fe, NM
Register      Download PDF Brochure

Who Should Attend

Attorneys, industry executives, government and tribal officials, and customer representatives involved with energy issues in the Southwest

Why Attend

After a period of uncertainty in the southwestern U.S., a new direction in energy regulation is becoming clear - one dominated by environmental issues. While representing some of the fastest-growing markets in the nation, the region is asserting its leadership in promoting environmentally sound energy resources, including: Renewables, energy efficiency, and the deployment of advanced technologies to reduce emissions. This conference will help energy professionals from all sectors gain a better understanding of current market and regulatory trends in the southwest. Our expert faculty will offer insight into how evolving technologies, policies and practices are shaping the energy sector of the future. ~ Program Co-Chairs: Steven Michel, Esq. and Arthur O'Donnell

What You Will Learn

~ New federal policies ~ State regulatory priorities ~ Preparing for climate change - driven alternatives ~ Renewable resource development ~ Prospects for new transmission connections ~ Water constraints on power generation in the southwest ~ How rural cooperatives and Tribal utilities are preparing for the future ~ Financing new energy projects ~ Natural gas supplies

What Attendees Have Said About Similar Programs

* Best Conference I've ever attended * Great Diversity of Speakers

Agenda

Monday, July 16, 2007
8:00 am Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:30 am Introduction and Overview
  Arthur O'Donnell, Program Co-Chair
 The Energy Overseer / San Francisco, CA
  Steven Michel, Esq., Program Co-Chair, Energy Program Senior Attorney
 Western Resource Advocates / Santa Fe, NM
8:45 am Special Address: Key Regulatory Policies and the View from Washington, D.C.
  How one regulator from the West views the challenge of the heavy agenda of new duties and responsibilities, as well as a backlog of market issues with federal regulators balancing ideas with pragmatic policies
  The Hon. Marc Spitzer, Esq., Commissioner
 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission / Washington, DC
9:30 am Natural Gas as a Fuel: Will There Be Enough?
  Will the leveling off of production in the San Juan and Permian supply basins be replaced with new Rocky Mountain sources? How will prospects for LNG imports affect the marketplace? What new pipelines and storage facilities will be needed?
  Hua Fang, Ph.D., Senior Economist
 Lukens Energy Group / Houston, TX
10:15 am Break
10:30 am State Regulatory Priorities
  Arizona
  The Hon. Gary Pierce, Commissioner
 Arizona Corporation Commission / Phoenix, AZ
  New Mexico
  The Hon. Ben R. Lujan, Chairman
 New Mexico Public Regulation Commission / Santa Fe, NM
12:00 pm Lunch (on your own)
1:15 pm Preparing for Intensive Climate Change-Driven Alternatives to the Regulatory Environment for the Industry
  Formulating collaborative, regional programs to achieve carbon reductions: Update on Western States' Climate Action Initiative
  Sandra Ely, Environment and Energy Policy Coordinator
 New Mexico Environment Department / Santa Fe, NM
  National Cap and Trade program update
  Ann M. Cresce, Esq., Senior Vice President and General Counsel
 Chicago Climate Exchange, Inc. / Chicago, IL
  Friendly competition for environmental leadership: The latest information about regulatory and legislative initiatives from the Southwest and intermountain regions: RPS, building standards, siting reform, etc.
  Kevin J. McIntyre, Esq.
 Jones Day / Washington, DC
3:15 pm Break
3:30 pm The Pressures of High Growth on Resources and Infrastructure
  As populations continue to grow and spread, planners and utility managers need to understand the new power dynamics: Can environmentally sound resources alone meet the challenge of this projected growth?
  Carl B. Linvill, Ph.D., Director, Energy Planning & Analysis
 Aspen Environmental Group / Sacramento, CA
  As population continues to grow and spread, planners and utility managers need to understand the new power dynamics: Can environmentally sound resources alone meet the challenge of this projected growth?
  Mike King, Senior Vice President
 NERA Economic Consulting / San Francisco, CA
5:00 pm Reception for Faculty and Attendees Sponsored by Holland & Hart LLP and NERA Economic Consulting

