Agenda Day 1

9:00 am

Introduction & Overview

Thorvald Nelson, Esq. , Program Co-Chair
Holland & Hart / Denver, CO

Greg Patterson, CPA, Esq. , Program Co-Chair, Director
Arizona Competitive Power Alliance / Phoenix, AZ

9:10 am

Special Opening Address

The Hon. Patrick J. O'Connell , Chair
New Mexico Public Regulation Commission / Santa Fe, NM

9:30 am

Federal Update: Piecing Together Trump Administration 2.0 Policy and Program Funding Developments with an Impact on Electric Power in the Southwest

The Administration's use of Executive Orders to shift from promotion of carbon-free renewables to promotion of fossil fuel production and consumption; impact of leadership changes at the energy and environmental policy agencies and of DOGE activities

Suedeen G. Kelly, Esq.
Jenner & Block / Washington, DC

The FERC: Departing and nominated Commissioners; significant recent orders; how FERC is dealing with DOGE impacts

Marc L. Spitzer, Esq.
Steptoe & Johnson / Washington, DC

10:45 am

Break

11:00 am

Hyperscale Data Centers as Emerging Demand Drivers

A state-by-state look at how energy use for AI and cryptocurrency mining is expected to increase as a percentage of the total demand for electric power in the Southwest

Neil Kolwey , Industrial Program Director
Southwest Energy Efficiency Project / Boulder, CO

11:45 am

Lunch (On Your Own)

1:15 pm

Hyperscale (cont'd): Data Center Challenges and Solutions

Community impact considerations, including water consumption for cooling, and regional local and state legislative activities

Deborah Kapiloff , Policy Advisor
Western Resource Advocates / Denver, CO

Hyperscalers as a new customer class: Update on regional utility tariff/special contract proceedings

Chris Nagle , Principal
CRA International / Washington, DC

Tools for addressing potential adverse impacts on the climate and other customers: Substantial long-term financial commitments; use of net zero carbon generation resources; peak load management strategies; energy efficiency and demand response programs

Stacy Sherwood , Principal
Energy Futures Group / Hinesburg, VT

3:00 pm

Break

3:15 pm

Markets: The Lay of the Land for Electric Power in the Southwest

Status report on energy trading and grid management in within the Western Interconnection: Market managers (SPP, WPP, & CAISO) and their management tools (Markets +, EDAM, WEIM, WEIS, WRAP, & WWGPI or Pathways)

Adam Schultz, Esq. , Manager, Regional Coordination
California Independent System Operator / Folsom, CA

Rebecca Sexton , Chief Strategy Officer
Western Power Pool / Portland, OR

Kathleen Staks , Director
Western Freedom / Denver, CO

Carrie Simpson, Esq. , Senior Director, Seams & Western Services
Southwest Power Pool / Denver, CO

5:00 pm

Adjourn Day 1

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

9:00 am

Markets (cont'd): FERC Regulatory Developments

FERC regulation of wholesale market transactions: Jurisdiction and current developments in market design and operation, ratemaking, market monitoring, and enforcement; prospects for major market overhauls

Matthew Christiansen, Esq.
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati / Washington, DC

Behind the meter (BTM) options and their impact on utility resource planning: Legal questions arising from implementation of distributed energy generation, energy storage, and energy conversion technologies; how BTM otherwise impacts the conversation

Abigail C. Briggerman, Esq.
Holland & Hart / Denver, CO

10:15 am

Break

10:30 am

Electric Planning and Construction

Effective electric resource planning in highly volatile legal environments: Adaptive strategies for Integrated Resource Planning

Johannes P. Pfeifenberger , Principal
The Brattle Group / Cambridge, MA

12:00 pm

Lunch (On Your Own)

1:30 pm

Electric Planning and Construction (cont'd): Perspectives on Effective Utility Resource Planning Approaches and Outcomes Including the Best Way to Manage and Resolve Conflicts Between Regional Planning Goals and State-Specific Energy Policies

IPP perspective

Greg Patterson, CPA, Esq. , Program Co-Chair, Moderator
Arizona Competitive Power Alliance / Phoenix, AZ

Large customer perspective

Thorvald Nelson, Esq. , Program Co-Chair, Moderator
Holland & Hart / Denver, CO

Regulatory perspective

The Hon. Rachel Walden , Commissioner
Arizona Corporation Commission / Phoenix, AZ

3:30 pm

Evaluations and Adjourn

Faculty Bios

Thorvald Nelson, Program Co-Chair, is a partner at Holland & Hart where his clients include large electric consumers and electric consumer coalitions, independent power producers, renewable energy developers, and independent transmission developers. Before practicing law, he served as an economist with the Colorado Office of Consumer Counsel, where he served as a testifying expert on regulatory law and policy.

