2024 EBA Mid-Year Energy Forum Speaker Bios
Serge Abergel
Chief Operating Officer
Hydro-Québec Energy Services
Serge Abergel took office as Chief Operating Officer of Hydro-Québec Energy Services in 2021. This U.S. subsidiary is responsible for hydropower export initiatives to the New York and New England markets. Serge is based in New
York State.
Since joining Hydro-Québec in 2014, he has held various positions in media and stakeholder relations and government affairs. He has led information campaigns on the company’s export initiatives and is a frequent public speaker on Hydro-Québec’s clean energy generating fleet and transmission system. Prior to his most recent appointment, Serge was Director – Communications at the corporate headquarters in Montréal.
Serge also served in the Royal Canadian Air Force and acquired considerable experience as a public affairs officer in both the Canadian Armed Forces and the federal correctional system. He holds a bachelor’s degree in operations management from HEC Montréal [Université de Montréal’s business school]. He was appointed Chair of the Board of Directors of WaterPower Canada, a trade organization representing the hydropower industry, in 2022.
Nicole S. Allen
Partner
Thompson Coburn LLP
Nicole is a seasoned legal advisor focusing on Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regulatory and policy matters on behalf of electric cooperatives, natural gas companies, and local distribution companies.
She guides clients through the ever-changing regulatory landscape at FERC, drawing on over a decade of experience with market-based rate regulation, open access transmission tariffs, regional transmission organization issues, generation and transmission interconnection procedures, mergers and facility acquisitions and natural gas transportation and service issues. Recognizing that each client has unique requirements and varying comfort levels with FERC processes, Nicole emphasizes
collaboration, working closely with each client to develop a regulatory strategy tailored to their business goals.
With Nicole's guidance, clients facing proceedings before FERC know they have a trusted advisor dedicated to achieving their regulatory objectives and ensuring compliance.
Kelsey A. Bagot
Commissioner
Virginia State Corporation Commission
Judge Bagot is serving her first term at the Virginia State Corporation Commission after her election by the General Assembly in 2024.
Prior to being elected to the Commission, Judge Bagot was a Senior Attorney at NextEra Energy, Inc. Previously she served as Legal Advisor to Commissioner Mark C. Christie at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Judge Christie served on the SCC for almost 17 years before joining FERC.
Judge Bagot also served as a trial attorney at FERC as well as an associate at Troutman Saunders LLP and Van Ness Feldman LLP in Washington, D.C.
Judge Bagot earned her Bachelor’s Degree from American University and her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School.
Dan R. Brouillette
President and CEO
Edison Electric Institute
Dan Brouillette is President and CEO of the Edison Electric Institute, the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. EEI’s members provide electricity for nearly 250 million Americans, and operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Additionally, EEI’s membership also includes more than 70 international electric companies with operations in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
Brouillette, a distinguished leader in the energy, finance, and automotive sectors, joined EEI as President and CEO-elect on October 1, 2023. Before joining EEI, Brouillette served as President of Sempra Infrastructure (SI), a globally recognized multinational firm specializing in the construction and operation of liquified natural gas (LNG) export terminals, pipeline networks, and renewable electricity generation facilities. Under Brouillette’s leadership, SI experienced a period of extraordinary growth and expansion to become one of the world’s leading LNG exporters. Before Sempra, Brouillette served as the 15th United States Secretary of Energy. Brouillette also served as the Deputy Secretary of Energy from August 2017 to December 2019, making history as the only individual ever confirmed by the U.S. Senate to hold both positions simultaneously. During his tenure as Secretary, Brouillette led transformative advancements in supercomputing, artificial intelligence (AI), quantum information science (QIS) research, and grid-scale energy storage. His unwavering commitment to innovation extended to the development of nuclear fuel sources for NASA and SpaceX missions, as well as the resumption of domestic enrichment programs to propel advanced civilian nuclear reactor development in the United States.
As the nation’s top energy diplomat, Brouillette initiated and facilitated the first-ever dialogue between the cabinet-level energy ministers of Israel and key Muslim nations, including Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman and Sudan. This historic event contributed significantly to regional diplomacy and normalization efforts in the Middle East. His instrumental role in orchestrating head-of-state discussions between the United States and Russia, Saudi Arabia, and other “OPEC plus” nations during the COVID-19 pandemic is credited with the stabilization of world oil markets during a period of severe global economic
uncertainty.
In recognition of his exemplary service and diplomatic achievements, Brouillette received Distinguished Public Service medals from both the U.S. Secretary of Defense and the U.S. Secretary of State, the highest award an individual can receive from either department. He was also honored as a distinguished alumnus of the University of Maryland and awarded an honorary doctorate of public administration from the University of South Carolina.
Prior to the Department of Energy, Brouillette held key leadership positions at USAA, the nation's largest provider of financial services to the military community, and Ford Motor Company, where he served on the automaker’s North American Operating Committee.