Tuesday, July 17, 2007
8:00 am Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:30 am Introduction and Overview
  Steven Michel, Esq., Program Co-Chair, Energy Program Senior Attorney
 Western Resource Advocates / Santa Fe, NM
  Arthur O'Donnell, Program Co-Chair
 Energy Overseer / San Francisco, CA
8:45 am Renewable Resource Development
  Solar: Trends in central and distributed generation; value in the southwest for showing peaks; impact of renewable portfolio standards and policies
  Ben Luce, Ph.D., Vice President
 New Mexico Solar Energy Association / Albuquerque, NM
  Wind: Operational considerations and costs for integrating intermittent resources; recent Xcel work on compressed-air energy storage technology
  Barbara O'Neill, Purchased Power Analyst
 Xcel Energy / Denver, CO
10:00 am Break
10:15 am Water Constraints on Power Generation in the Southwest
  Availability, cost and quality of water resources are projected to have an impact on economic, technical and public policy issues related to resource adequacy. How do we address the uncertainties?
  Warren Kotzmann, Vice President Resource Procurement Renewable Energy and Corporate Planning
 Arizona Public Service Company / Phoenix, AZ
11:00 am Transmission Developments in the Southwest
  Prospects for new high voltage transmission connections throughout the southwest to better integrate the regional marketplace and offer new opportunities for improving system reliability
  Robert E. Kondziolka, P.E., Manager of Transmission Planning
 Salt River Project / Phoenix, AZ
  Update on the National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor process
  Frederick R. Eames, Esq.
 Hunton & Williams LLP / Washington, DC
12:15 pm Lunch (on your own)
1:30 pm How Rural Cooperatives and Tribal Utilities are Preparing for the Future
  Co-ops: Often left out of policy discussions and national consideration, co-ops nonetheless have a significant part in the utility firmament
  Keven Groenewold, P.E., Executive Vice President and General Manager
 New Mexico Rural Electric Cooperative Association / Sante Fe, NM
  Tribes: Newly established Tribal utilities are seizing the initiative to change long-standing infrastructure deficit on Indian reservations, coinciding with attention to renewable energy and economic development
  Teresa Leger de Fernandez, Esq.
 Nordhaus Law Firm, LLP / Santa Fe, NM
2:45 pm Break
3:00 pm Financing New Energy Projects
  The overall environment for financing new projects: How are the financial markets viewing Southwest energy markets? Are new pulverized coal plants getting more difficult to finance? Why or why not?
  Anne Selting, Director, Utilities, Power and Project Finance Group
 Standard & Poor's / San Francisco, CA
  Making your best deal: Current trends in financing strategies for energy projects
  Joseph B. Wharton, Ph.D., Principal
 The Brattle Group, Inc. / San Francisco, CA
  Consumer perspective on optimal ownership and financing vehicles
  Robert M. Pomeroy, Esq.
 Holland & Hart LLP / Greenwood Village, CO
5:00 pm Evaluations and Adjourn

Tuition

Regular tuition for this program is $995 with a group rate of $895 each for two or more registrants from the same firm. For government employees, we offer a special rate of $795. For students and people in their job for less than a year, our rate is $497.50. All rates include admission to all seminar sessions, food and beverages at breaks, and all course materials. Make checks payable to Law Seminars International.

Cancellation & Substitution

You may substitute another person at any time. We will refund tuition, less a $50 cancellation fee, if we receive your cancellation by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, July 09, 2007. After that time, we will credit your tuition toward attendance at another program or the purchase of a Homestudy. There is a $25 cancellation fee for Course Materials orders and $50 for Homestudy orders.

Continuing Education Credits

This program qualifies for 13 NM CLE credits. Upon request, we will apply for CLE credits in other states and other types of credits.

Location

The conference will be held at The Eldorado Hotel & Spa at 309 West San Francisco Street in Santa Fe, NM 87501. Call the hotel directly at (505) 988-4455 for reservations at the special negotiated rate of $239 and mention that you are attending a Law Seminars International conference. Rooms are on a first come, first served basis.

If You Cannot Attend

Our complete Homestudy Course, consisting of a VHS or DVD recording and the written course materials, is available for $1005. The written course materials alone are available for $100. We will ship your Homestudy order via UPS ground within two weeks after the seminar or the date we receive payment (whichever is later).
Order Homestudy

Faculty Bios

Steven Michel, Program Co-Chair, is the Energy Program Senior Attorney for Western Resource Advocates (WRA). WRA is an environmental law and policy center in Boulder, Colorado that does work in the interior West. Previously, he was general counsel for the New Mexico Industrial Energy Consumers.

Arthur O'Donnell, Program Co-Chair, also known as The Energy Overseer, covers the energy industry as a reporter, consultant and author. He writes the "Overseer's Undercurrents" column for California Energy Circuit and is consulting editor for E&E Publishing's Land Letter. His articles and special reports also appear in many industry oriented publications, including Public Utilities Fortnightly and EnergyBiz magazines. He is author of "Soul of the Grid" and "The Guilty Environmentalist."

The Hon. Marc Spitzer, Special Address, is a Commissioner at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Previously he was Chairman of the Arizona Corporation Commission where he focused on policies encouraging expansion of natural gas infrastructure, enhancing the ACC's renewables standard, and advancing consumer privacy concerns in telecommunications.

