Program Overview
Who Should Order
Attorneys, industry executives, government officials, customer representatives, and anyone else involved with electric energy issues
Why You Should Order
Electric markets and utility business models in the West continue to be driven by state efforts to address climate change by reducing their carbon footprints. From the utility sector, we are very pleased to have the new CEO's for Puget Sound Energy and Seattle City Light, Mary Kipp and Debra Smith, speak on their priorities as they assume the reins of two of the region's major utilities. You'll also hear details of utility plans to reach 100% renewables targets from Portland General Electric and PacifiCorp. Elliot Mainzer, BPA's Administrator, will discuss the power agency's challenges and pirorities.
As we follow the major issues for western energy markets with this annual program, we have covered the evolution of the Western Energy Imbalance Market. It has gone from skepticism to broad IOU participation with the public utilities now considering joining. We are very pleased to have Mary Jensen from BPA to provide Bonneville's perspective on integration planning for new participants.
Against this backdrop will be detailed discussion of business, operational, and regulatory issues. This includes federal and state policy updates, market operations, and transmission and distribution operations.
Register now to reserve your seat. You won't want to miss an opportunity to interact with the fantastic faculty we have assembled.
~ Stanley A. Berman, Esq. of Berman and Todderud and Slade Gorton, Esq. of K&L Gates and Katherine A. McDowell, Esq. of McDowell Rackner & Gibson, Program Co-Chairs
What You Will Learn
- Likely future direction of federal energy policy
- FERC update
- Replacement of the Clean Power Plan with the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule
- Pipelines as a newly contentious issue for FERC
- FERC hydro project relicensing and dam removal
- The transition to 100% renewables in the Pacific Coast states
- Special CEO panel with the new CEO's for Puget Sound Energy and Seattle City Light
- Market participation issues for IPPs
- Continued evolution of the Western Energy Imbalance Market
- Bonneville's administrator on its resource and infrastructure plans
- State resource development and regulatory policies
- Electrification of transportation
- Reliability: Current operational risks and legal issues
What Attendees Said
- "Renewables development issues were good and should continue"
- "Very important to have the state commissioners panel"
- "Fast, informative, and interesting"
- "Well done, as usual"
- "Overall excellent CLE"
Agenda Day 1
8:00 am
Registration Opens
8:30 am
Introduction & Overview
Stanley A. Berman, Esq.
Berman and Todderud LLP / Seattle, WA
The Hon. Slade Gorton, Esq.
, Program Co-Chair
K&L Gates / Seattle, WA
Katherine A. McDowell, Esq.
, Program Co-Chair
McDowell Rackner & Gibson / Portland, OR
8:45 am
Federal Update
Recent FERC decisions; current policy debates at the primary federal energy regulatory agencies with the greatest impact on energy development
Douglas W. Smith, Esq.
Van Ness Feldman / Washington, DC
9:45 am
Break
10:00 am
Case Studies of Noteworthy Issues Before the Federal Administrative Agencies
Replacement of the Clean Power Plan with the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule: Changes, the resulting lay of the land, impact on ongoing and anticipated litigation, and the extent to which the relaxed federal rule will impact state energy policies
Craig Gannett, Esq.
Davis Wright Tremaine / Seattle, WA
Pipelines as a newly contentious issue for FERC: Current debates and legal issues in pipeline expansion and siting for domestic use and for exports
David W. DeBruin, Esq.
Jenner & Block / Washington, DC
FERC hydro project relicensing: Case study of the Klamath dam removal as an illustration of happens if the decision is to remove rather than relicense
Dustin Till, Esq.
, Assistant General Counsel
PacifiCorp / Portland, OR
12:00 pm
Lunch (on your own)
1:15 pm
100% Renewable Targets (by 2035, 2040, 2050, etc.): What will be Required to Achieve the Goal? At What Cost to Ratepayers?
Overview of legislative and administrative policy developments
Melissa Powers, Esq.
, Moderator, Director of the Green Energy Institute
Lewis & Clark Law School / Portland, OR
Economic analysis of the paths the three Pacific Coastal states are charting: Is there a consensus on customer cost impacts?
Avi Allison
, Senior Associate
Synapse Energy Economics / Cambridge, MA
Update on Portland General Electric's plan for decarbonization
Elaine Hart, Ph.D.
, Manager, Integrated Resource Planning
Portland General Electric / Portland, OR
Update on PacifiCorp's transition plan
Etta P. Lockey, Esq.
, Vice-President of Regulation
PacifiCorp / Portland, OR
3:00 pm
Break
3:15 pm
Special CEO's Panel
Katherine Anne McDowell, Esq.
, Program Co-Chair, Moderator
McDowell Rackner & Gibson PC / Portland, OR
Investor owned utility
Mary Kipp
, President
Puget Sound Energy / Bellevue, WA
Publicly owned utility
Debra Smith
, General Manager
Seattle City Light / Seattle, WA
4:30 pm
Market Participation Issues for IPPs
Eric L. Christensen, Esq.