Brouillette is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Council on Strategic Risks High Level Commission on Nuclear Energy and Climate Security, and serves on the International Advisory Board of the Atlantic Council and the Board of Directors of the American Council on Capital Formation. He is a former tank commander with the U.S. Army's highly decorated 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, and has served as a guest lecturer at the National War College and the Army War College. He holds a master's degree in intelligence and national security from The Citadel, an MBA from Tulane University, and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Maryland. He is a visiting scholar and Executive-in-Residence at Tulane University and a distinguished advisor to the KBH Energy Institute at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.
Janel Burdick
Director, Office of Enforcement
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Janel Burdick is the Director of Office of Enforcement (OE). She previously served as the Deputy Director for OE, Director of the Division of Energy Market Oversight (DEMO) and Deputy Director of the Division of Analytics and Surveillance (DAS) in OE. Janel joined the Commission in 2009 as an Energy Industry Analyst in DEMO. When DAS was created in 2012, she was assigned as a branch chief, supervising the analytics of over 30 investigations into market manipulation and tariff violations. Janel also served for a year in 2014-15 as an Advisor to Chairman Norman Bay.
Prior to joining the Commission, Janel was a Product Controller and Settlements Analyst for the Commodities trading desk at Barclays Capital, working primarily with the oil, natural gas, and electricity desks. She also served in the United States Navy as a nuclear Surface Warfare Officer.
Janel holds a Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Economics from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of Public Policy and Administration from Columbia University.
Lauren Campbell
Deputy Director, Division of Economic and Technical Analysis
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Lauren is the deputy director of the Division of Economic and Technical Analysis (DETA) within FERC’s Office of Energy Policy and Innovation (OEPI). Lauren joined the Commission in 2013 as an economist in the Office of Energy Market Regulation where she worked on western electric market and market-based rate filings. In 2020, Lauren joined OEPI as a manager in DETA, where she focused on the Commission’s efforts on interconnection reforms, among other topics. Lauren’s experience prior to joining the Commission includes positions at the USDA Forest Service and in environmental consulting. Lauren holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from UCLA and a master’s degree in environmental management from Duke University.
Julie M. Carey
Senior Managing Director
NERA
Julie Carey is an energy economist who regularly provides expert evidence in energy-related commercial and regulatory disputes, as well as in international arbitrations. She has approximately 25 years of experience addressing economic issues in power, oil and petroleum, natural gas and LNG, coal, renewables, pipelines, railroad and transportation sectors.
Ms. Carey is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University, where she teaches energy economics and policy in the graduate economics and political economy programs.
Ms. Carey has authored expert reports and provided expert testimony on energy industry matters in US courts and arbitrations, and before the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Canadian energy regulators, and many other regulatory agencies. Her work has involved breach of contract, antitrust, and other types of disputes across the energy and transportation sectors. In commercial disputes, Ms. Carey has quantified economic damages and conducted valuation analyses in dozens of cases. She also frequently conducts economic analyses on energy market dynamics (supply, demand, pricing), energy contract, competition, regulatory and policy analyses, macroeconomic analyses (i.e., jobs, GDP, taxes), and environmental assessments. Appearing before energy regulatory agencies, Ms. Carey frequently provides competition analyses for approval of market-based rates, negotiated rates and mergers and acquisitions, analysis of market manipulation, discrimination and other types of claims, and other regulatory economic analyses, with substantial regulatory experience in power, renewables, pipelines, and railroad transportation.
Ms. Carey is recognized as a leading energy expert (2020-2024) and a leading arbitration expert (2021-2024) by Who’s Who Legal. She has been lauded by clients as a standout name in the field, revered for her “very deeply knowledge of the energy industry, markets and regulation” and “excels as an energy economist working on energy-related commercial and regulatory disputes in power, oil, and gas.”
She has been recognized as a “highly credible witness and “a highly qualified expert who is not scared to roll up her sleeves and work hard to be more prepared than any other experts” and an expert who “provides very thorough and comprehensive expert work” and who has “a great emphasis on details.” She will “[have] an excellent understanding of the issues on a case.”
Jeff Christian
Partner
Lawson Lundell LLP
Jeff is a litigation partner practicing exclusively in the energy, utility and natural resource sectors. He represents clients before regulatory tribunals such as the BC Oil and Gas Commission, Canada Energy Regulator, and Alberta Utilities Commission. He also advises clients on cross-border energy and natural resource development; regulatory and legislative reform issues; and related litigation and dispute resolution. He has a background in engineering and earth sciences, and is head of the Regulatory Litigation Department at Lawson Lundell.
Currently, Jeff is a member of the Canadian delegation negotiating a modernized Columbia River Treaty with the United States, representing BC Hydro.
Susanna Chu
Attorney, Solicitor's Office, Office of the General Counsel
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Susanna Chu is an attorney in the FERC Solicitor’s Office. The Solicitor’s Office, under Solicitor Robert Solomon, operates within the FERC Office of the General Counsel and is responsible for defending the agency’s orders, primarily in the U.S. Courts of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. Susanna has briefed and argued numerous cases on behalf of the Commission across all areas regulated by the agency. Susanna received her B.A. from Yale University and J.D. from New York University Law School. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her family.
