Overview

Join leading attorneys and industry experts in wind, solar, and storage for two days of the latest developments affecting renewable energy in Texas and nationwide. The 16th Annual Renewable Energy Law Institute blends law, economics, technology, finance, tax, and regulatory policy. The conference aims to inform industry participants, legal and financial advisers, as well as key legislative and regulatory policymakers and staff.
This years highlights include:

  • Review and update of key state legislative and regulatory changes impacting the renewable energy markets.
  • Latest updates and developments from ERCOT and PUC.
  • Insight into federal rules and regulations including FERC, and executive orders

Event Schedule

Program is subject to change.

  • Time
    Credit
    Subject
    Speaker
  • Monday Morning, Jan. 25, 2021
  • Please Note:
    The conference agenda is still in development and may be subject to change. Additional information, including confirmed speakers, will be posted as available.

  • 8:00 am
    Welcoming Remarks

  • 8:10 am
    0.75 hr
    What's New—Federal Energy Updates
    Hear a lively update on developments affecting the renewable energy market.

    Keith Martin, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP - Washington, DC

  • 8:55 am
    5-Minute Break

  • 9:00 am
    0.75 hr
    Federal Energy Panel Discussion

    Moderator:
    Keith Martin, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP - Washington, DC

  • 9:45 am
    5-Minute Break

  • 9:50 am
    0.50 hr
    Issues and Compliance for Renewable Projects Relating to Executive Order on Securing the US Power System

    Jeannine McGuinness, Orrick - Washington, DC

  • 10:20 am
    5-Minute Break

  • 10:25 am
    0.75 hr
    FERC Updates

    Jennifer Key, Steptoe & Johnson LLP - Washington, DC

  • 11:10 am
    5-Minute Break

  • 11:15 am
    0.75 hr
    Sector Trends in Financial Terms and Debt and Equity Parties

    Benoit Allehaut, Capital Dynamics Inc. - New York, NY
    William Gerald Demas, Stonepeak

  • 12:00 pm
    Break for Lunch - Presentations Resume at 12:25 p.m.

  • Monday Afternoon, Jan. 25, 2021
  • Luncheon Presentation
  • 12:30 pm
    0.75 hr
    Energy Insecurity and Other Issues for Underserved Communities

    Carrie Collier-Brown, Locke Lord LLP - Austin, TX
    Dana Harmon, Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute

  • 1:15 pm
    5-Minute Break

  • 1:20 pm
    0.75 hr
    Discussion of Solar and Other Renewable Energy Production and Installations on Closed Landfills, Superfund and Brownfield Sites

    Aileen M. Hooks, Baker Botts - Austin, TX

  • 2:05 pm
    5-Minute Break

  • 2:10 pm
    0.75 hr
    ERCOT Panel
    As the resource mix of generation in development changes, we encounter both challenges like limitations of the existing transmission grid and the fluctuating reserve margin, as well as opportunities to continue to advance the market like real-time co-optimization and integration of battery energy storage projects. Explore how ERCOT and utilities coordinate to integrate new technology onto the grid and the opportunities and challenges they see in planning as the grid rapidly changes.

    Moderator:
    Caitlin Smith, AB Power Advisors - Austin, TX
    Panelists:
    Warren Lasher, Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. - Austin, TX
    Carolyn E. Shellman, CPS Energy - San Antonio, TX

  • 2:55 pm
    5-Minute Break

  • 3:00 pm
    0.50 hr
    BOP and EPC Agreements

    Georgina Owino-Trice, Clean Energy Counsel - Arlington, VA

  • 3:30 pm
    5-Minute Break

  • 3:35 pm
    1.00 hr ethics
    Recognizing Bias

    Erika Walker, The Walker Thomas Group - Chicago, IL

  • 4:35 pm
    Adjourn

  • Time
    Credit
    Subject
    Speaker
  • Tuesday Morning, Jan. 26, 2021
  • DISCUSSION BREAKOUTS Via Zoom (Select One)
  • Discussion Break Out Sessions
    Join us in Zoom for facilitator lead discussion sessions on various Renewable Energy topics. Topic selections are below and you may choose which session you will attend. We will send additional information and instruction on how to join the Zoom meeting the week of the conference. Please note you will need to have the latest version on Zoom, you can find instructions on updating your Zoom client by using this link. 