Greg Patterson, CPA, Esq., Program Co-Chair, is Director of the Arizona Competitive Power Alliance and the New Mexico Independent Power Producers Association. He served two terms in the Arizona House of Representatives, and also served as Director of the Residential Utility Consumer Office as well as Chief of Staff at the Arizona State Senate. He is a licensed attorney in Arizona and New Mexico.

The Hon. Patrick J. O'Connell is Chair of the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission. He also is the Secretary/Treasurer of the Western Conference of Public Service Commissioners, New Mexico's voting member of the Southwest Power Pool's Regional State Committee and sits on the Committee on Regional Electric Power Cooperation and the National Association of Regulatory Commissioners Energy Resources and the Environment Committee. After a career working in utilities and prior to joining the NMPRC, he led the Clean Energy program at Western Resource Advocates.

Abigail C. Briggerman is a partner at Holland & Hart. She counsels industrial consumers and independent power producers through a broad array of matters before state public utility commissions and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. She also has extensive experience representing consumer interests in state legislative affairs, advocating on their behalf before legislative committees.

Matthew Christiansen is a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. He recently joined the firm after serving as General Counsel at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Before becoming General Counsel, he served as was a legal advisor to FERC Commissioner Richard Glick.

Deborah Kapiloff is a Policy Advisor at Western Resource Advocates (WRA) and primarily works with investor-owned utilities in WRA's seven state region to shape utility transportation electrification plans and clean power offerings. Prior to WRA, the Zero Emission Resource Organization in Oslo, Norway, assisting staff with research on European Union carbon markets.

Suedeen G. Kelly co-chairs the energy practice at Jenner & Block. She formerly served as a commissioner with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, chairwoman and commissioner for the New Mexico Public Service Commission, and as a lawyer for the Natural Resources Defense Council and the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Neil Kolwey is Industrial Program Director for the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) where he leads programs to advance energy efficiency in the industrial sector and to decarbonize buildings and industry through beneficial electrification. He also is co-leader of the Beneficial Electrification League of Colorado. Before joining SWEEP he worked for E Source and focused on greenhouse gas consulting.

Chris Nagle is a Principal at CRA International's energy practice. He works with utilities and independent developers on projects including economic evaluations of capital investments, cost-benefit analyses for transmission owners joining an ISO/RTO, development of strategic business plans, and the formation of regulatory and cost-recovery strategies.

Johannes P. Pfeifenberger is a Principal at The Brattle Group specializing in electric market design and energy policies. He helps clients explore the benefits of improved power market designs and grid investments, the integration of renewable generation and storage resources, and the impact of regulatory and legislative actions in the context of evolving market conditions.

Adam Schultz is the Manager for Regional Coordination at the California Independent System Operator, where he leads engagement with Western utilities to expand regional electric sector coordination. Previously, he led the Electricity & Markets Policy Group at the Oregon Department of Energy, managed the UC Davis Energy Institute, worked on renewable energy procurement at the CPUC, and was a legal fellow for U.S. Senator Wyden.

Rebecca Sexton is the Chief Strategy Officer for Western Power Pool (WPP). She previously was WPP's Director of Reliability Programs and was a Senior Consultant for Sapere Consulting.

Stacy Sherwood is a Principal at Energy Futures Group specializing in energy efficiency, demand response, automated metering infrastructure, cost recovery, and renewable energy. She previously served as Assistant Director of the Energy, Analysis, and Planning Division of the Maryland Public Service Commission.

Carrie Simpson is Senior Director, Seams & Western Services for the Southwest Power Pool (SPP). She rejoined SPP after working as Director of Western Markets for Xcel Energy, Director of Market Operations & Assistant Counsel at Guzman Energy, and Manager of Regulatory Affairs at Invenergy.

Marc L. Spitzer is a partner at Steptoe & Johnson. He represents utilities and energy companies before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), at state utility commissions, Congress, federal agencies, and state legislatures. He formerly served as a FERC commissioner, as Chairman of the Arizona Corporation Commission, and in the Arizona State Senate.

Kathleen Staks is the Director of Western Freedom, a broad coalition of large commercial and industrial customers working to promote the benefits of a more affordable, reliable, and cleaner energy future made possible through a Western Regional Transmission Organization (RTO). She formerly served as the Executive Director of the Colorado Energy Office and currently serves on the board for the Colorado Electric Transmission Authority.

The Hon. Rachel Walden was elected to serv on the Arizona Corporation Commission in 2024. She previously worked at Vanguard where she managed institutional accounts for some of the country's most recognized companies.

Continuing Education Credits

Live credits: This program qualifies for 10.50 NM MCLE credits plus 10.50 AZ MCLE, 10.75 CA MCLE, 12.50 CO MCLE, 10.50 MT MCLE, 10.00 NV MCLE, 10.50 WA MCLE, 10.50 WY MCLE, and 10.50 ABCEP environmental professional credits. Upon request, we will help you apply for CLE credits in other states and other types of credits.

I appreciate LSI's seamless segue from registration, an informative seminar, to end result.

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