Anne K. Dailey
Senior Corporate Counsel
Ameren Services Company
Anne K. Dailey has been advising investor-owned utilities on energy regulatory issues for over 20 years. Since 2022, Anne has been a Senior Corporate Counsel at Ameren Services Company. Prior to that, Anne spent seventeen years at what is now Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP, first as an associate, and then as partner. During her time at Troutman, Anne was recognized by Best Lawyers, and was part of the firm's Energy practice when it was named Law Firm of the Year for Energy Law by U.S. News and World Report.
Anne holds a B.A. from the College of William and Mary, and received her J.D. from George Mason University.
James Dawson
Counsel - Appellate
Vinson & Elkins LLP
James Dawson is a litigator whose practice focuses on critical motions and appeals. He has been the principal author of dozens of appellate briefs and dispositive motions in a wide range of disputes pending in the United States Supreme Court, state and federal appellate courts, trial courts, and private arbitrations. He has particularly significant experience in the fields of administrative law, statutory interpretation, constitutional law, and energy law. He has been selected to the Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” list for his appellate work each year since 2021, and he has been named to the “Ones to Watch – Appellate Practice” list by The Best Lawyers in America© each year since 2022.
James maintains an active pro bono practice and is a member of the firm’s pro bono committee. While at V&E, James has also served as an instructor for the University of Virginia School of Law’s Supreme Court Litigation Clinic.
James received his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal and won the top team and individual prizes in the school’s moot court competition. Prior to joining V&E, he served as a law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and was a member of the Supreme Court and Appellate practice at another law firm.
John N. Estes, III
Partner
Jenner & Block LLP
John Estes has decades of experience solving problems for the electric and natural gas industries. He focuses on disputes at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and in court, sometimes involving multi forum combinations. John has played a lead role in many of the most important and high-value cases tried before a FERC ALJ. He has argued 30 cases before the US Courts of Appeals. And he has led the defense in many prominent and complex FERC enforcement cases, including three that went to federal district court and many others that were resolved without sanction. John has been steeped in organized power markets like PJM, ISO-NE, MISO, and CAISO since the beginning. And he has decades of experience addressing regulatory issues arising in a transactional context.
As noted by Chambers Global, John “is the number one choice for high-stakes enforcement work [and] has his finger on the pulse of FERC politics.” He is the only US-based lawyer ranked as a “Star Individual” in the guide’s top tier category for Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation).
Matthew Estes
Fmr. Sr. Legal Advisor, FERC
Fmr. Counsel, Skadden LLP
Matt Estes retired in 2023 after 40 years of practice in Energy Law. He served at FERC for the last five years before retiring, serving as the Senior Legal Adviser to Commissioner/Chairman Danly and then in the Solicitor’s Office. Before that, Matt was in private practice in the Energy Group at Skadden.
Katyln Davis Farrell
Partner
McGuireWoods LLP
Katlyn Farrell (Partner, McGuireWoods) represents energy and utility clients before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), and appellate courts. She has broad experience on electric matters, including matters related to cost-based and market-based rates; generator interconnection; RTO/ISO issues including RTO/ISO tariffs, cost allocation, and market design. Additionally, Katlyn provides transactional support, including obtaining required FERC, NERC, and RTO/ISO approvals.
Valerie L. Green
Partner
Day Pitney LLP
With nearly 20 years of experience, Valerie Green is a seasoned Energy attorney who focuses her practice on regulatory matters relating to electricity, natural gas, and renewable energy, and on litigation relating to those matters. She has extensive experience handling a wide range of matters involving the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and other administrative agencies. Valerie is a strong advocate for her clients and leverages her deep understanding of the regulatory process to help achieve desired outcomes.
Valerie navigates the complexities of Independent System Operator and Regional Transmission Organization (ISO/RTO) tariffs and operating rules, including assisting clients with electric transmission and generator interconnection issues. She advises clients on a wide range of issues involving the Federal Power Act, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, the Natural Gas Act, the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978, and FERC's implementing regulations. She offers advice on pipeline rate and tariff issues to natural gas pipeline customers, and supports natural gas producers, gathering entities, and intra- and interstate pipelines with issues arising out of the regulatory regimes overseen by FERC and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).
Valerie is a trusted client adviser on regulatory compliance and enforcement, offering training, compliance audits, and providing counsel on emerging cybersecurity concerns. Valerie has a track record of representing clients in audits and investigations conducted by FERC, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), and regional reliability organizations.
In audit or investigation scenarios, Valerie aids in data collection and review, conducts employee interviews, handles depositions, and, when necessary, prepares self-reports and negotiates settlements for alleged violations. Her litigation background spans various industries, including energy, construction, employment, insurance, mortgage lending, and products liability cases, benefiting both defendants and plaintiffs.