  • Breakout Room A: New Developers Getting Into the ERCOT Market
  • 8:00 am
    1.00 hr
    New Developers Getting into the ERCOT Market

    Diana M. Liebmann, Haynes and Boone, LLP - San Antonio, TX

  • Breakout Room B: Wind vs. Solar Lease
  • 8:00 am
    1.00 hr
    Wind vs. Solar Lease

    Kristyn Dunn, KH Law LLC - Chicago, IL

  • Breakout Room C: PPAs
  • 8:00 am
    1.00 hr
    PPAs

    Rochelle Rabeler, Holland & Hart - Denver, CO

  • Breakout Room D: Texas vs. ALTA Title Matters
  • 8:00 am
    1.00 hr
    Texas vs. ALTA Title Matters

  • MORNING SESSIONS Via Webcast Portal
  • 9:00 am
    10-Minute Break (Transition back to the webcast portal)

  • 9:10 am
    0.75 hr
    Legislative Outlook & Policy Update – State Laws and Regulations

    Jeff Clark, Advanced Power Alliance - Austin, TX
    Susan Williams Sloan, American Wind Energy Association - Austin, TX

  • 9:55 am
    5-Minute Break

  • 10:00 am
    0.50 hr
    What the COVID Outbreak Can Teach Us About Force Majeure
    Discussion focused on the proliferation of Force Majeure claims due to the COVID-19 crisis, and considerations to take into account when drafting material project contracts in the future.

    Kyle Hermanson, Invenergy LLC - Chicago, IL
    Sameer A. Ghaznavi, DLA Piper LLP - Chicago, IL

  • 10:30 am
    5-Minute Break

  • 10:35 am
    0.50 hr
    Community Solar Trends

    Kristal Hansley, WeSolar

  • 11:05 am
    5-Minute Break

  • 11:10 am
    0.50 hr
    The FERC Storage Rule

    Jason Burwen, U.S. Energy Storage Association

  • 11:40 am
    5-Minute Break

  • 11:45 am
    0.75 hr
    Utility Scale Battery Energy Storage – Revenue Streams in the Different ISOs

  • 12:30 pm
    Break for Lunch - Presentations Resume at 1:00 p.m.

  • Tuesday Afternoon, Jan. 26, 2021
  • Luncheon Presentation
  • 1:00 pm
    0.75 hr
    Alternatives to Renewables – Carbon Capture & Storage/ Waste to Energy

    Zeina El-Azzi, Brightmark Energy - Austin, TX
    Ellen Friedman, Nixon Peabody LLP - New York, NY

  • 1:45 pm
    5-Minute Break

  • 1:50 pm
    0.50 hr
    Mineral and Other Competing Land Rights Issues on Solar Projects

  • 2:20 pm
    5-Minute Break

  • 2:25 pm
    0.50 hr
    CleanTX—A Goal for 50% Renewable Energy in ERCOT by 2030

    Melissa Kay Miller, Avangrid Renewables - Austin, TX

  • 2:55 pm
    5-Minute Break

  • 3:00 pm
    1.00 hr ethics
    Multijurisdictional Practice Issues for Inside and Outside Counsel