Ann M. Cresce, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Chicago Climate Exchange, Inc. (CCX), is responsible for all legal affairs related to CCX and its U.S. subsidiary, Chicago Climate Futures Exchange and foreign subsidiary, European Climate Exchange. Previously, she was Director of Compliance and Assistant General Counsel at Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.

Teresa Leger de Fernandez is Managing Partner with the Nordhaus Law Firm, LLP, one of the country's largest firms dedicated to representing Native American tribes, entities, and businesses. She has worked with three different tribal utility entities on infrastructure, energy assets acquisitions, and financing. She helped found and advises the board of a Native American community development financial institution.

Frederick R. Eames, partner at Hunton & Williams LLP, focuses on legislative advocacy and government relations on behalf of electric utilities and other clients on energy, environment and financial services, representing them before the U.S. Congress and federal agencies. He has worked to shape and implement the provisions in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, including provisions to encourage transmission infrastructure development.

Sandra Ely is the Environment and Energy Policy Coordinator for the New Mexico Environment Department and is currently managing the state's climate change initiative. Previously, she was New Mexico's Air Quality Bureau Chief.

Hua Fang is a Senior Economist with Lukens Energy Group and has expertise in derivative asset pricing, econometrics modeling, stochastic processes and fundamental market analysis.

Keven Groenewold, Executive Vice President and General Manager, New Mexico Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NMRECA), is a registered Professional Engineer in New Mexico and California. Previously, he was Facilities Engineer for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Staff Electrical Engineer for the New Mexico Public Utility Cmmission.

Mike King, Senior Vice President, NERA Economic Consulting, is an economist with experience in electric wholesale markets, electric utility restructuring, strategy, and regulation. He is a leading authority on markets for wholesale energy and has supervised the preparation of independent market expert's reports that supported most major financings in North America for merchant energy companies.

Robert E. Kondziolka, Manager of Transmission Planning at the Salt River Project, is Chair of the Southwest Area Transmission Regional Planning Group, and Vice-Chair of the Planning Coordination Committee for the Western Electricity Coordinating Council, and Chair of the Mead-Phoenix Project Engineering and Operating Committee.

Warren Kotzmann is Vice President Resource Procurement, Renewable Energy and Corporate Planning for Arizona Public Service Company (APS). Previously, he was Vice-President of Business and Corporate for Pinnacle West Energy Corporation, Director of Corporate Planning and Senior Attorney.

Carl B. Linvill, Ph.D.,Director of Energy Planning and Analysis for Aspen Environmental Group, provides energy modeling and energy policy evaluation services on longer term planning issues. Previously he served as Energy Advisor to Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn and as a Commissioner for the Nevada Public Utilities Commission.

Ben Luce, Ph.D., is Director of the New Mexico Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy, and a past president, now vice president, of the New Mexico Solar Energy Association. He is also a theoretical physicist with a background at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The Hon. Ben R. Lujan, Chairman of the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, is a strong supporter of renewable energy and increasing the Renewable Portfolio Standard. He is a Land Use Commisisoner on the Santa Fe County Extra Territorial Zoning Commission and was Deputy State Treasurer for New Mexico.

Kevin J. McIntyre, partner at Jones Day, specializes in energy law principally relating to federal and state regulation of the services, rates, and facilities of natural gas pipelines and electric utility companies and M&A.

Barbara O’Neill, Purchased Power Analyst with the Renewables Group of Xcel Energy, is responsible for negotiating purchased power agreements, bringing projects commercial and administering contracts through their term. She manages 50 renewable contracts including the 300 MW Cedar Creek project in Colorado, the 200 MW Fenton, the 100 MW FPL Mower County, and the 120 MW San Juan Mesa project in New Mexico.

The Hon. Gary Pierce, Commissioner with the Arizona Corporation Commission, was elected and sworn in on January 2, 2007 for a four year term. Previously, he was in the Arizona House of Representatives and was Majority Whip 2005 - 2006. He was a member of the Environmental, Natural Resources & Agriculture Committee and served as Chairman of theTransportation Committee.

Robert M. Pomeroy, partner, Holland & Hart LLP, specializes in public utilities, telecommunications and energy law.  He practices before state public utilities commissions in the Rocky Mountain states, as well as appearing before state and federal courts. He is listed in the Best Lawyers in America for public utilities law.
Full bio and contact info for Robert M. Pomeroy at Holland & Hart LLP

Anne Selting is a Director in the U.S. Utilities, Energy, and Project Finance group at Standard & Poor's and former power manager for Hetch Hetchy Water & Power under the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

Joseph B. Wharton, principal with The Brattle Group Inc., focuses on electric industry restructuring, strategic planning and asset valuation. He has worked at major utilities on both the west and east coasts, as well as at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and Dun & Bradstreet.

Firm Links

Holland & Hart LLP