Jason Grumet
Chief Executive Officer
American Clean Power Association
Jason Grumet leads the American Clean Power Association (ACP) as Chief Executive Officer.
As CEO of the leading trade association representing today’s multi-tech clean energy industry, Grumet is dedicated to working with ACP’s nearly 800 member companies to provide families and businesses with clean, affordable, reliable energy made in the U.S. and powered by American workers.
Grumet is respected on both sides of the aisle for his innovative approach to impacting public policy. He joins ACP from the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), which he founded and ran as president for 15 years. BPC is a leading voice for the fierce urgency of pragmatism developing and advocating for meaningful policy across a variety of national priorities. Jason brings that same vision and passion to ACP, building on the passage of historic legislation to accelerate clean energy innovation and deployment.
Prior to founding BPC, Grumet led the bipartisan National Commission on Energy Policy. Building a broad coalition to balance climate, security, and economic imperatives shaped his view that the national interest is best served when broad perspectives are brought together to craft durable national policy.
Grumet received a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University and J.D. from Harvard University. He currently serves on the boards of The Joint Center for Political & Economic Studies and the U.S. Chamber Association’s Committee of 100. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland with his wife and three children.
Karen Harbert
President and CEO
American Gas Association
Karen Alderman Harbert is president and chief executive officer of the American Gas Association. Founded in 1918, AGA represents more than 200 local energy utility companies that deliver natural gas to 187 million Americans nationwide.
Prior to joining AGA, she was president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Energy Institute (Energy Institute). Under Harbert’s leadership, the Energy Institute evolved into a premier national and international organization dedicated to advancing a constructive energy agenda with the business community, policymakers and consumers. Harbert led the Energy Institute’s development of its comprehensive Energy Works for US platform, which provides policy recommendations to secure our nation’s energy future and create millions of jobs, billions of dollars in revenue, and trillions of dollars of private investment. Under Harbert’s leadership, the Energy Institute established the groundbreaking Index of Energy Security Risk and the International Index of Energy Security Risk, the first tools to quantify America’s energy security on an annual basis. Harbert frequently testifies in front of Congress and provides analysis to the media, policymakers, and industry leaders.
She currently serves on a number of not-for-profit boards including: United States Energy Association, Bryce Harlow Foundation and Jefferson Islands Club. Harbert is a member of The Economic Club of Washington D.C.
Harbert is the former assistant secretary for policy and international affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). She was the primary policy adviser to the secretary of energy and to the department on domestic and international energy issues. She negotiated and managed bilateral and multilateral agreements with other countries and also served as vice chairman of the International Energy Agency, which advises its 28 member nations on energy policy issues and orchestrates international responses to energy supply disruptions.
Prior to joining the DOE, Harbert was deputy assistant administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). She had oversight of programs in 11 countries, totaling more than $800 million and 1,000 employees. In the private sector, Harbert worked for over a decade developing international infrastructure and power projects valued at more than $9 billion in countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America.
Harbert gained experience on issues associated with economic reform and privatization through earlier positions at the USAID, the Organization of American States, and the International Republican Institute. She received a degree in international policy studies and political science from Rice University in Houston, Texas.
Harbert resides in Washington, D.C.
Scott Hempling
President
Scott Hempling, Attorney at Law LLC
Scott Hempling is an attorney, teacher, and expert witness, focusing on excellence in public utility regulation. He has taught regulatory law to a generation of United States practitioners. He has advised and testified before numerous state utility commissions, and appeared frequently before U.S. congressional and state legislative committees. He has addressed audiences throughout the United States and in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Central America, England, Germany, India, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Peru and Vanuatu. His legal textbook, Regulating Public Utility Performance: The Law of Market Structure, Pricing and Jurisdiction (American Bar Association 2d ed. 2021), has been described as “a joy … for the veteran, essential reading for the newcomer.” His book of essays, Preside or Lead? The Attributes and Actions of Effective Regulators, has been described as “matchless” and “timeless.” His book Regulating Mergers and Acquisitions of U.S. Electric Utilities: Industry Consolidation and Corporate Complication (Edward Elgar Publishing 2020), was described by an Energy Law Journal reviewer as “powerful and persuasive . . . a terrific book.” An adjunct professor at Georgetown Law, Hempling is a former Executive Director of the U.S. National Regulatory Research Institute, and a former Administrative Law Judge at the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He received a B.A. cum laude from Yale University in (1) Economics and Political Science and (2) Music, and a J.D. magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center.