    Michael H. Rubin, McGlinchey Stafford PLLC - Baton Rouge, LA

  • 4:00 pm
    Adjourn

Download Schedule

Planning Committee

Jenn Goodwillie—Co-Chair

Lincoln Clean Energy
Austin, TX

Brent Stahl—Co-Chair

Stahl, Davies, Sewell, Chavarria & Friend LLP
Austin, TX

Lisa Chavarria

Stahl, Davies, Sewell, Chavarria & Friend LLP
Austin, TX

Jeff Clark

Advanced Power Alliance
Austin, TX

Scott D. Deatherage

S Deatherage Law, PLLC
Dallas, TX

Becky H. Diffen

Norton Rose Fulbright
Austin, TX

John Dunlap

Foley & Lardner LLP
Milwaukee, WI

Maria Faconti

Husch Blackwell
Austin, TX

Christine Fernandez Owen

Clean Law PC
Chicago, IL

Rodrigo J. Figueroa

Dykema
San Antonio, TX

Gregory S. Friend

Stahl, Davies, Sewell, Chavarria & Friend LLP
Austin, TX

Peter L. Harsy

KH Law LLC
Chicago, IL

Charlie Hemmeline

Texas Solar Power Association
Austin, TX

Monty Humble


Austin, TX

Michael J. Jewell

Jewell & Associates, PLLC
Austin, TX

Diana M. Liebmann

Haynes and Boone, LLP
San Antonio, TX

Tunrola Odelowo

Arnall Golden Gregory LLP
Atlanta, GA

April Rogers

The University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX

Susan Williams Sloan

American Wind Energy Association
Austin, TX

Beth A. Smith

Bernstein Shur
Portland, ME

Caitlin Smith

AB Power Advisors
Austin, TX

Tyrone Thomas

Invenergy LLC
Chicago, IL

Thomas Tynes

Santanna Energy Services & CleanTX
Austin, TX

Adam Wenner

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Washington, DC

Credit Info

MCLE Credit
UT Law CLE will report credit to the State Bar of Texas on your behalf. If you are claiming credit in the last week of your birth month, self-report your credit directly to the State Bar of Texas at texasbar.com. A Certificate of Completion will be emailed to you upon claiming credit.
Self-report your CLE credit directly to the State Bar of California at calbar.ca.gov. Print and keep the Certificate of Completion for your records. A Certificate of Completion will be emailed to you upon claiming credit.
At the conference, you will need to sign in on the Record of Attendance form at the registration desk. You will receive a Certificate of Attendance at the conference to keep for your records. UT Law CLE will verify the number of Illinois attorneys in attendance within 10 days after the conference and will report your credit to the MCLE Board of the Supreme Court of Illinois. UT Law CLE will maintain Attendance Records for four years.
The University of Texas School of Law has applied for CLE approval with the Kansas Continuing Legal Education Commission (KSCLE). At the conference, you will need to sign in on the Record of Attendance form at the registration desk. A Notice of Accreditation/Affidavit will be provided at the conclusion of the conference. It is the responsibility of the attorney to complete and mail the Notice to the Kansas CLE Commission within 30 days after the program. UT Law CLE will maintain Attendance Records for four years.  
​PLEASE NOTE: for Louisiana, the maximum that an attorney can claim for an online course is 4.00 hours. To claim Louisiana MCLE credit, Louisiana credit option must be selected PRIOR to viewing the live webcast. Upon claiming credit, a Certificate of Completion will be emailed to you. UT Law CLE will report credit on your behalf to the Supreme Court of Louisiana Continuing Legal Education Committee within 30 days after the conference.
No Additional Credit Information.
As a Sponsor, The University of Texas School of Law conferences, live webcasts and webcast replays (on-demand) can be approved for MCLE credit by the New Mexico MCLE Board. The attorney can request individual credit for a course if he or she certifies that the course was beneficial to his or her practice of law by completing the MCLE_02 Form for conferences and live webcasts or MCLE_04 Form for webcast replays (on-demand). The attorney must request the credit within 30 days of attending the course.
The University of Texas School of Law (Provider #169) live webcast presentations meet the requirements and are presumptively approved by the Oklahoma Bar Association for MCLE credit based on a 50-minute credit hour. This accreditation requires attendance verification. In compliance with the rules, UT Law CLE monitors and records attendee responses to questions that randomly appear during the live webcast presentation. The response record is detailed on the Certificate of Completion.

To claim Oklahoma MCLE credit, Oklahoma credit option must be selected PRIOR to viewing the live webcast. Upon claiming credit, a Certificate of Completion will be emailed to you. UT Law CLE will report credit on your behalf to the Oklahoma Bar Association within 30 days after the webcast.
UT Law CLE is an approved provider of Pennsylvania credit, sponsor #236. Attorney attendance will be reported to Pennsylvania within 2 weeks of the webcast conclusion. Attorneys are not able to report this credit on their own, and UT Law CLE pays all associated fees for the credit hours. Contact Laura Tolin, ltolin@law.utexas.edu, if you have additional questions.
Note on Self-Reporting Your Credits in Another State
If you wish to satisfy MCLE or other professional education requirements in another state for a program offered by the University of Texas School of Law, please check with the state bar or other licensing authority in that state to ensure it will qualify for self-reporting your credits.

To claim Other States MCLE credit, Other States credit option must be selected PRIOR to viewing the live webcast. Upon claiming credit, a Certificate of Completion will be emailed to you.

This accreditation requires attendance verification. UT Law CLE monitors and records attendee responses to questions that randomly appear during the live webcast presentation. The response record is detailed on the Certificate of Completion .

MCLE credit is presented based on a 60-minute credit hour.
Other Credit
The University of Texas School of Law (Provider #250) live webcast presentations meet the requirements and are presumptively approved by the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy for Texas Accounting CPE credit based on a 50-minute credit hour. Approved for general CPE credit only.

This accreditation requires attendance verification. In compliance with the rules, UT Law CLE monitors and records attendee responses to questions that randomly appear during the live webcast presentation. The response record is detailed on the Certificate of Completion.

To claim Texas Accounting CPE credit, the Texas Accounting CPE credit option must be selected PRIOR to viewing the live webcast. Upon claiming credit, a Certificate of Completion will be emailed to you. Self-report your CPE credit directly to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy.

Contact Laura Tolin, ltolin@law.utexas.edu, if you have additional questions.

http://engineers.texas.gov/CEP_Info.htm

https://www.trec.texas.gov/sites/default/files/pdf-forms/CE_CLE-0.pdf

Use this link to obtain the TREC MCE form for self-reporting your TREC credit.  UT Law CLE will provide a Certificate of Attendance once you complete the course.

Our Sponsors

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