Beveridge & Diamond / Seattle, WA
5:00 pm
Continue the Exchange of Ideas: Reception for Faculty and Attendees
Sponsored by McDowell Rackner & Gibson and Berman and Todderud
Friday, January 24, 2020
8:30 am
Continued Evolution of the Western Energy Imbalance Market (EIM)
Overview: The journey from skepticism to broad IOU participation and publics considering joining; current proposals for an Expanded Day Ahead Market (EDAM)
Randall W. Hardy
, Principal and Founder, Moderator
Hardy Energy Consulting / Seattle, WA
Developments in California
Don Fuller
, Director, Strategic Alliances
California ISO / Folsom, CA
Participation as an increasingly attractive proposition: Integration planning for new participants
Mary K. Jensen
, Executive Vice President, General Counsel
Bonneville Power Administration / Portland, OR
10:00 am
Break
10:15 am
Special Address: Bonneville Power Administration's Resource and Infrastructure Plans
The broad range of issues on BPA's priority list
Elliot Mainzer
, Administrator
Bonneville Power Administration / Portland, OR
10:45 am
Special State Resource Development and Regulatory Panel
Oregon
Janine Benner
, Director
Oregon Department of Energy / Salem, OR
Idaho
The Hon. Kristine Raper, Esq.
, Commissioner
Idaho Public Utilities Commission / Boise, ID
Washington
The Hon. Ann E. Rendahl, Esq.
, Commissioner
Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission / Olympia, WA
12:15 pm
Lunch (on your own)
1:30 pm
Electrification of Transportation
Update on Portland General Electric's pilot project
Joe Colett
, Emerging Technologies Product Manager
Portland General Electric / Portland, OR
2:15 pm
Reliability: Current Major Operational Risks and Associated Legal Issues
Gas supplies: Lessons for the Pacific Northwest region from the October 2018 Enbridge Gas Pipeline Rupture in British Columbia, its impact on western electric markets, and implications for response planning
Dan Kirschner
, Executive Director
Northwest Gas Association / West Linn, OR
Wildfires: PG&E bankruptcy status and next steps including issues that are being decided that will affect the entire industry, including whether FERC or the bankruptcy court governs rejection of power contracts
Tara S. Kaushik, Esq.
Holland & Knight / San Francisco, CA
3:30 pm
Evaluations and Adjourn
Faculty Bios
Stanley A. Berman,
Program Co-Chair, is a prtner at Berman and Todderud. He represents electric utilities and other electric industry participants in complex high-stakes litigation and appeals at FERC, state regulatory commissions, and in the courts.
The Hon. Slade Gorton,
Program Co-Chair, is of counsel at K&L Gates. He joined K&L Gates as of counsel after spending 18 years representing Washington state in the United States Senate.
Katherine A. McDowell,
Program Co-Chair, of McDowell Rackner & Gibson, advises and represents utilities and energy companies on a range of regulatory and administrative law issues.
Mary Kipp
was named President of Puget Sound Energy after serving as CEO of El Paso Electric.
Elliot Mainzer
is Administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration.
1-21 probab
ly no to lunch ph hj;Debra Smith is the General Manager at Seattle City Light. She previously served as CEO and general manager of the Central Lincoln People's Utility District.
Randall W. Hardy,
Moderator, is the Founder of Hardy Energy Consulting. He is the former CEO of Seattle City Light and BPA Administrator.
Melissa Powers,
Moderator, is Director of the Green Energy Institute at Lewis & Clark Law School.
Avi Allison
is a Senior Associate at Synapse Energy Economics. He focuses on economic impacts of energy resource policies.
Janie Benner
is Director of the Oregon Department of Energy. She came to ODOE from the U.S. Department of Energy, where she served as Associate Assistant Secretary in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Eric L. Christensen
is of counsel to Beveridge & Diamond. He assists renewable energy companies in navigating the regulatory systems governing the nation's energy industry.
David W. DeBruin
is a partner at Jenner & Block. He has been involved in natural gas disputes at FERC, among other matters.
Don Fuller
is Director, Strategic Alliances for the California ISO. He leads the effort to develop the successful Western Energy Imbalance Market for utilities and customers in the west.
Craig Gannett
is a partner at Davis Wright Tremaine. He focuses his practice in the fields of electric utility regulation, renewable energy development, and climate change-related regulation.
Elaine Hart, Ph.D.,
is Manager of Integrated Resource Planning for Portland General Electric.
Mary K. Jensen
is Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Bonneville Power Administration.
Tara S. Kaushik
is a partner at Holland & Knight. She has represented energy companies, local governments, Alaska Native Corporations and tribal entities on energy issues.
Dan Kirschner
has been the Executive Director of the Northwest Gas Association since 2002.
Etta P. Lockey
is Vice-President of Regulation at PacifiCorp.
The Hon. Kristine Raper
is a Commissioner at the Idaho Public Utilities Commission.
The Hon. Ann E. Rendahl
is a Commissioner at the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission.
Douglas W. Smith
is a partner at Van Ness Feldman. He formerly served as General Counsel of the FERC and as Deputy General Counsel for Energy Policy at DOE.
Dustin Till
is Assistant General Counsel at PacifiCorp. He advises PacifiCorp's government affairs team on legislative issues.
Continuing Education Credits
Live credits: This program qualifies for 12.0 WA, 12.25 CA, 12.0 OR (Pending), and 12.0 ID (Pending) MCLE credits. It also qualifies for 12.0 ABCEP environmental professional credits. Upon request, we will help you apply for CLE credits in other states and other types of credits.
Ordering
Pricing
Regular tuition for this program is $1245 with a group rate of $1120 each for two or more registrants from the same firm. For government employees and Tribal members, we offer a special rate of $935. For students, people in their job for less than a year, and public interest NGO's, our rate is $622.50. All rates include admission to all program sessions, food and beverages at breaks, and course materials. As an added bonus, you'll receive access to audio and video replays at no charge. Make checks payable to Law Seminars International.
Financial aid is available to those who qualify. Contact our office for more information.
Cancellation
There is a $25 cancellation fee
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