Dr. Diana Hernández
Associate Professor of Sociomedical Sciences
Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
Dr. Diana Hernandez conducts research at the intersection of energy, equity, housing and health. A sociologist by training, her work examines the social and environmental determinants of health and has studied the impacts of policy and place-based interventions on the health and well-being of socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Her foundational research on energy insecurity-defined as the inability to adequately meet household energy needs- has explored the multiple dimensions of this phenomenon identifying sociodemographic disparities, adverse consequences and promising interventions toward energy equity and justice. Much of her community-oriented research has been done in collaboration with community groups and government agencies around the country, including in the South Bronx, where she has led small-scale housing redevelopment projects. Dr. Hernandez has published over 75 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in leading academic journals such as Social Science & Medicine, Journal of Urban Health and Energy Policy. Her work been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the JPB, Robert Wood Johnson, and Alfred P. Sloan Foundations, among others. Professor Hernandez teaches graduate level courses on qualitative research methods, design and analysis; public health leadership; and energy justice. She is a Mayoral Appointee to NYC's Environmental Justice Advisory Board. Dr. Hernandez has written for and been featured in various media outlets including the NY Times, USA Today, BBC, NY Daily News and CityLab. Her first book about energy insecurity in the US is due to be published in 2024.
Iffie Jennings
Director of Strategy, Outreach, and Advocacy for Colorado
Xcel Energy Inc.
Iffie Jennings is a visionary leader at Xcel Energy, where she serves as the Director of Strategy, Outreach, and Advocacy for Colorado. Recognized as one of BizWest's Notable Minority Leaders and among the Top 50 Most Influential Business Leaders of 2024, Iffie is at the forefront of driving strategic initiatives that promote equity, accessibility, and community engagement. Her work focuses on managing regulatory and state policy efforts that address the needs of disadvantaged and low-income communities.
With over a decade of experience in healthcare and strategic management, Iffie is known for her innovative approach to problem-solving. Her role includes leading the Xcel Energy Red Truck initiative, a mobile engagement project that delivers essential services and fosters direct interaction with communities across Colorado. Iffie also oversees the development and implementation of comprehensive community engagement strategies that enhance support for equity-focused initiatives and energy assistance programs designed to meet the needs of disproportionately impacted and income-qualified communities.
Iffie holds a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University and an MBA from Regis University. As the founder of The Kindness Network, she champions empathy and kindness through a clothing line that empowers professional women. Her visionary leadership continues to inspire and drive transformative initiatives, cementing her role as a catalyst for positive change within and beyond her community.
David Kathan, PhD
President
Kathan Energy Consulting
Dr. David Kathan, President of Kathan Energy Consulting, is a recognized thought-leader on grid-edge policies and technologies, with detailed technical and regulatory expertise on the integration of demand response and distributed energy resources. His career spans the private and public sectors, with extensive experience in the federal government, including the U.S. Congress, FERC, and the White House. Throughout his career, Dr. Kathan has tackled difficult economic and policy challenges and developed sound analysis and policies that supported profound industry transformations. Dr. Kathan regularly speaks on demand response, distributed energy resources, and smart grid topics before domestic and international audiences.
Prior to forming Kathan Energy Consulting, Dr. Kathan spent 20 years as a Senior Economist in the Office of Energy Policy and Innovation at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. At FERC, Dr. Kathan applied his detailed knowledge of electric power regulation, wholesale market design, retail electric power, and the electric industry transformation to the development and issuance of industry-changing FERC policies and cases. Dr. Kathan designed and led development of Order No. 719. which established demand response aggregators as wholesale market participants. He was the primary architect and leader of the game-changing recent Order No. 2222, which opened up the wholesale market to distributed energy resources, and led the development, drafting, and issuance of the order. Dr. Kathan also helped issue Order No. 841 on electric storage resources, and supported the litigation that resulted in the important FERC v. EPSA Supreme Court decision. Dr. Kathan served as the lead analyst and team leader on FERC's annual demand response and advanced metering reports, and led FERC's National Action Plan on Demand Response. In addition to these roles, Dr. Kathan also worked on market design issues, including demand response, smart grid, storage, and distributed energy resources integration.
During 2013, Dr. Kathan was on temporary assignment to the White House Council on Environmental Quality, where he focused on federal agency demand management issues, and was responsible for the issuance of a Presidential Memorandum on federal agency energy management in December 2013. Prior to joining FERC, Dr. Kathan was a Principal at ICF Consulting, where he consulted on economic, environmental and quantitative issues related to the electric power industry, with a focus on demand response and electric system modeling. He has also held posts at National Economic Research Associates, Synergic Resources Corporation, and the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment. Dr. Kathan received his B.A. from Grinnell College in Economics, and his Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Timothy T. Mastrogiacomo
Area Vice President, Legal
Xcel Energy
Tim is currently Area Vice President, Legal at XCel Energy. He previously served as Managing Attorney, Federal Regulatory and Lead Assistant General Counsel at Xcel Energy, responsible for overseeing matters before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and other wholesale market legal matters. Xcel Energy owns vertically-integrated electric operating companies and natural gas local distribution companies which serve more than 3.7 million electric customers and 2.1 million natural gas customers in Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Texas, and New Mexico. Mr. Mastrogiacomo’s experience includes rate proceedings, tariff disputes, interconnection and transmission disputes, Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) litigation, wholesale transactions, merger applications, and FERC enforcement matters. Prior to joining Xcel Energy, he practiced law for eight years in the energy regulatory group of Skadden, Arps, Slate Meagher & Flom, LLP in Washington, D.C. There, he represented and advised a range of industry clients, including electric utilities, independent power generators, private equity investors, generation project developers. Mr. Mastrogiacomo also served as a captain in the U.S. Army and was the commander of the 276th Military Police Company as well as the 372nd Military Police Battalion Headquarters Detachment. He served as the commander of the CENTCOM Theater Field Confinement Facility during a deployment to Kuwait.
Nathan Matthews
Senior Attorney
Sierra Club
Nathan Matthews joined the Sierra Club in May 2011 as an associate attorney. His previous work includes clerking for the Hon. Lawrence K. Karlton in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, serving as an organizer for the Rainforest Action Network, teaching in a rural high school, and commercially harvesting seaweed with a family-owned business. Nathan received a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley and a B.A.S. from Stanford University. In his spare time he cooks overly elaborate food and hikes very far while carrying very little.
Amy Mersol-Barg
Attorney-Advisor, Office of the General Counsel
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Amy Mersol-Barg is an attorney-advisor in the Energy Markets section of FERC’s Office of the General Counsel. The Energy Markets section advises the Commission on its economic regulatory responsibilities and works with various technical offices at FERC to draft opinions, orders, rulemakings, and other documents in the areas of markets, tariffs, rates, reliability, and corporate structure. Amy also served as a trial attorney in FERC’s Office of Administrative Litigation. Before joining FERC, Amy practiced energy law at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and Crowell & Moring LLP in Washington, D.C. Amy holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from Duke University School of Law.
Max Minzner
Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Federal Energy Regulation
Exelon
Max Minzner is currently serving as the Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Federal Energy Regulation at Exelon. Before this role, Max was the SVP, Legal and Co-Chair of the Artificial Intelligence Task Force at Arcadia. Max has a strong background in law, having worked as a Partner at Jenner & Block, General Counsel at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and as a Professor of Law at various institutions. Max holds a J.D. from Yale Law School and a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics/Political Science from Brown University.
Patrick L. Morand
Senior Counsel
Husch Blackwell LLP
Patrick Morand is a Senior Counsel in Husch Blackwell’s Washington, DC office, focusing much of his practice on the community solar market. Prior to joining Husch Blackwell, Patrick spent several years in-house at a leading community solar developer. In his current practice, Patrick guides clients through project acquisitions, including negotiating and drafting purchase and sale agreements and conducting related due diligence. He also advises clients on power purchase agreements, renewable energy certificate agreements, and other revenue agreements. In addition, Patrick provides state and federal regulatory advice to clients regarding these transactions.
Jesse Noffsinger
Partner
McKinsey & Company
Jesse is a partner in McKinsey & Company's Seattle office and serves electric-power utilities, technology providers, and investors on topics including energy-system optimization, integration of distributed energy resources, and emerging business models for renewable energy systems. He also manages the global market intelligence team in McKinsey’s Power Solutions group and leads the development and deployment of our advanced-analytics platform for global electric power.
Veronica Norman
Attorney-Advisor, Energy Markets, Office of the General Counsel
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Veronica Norman is an attorney-advisor for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission who primarily works on electric issues in CAISO. Prior to joining FERC in 2022, she served as lead energy counsel in the Department of Defense Office of the General Counsel (OGC) and the Department of the Army OGC, where she focused on installation energy project development and a wide variety of energy issues impacting the military departments. After graduating from law school, Veronica served as a captain in the U.S. Army. She holds a J.D. from The Ohio State University and a B.A. from Case Western Reserve University.
Brian D. O'Neill
Partner
Van Ness Feldman LLP
Brian O'Neill has practiced in the energy area for more than 35 years. He represents natural gas, oil, and LNG companies, pipelines, and electric utilities on regulatory matters before the Department of Energy, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and federal courts. He also advises clients with respect to corporate and commercial matters and on energy privatization and energy acquisition and supply. He has litigated regulatory proceedings involving complex ratemaking issues, new multimillion-dollar construction projects, and transportation, transmission, and supply contract matters. Mr. O’Neill is a seasoned appellate practitioner having handled numerous cases before the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal, primarily the D.C. Circuit.
Recent matters he has handled include the preparation and prosecution of pipeline certificate proceedings at FERC, preparation of precedent and transportation agreements for new pipeline lateral projects, pipeline rate case preparation, regulatory due diligence
Nicholas J. Pascale
Deputy General Counsel
NRECA
Nick is Deputy General Counsel for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which represents the interest of America’s Electric Cooperatives. He is a former trial litigator in Virginia and Louisiana. Nick is the current Vice President of the Energy Bar Association. He holds a J.D./M.B.A. from Louisiana State University.
Joline Price
Supervising Attorney
Community Legal Services of Philadelphia
Joline Price (she/her) is a Supervising Attorney in the Energy Unit at Community Legal Services. Ms. Price represents low-income Philadelphians struggling to afford, restore and maintain access to their gas, electric and water service. She also engages in a wide variety of state and city policy and legislative work. As part of both her individual client work and her systemic advocacy, Ms. Price regularly represents individual clients and groups in proceedings at the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Ms. Price also serves as a member of the Public Advocate team in the Energy Unit, representing the interests of all residential customers (and some small business customers) at the Philadelphia Gas Commission and the Philadelphia Water, Sewer and Stormwater Rate Board.
Ms. Price’s policy focuses include: household-level interventions to address the urban heat island effect, including year round grant assistance, access to air conditioning, affordable electricity and efficient homes; the structure and accessibility of low income bill discount programs at Philadelphia-area utilities; access to quality home repair and weatherization; and protections against termination of utility service.
Ms. Price coordinates much of the Energy Unit’s outreach work, including leading work on utility clinics, community education and trainings, and working with stakeholders.
Ms. Price came to CLS with statewide legal services experience, having worked as a staff attorney at the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project and as a Langer, Grogan & Diver Fellow at the Pennsylvania Health Law Project. Ms. Price also served as a Law Clerk to Judge Mary C. Jacobson in New Jersey Superior Court.
Ms. Price received her J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in2012. She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2007.
Jessica Rogers
Vice President, Regulatory & Climate Strategy
Washington Gas
Jessica Rogers is Vice President, Regulatory & Climate Strategy at Washington Gas. Previously, Jessica was Senior Director, Rates and Regulatory Strategy at UGI Utilities, Inc., served as Counsel at Post & Schell for over a decade, and was a base supervisor at Exxon Neftegas Limited in Sakhalin Region, Russian Federation. She has volunteered as an attorney for The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless since 2017. Jessica graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2010 and obtained her B.A. from UCLA.
David Rosner
Commissioner
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
David Rosner joined the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as a Commissioner in June 2024. Commissioner Rosner has 15 years of experience across energy technologies, market design and energy policy issues, both in and outside of government. Prior to his service as a Commissioner, he was an energy industry analyst for FERC and spent two years on detail to the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Democratic staff . During his time as a staff member at FERC, heled eff orts related to the Commission’s rulemaking on energy storage resources, electric transmission, off shore wind integration, fuel security, and natural gas-electric coordination.
Commissioner Rosner was previously a senior policy advisor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Off ice of Energy Policy and Systems Analysis and an associate director at the Bipartisan Policy Center’s energy project. Commissioner Rosner holds master’s degrees in economics and public policy from American University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Tufts University.
Commissioner Rosner resides in Washington, D.C., with his family.
Lindsay S. See
Commissioner
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Lindsay S. See joined the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as a Commissioner in June 2024. Before her current role, Commissioner See served as the Solicitor General of West Virginia, where she managed appellate and high-stakes litigation for the State. With a particular focus on energy and administrative law, her work included leading multi-state and multi-interest coalitions on a variety of national issues. She argued twice before the U.S. Supreme Court, filed multi-state comments in dozens of agency rulemakings, and routinely appeared before the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia and the federal courts of appeals.
Commissioner See previously practiced appellate and administrative law for several years with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Washington, D.C. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School and clerked for the Hon. Thomas B. Griffith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Originally from Michigan, See now considers herself both a proud Michigander and Mountaineer.
David S. Shaffer
Counsel
Dentons US LLP
David Shaffer, counsel in Dentons' Energy practice, is a seasoned authority on transmission systems and organized electricity markets. His practice focuses on representing and advising retail regulatory bodies and electric and natural gas public utilities on statutory and regulatory and compliance matters before the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the federal courts. David is experienced in analyzing technical information on public utility operations and interpreting statutory, tariff and policy requirements, as well as market rules and practices.
David has particular experience in the operations and practices of independent system operators (ISOs)and regional transmission organizations (RTOs). This includes providing regulatory insight and strategic guidance related to competitive energy and capacity market design, resource adequacy, financial transmission congestion hedging, transmission system planning and cost allocation, reliability standards and ISO/RTO operating committees and stakeholder forums, among other subjects. In addition, David has effectively managed administrative litigation, and related appellate practice, for both the electric and natural gas sectors.
Robert H. Solomon
Solicitor
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Robert Solomon has been the Solicitor of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission since November 2005. The Solicitor’s Office operates within the FERC Office of the General Counsel. It is responsible for defending the agency’s orders, policies and initiatives, primarily in the U.S. Courts of Appeals, through the filing of written pleadings and the presentation of oral argument. See https://www.ferc.gov/court-cases. Bob personally has presented oral argument before appellate panels, in defense of the Commission, over 70 times.
Bob also is an adjunct professor of law, teaching energy law and regulation classes, first at the Washington College of Law, American University (starting spring 2014), and now at the George Washington University Law School (since fall 2019).
Bob is a member of the U.S. Senior Executive Service. Since becoming FERC Solicitor, he has received the FERC Exemplar of Public Service Award (twice) and the Chairman’s Medal. He is a Master in the Edward Coke Appellate Inn of Court and an active member of the Energy Bar Association.
Before becoming FERC Solicitor, Bob was Associate and Deputy Solicitor, a Legal Advisor to FERC Commissioners Bailey and Hebert, a Deputy Assistant General Counsel, and a trial attorney in the Solicitor’s Office. Before coming to FERC, he was in private practice at a Washington, D.C. law firm.
Bob received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and his law degree from Washington University School of Law (in St. Louis).
Judge Renee Terry
Deputy Chief Judge
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Judge Renee Terry was appointed as the Deputy Chief Administrative Law Judge at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in April 2024. Judge Terry was initially appointed as an Administrative Law Judge at FERC in October 2021.
Judge Terry has a long career in the energy sector. She joined FERC’s Office of Administrative Litigation in 2005. Judge Terry initially served as a Trial Attorney and then served as a Supervisory Trial Attorney. Earlier in her career, Judge Terry served as a Hearing Officer for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Department of Public Utilities on energy and telecommunications issues. In addition, Judge Terry held a variety of positions in the telecommunications industry serving as an Attorney-Advisor for the Federal Communications Commission and in the private sector at e.spire Communications, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Xspedius Communications, Director of Regulatory Affairs & Corporate Counsel.
Judge Terry is a member of the bar of Massachusetts and the District of Columbia.
Judge Terry is a graduate of Northwestern University (B.A.) and Howard University School of Law (J.D).
Christine Tezak
Senior Director
ClearView Energy Partners LLC
After more than 11 years of pioneering thought leadership and steadfast teamwork here at ClearView, Christine Tezak has retired from active coverage and assumed the role of Senior Director, effective January 1, 2024. She continues to support the Firm as an advisor and mentor, and she will be available to clients on a case-by-case basis beginning in March, after her sabbatical concludes.
Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Tezak was a senior research analyst at Robert W. Baird & Co. and a senior vice president with the Washington Research Group. She has testified before the FERC and the U.S. House of Representatives.
Ms. Tezak served eight terms as a board member of the Washington, D.C.-based Women's Council on Energy & the Environment, including two as its President. She remains active in WCEE and is a member of the Natural Gas Roundtable and the Women’s Energy Network, and she is also a non-attorney member of the Energy Bar Association.
Ms. Tezak holds a bachelor's degree in Russian from Boston College and an MBA in Finance from the George Washington University.
Maeve C. Tibbetts
Senior Associate
Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP
Maeve Tibbetts is an energy regulatory and projects lawyer in Norton Rose Fulbright's Washington, DC office and a part of the projects group. Maeve advises owners and developers of electric generation, storage and transmission projects, electric utilities, natural gas pipelines, and investors and financing parties regarding Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) rules and policies. Maeve has extensive experience helping clients navigate the complex rules of FERC-regulated regional wholesale markets, including ISO/RTO tariffs, stakeholder advocacy and representation before FERC. Maeve also litigates and resolves contested rate filings and complaint proceedings arising under the Federal Power Act and the Natural Gas Act.
Prior to joining Norton Rose Fulbright, Maeve worked as an associate in the energy infrastructure practice of a large global law firm, and as a staff lawyer with the Independent Market Monitor for PJM Interconnection.
Adam Unikowsky
Partner
Jenner & Block
Adam Unikowsky is a partner in the Appellate and Supreme Court Practice at Jenner & Block LLP. He has argued 12 cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as numerous cases in federal courts of appeals and district courts. He handles administrative law cases, patent cases, and cases in numerous other substantive areas. He also has a Substack newsletter where he likes to write about AI and other topics. Adam clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia and Judge Douglas Ginsburg on the D.C. Circuit.
Monique Watson
Partner
Vinson & Elkins LLP
Monique advises energy clients in achieving their business objectives while navigating applicable legal and regulatory requirements. She draws on her more than two decades of energy experience in private practice, as in-house counsel, and in senior legal roles at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). She has managed legal and policy initiatives involving natural gas, crude oil, and refined petroleum products pipelines. She also has served as first chair in complex cost-of-service litigation for natural gas and oil pipelines. She is recognized for her deep knowledge and understanding of energy law, policy, economics, and regulation, with particular focus on oil and natural gas pipeline matters. She has also assisted clients in compliance matters, including FERC enforcement actions.
Monique was recognized in Forbes’ Top 200 Lawyers in America in 2024.
Elizabeth U. Witmer
Partner
Saul Ewing LLP
Elizabeth Witmer advises natural gas companies, public and private utilities and commercial developers about interstate pipeline development, eminent domain/condemnations, land use matters and appellate litigation. Through her more than 25 years of service to these clients, Elizabeth has become well versed in the federal and state regulations they face in order to secure the approvals they need to complete their projects, particularly in the energy industry. Elizabeth draws on this knowledge to help her clients develop an efficient framework for securing federal, state and local permissions, including interpreting state and local preemption issues, identifying which permits they need, developing initial applications and defending these applications all the way to the appellate level if needed.