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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.
All times are Central Time Zone.

  • Time
    Credit
    Subject
    Speaker
  • Monday Morning, Jan. 25, 2021
    Presiding Officer:
    Gregory S. Friend, Stahl, Davies, Sewell, Chavarria & Friend LLP - Austin, TX
  • 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, Partner and Co-Head of Projects, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP - Washington, DC

  • 8:55 am
    5-Minute Break

  • 9:00 am
    0.75 hr
    Federal Energy Panel Discussion
    A new president and Congress take office in January.  A group of key participants in the renewable energy policy debates discusses the many issues in play in Washington, including tax credit extensions, import tariffs, carbon pricing, transmission, offshore wind, standalone storage, green hydrogen and more.

    Moderator:
    Keith Martin, Partner and Co-Head of Projects, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP - Washington, DC
    Panelists:
    Abigail Ross Hopper, President and CEO, Solar Energy Industries Association - Washington, DC
    Hon. Richard A. Glick, Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission - Washington, DC
    Heather Zichal, CEO, American Clean Power Association - 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 Bulk Power System
    Executive Order 13920 is intended to address national security threats by foreign adversaries to the U.S. bulk-power system. Explore challenges facing developers posed by the Executive Order’s restrictions on sourcing of power system equipment. 

    Jeanine McGuinness, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP - Washington, DC

  • 10:20 am
    5-Minute Break

  • 10:25 am
    0.75 hr
    PURPA: Tales of My Death Have Been (Somewhat) Exaggerated
    One FERC Commissioner’s “modernization” is another Commissioner’s “gutting,” but the reality is PURPA is not dead and it remains more than a shell of its former self.  The actual impact of the Final Rule on renewable resources generally will be dependent on many factors, including most importantly, state implementation of the reforms and other state renewable policies.

    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
    An update on the status of the financing market, construction debt and tax equity, for renewable energy assets in the context of a Biden administration and the impact of COVID.

    William Gerald Demas, Stonepeak - New York, NY
    Conor McKenna, CohnReznick Capital - New York, NY

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

  • Monday Afternoon, Jan. 25, 2021
    Presiding Officer:
    Beth A. Smith, Bernstein Shur - Portland, ME
  • Luncheon Presentation
  • 12:30 pm
    0.75 hr
    Energy Insecurity and Other Issues for Underserved Communities
    Hear a review of how energy costs impact low income communities and how certain policies or lack thereof impact those same communities. Also explore recent policy changes including the COVID energy relief program in Texas and other policies that affect retail energy providers and their vulnerable residential customers in Texas. 

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

  • 1:15 pm
    5-Minute Break

  • 1:20 pm
    0.75 hr
    Capturing the Renewable Energy Potential of Landfill and Brownfield Sites
    Explore the use of landfill sites and sites with a history of industrial use, including Brownfield and Superfund sites, for the production of renewable energy, including solar power installations and landfill gas-to-energy projects, focusing on environmental considerations associated with siting renewable projects at these 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
    An Overview of Key Provisions in Solar EPC Agreements
    The engineering, procurement, and construction contract is a critical agreement in the development of solar energy projects. Dive into an overview of some of the key provisions in these types of agreements from the perspectives of the owner, contractor and financing parties.

    Georgina Owino-Trice, Clean Energy Counsel LLP - Washington, DC

  • 3:30 pm
    15-Minute Break: Transition to Zoom Platform for the Last Session of the Day

  • 3:45 pm
    1.00 hr ethics
    Unconscious Bias and its Impact on the Legal Profession
    This interactive session will define implicit and explicit bias and describe its effects on the legal profession while offering recommendations for managing them more consistently.

    Please note: This session is only available live via Zoom during the webcast and will not be included in the e-Conference. 

    Erika Walker, The Walker Thomas Group - South Holland, IL

  • 4:45 pm
    Adjourn

  • Time
    Credit
    Subject
    Speaker
  • Tuesday Morning, Jan. 26, 2021
    Presiding Officer:
    Jenn Goodwillie, Orsted - Austin, TX
  • 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
    Changing Landscape for Development in the ERCOT Market  
    Discuss the development of new resources, deployment of new technologies, and implementation of new regulatory requirements in 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
    Review the similarities and differences between wind leases and solar leases, along with a discussion on the traits of wind projects and solar projects which should be considered when drafting leases.

    Kristyn Dunn, KH Law LLC - Chicago, IL

  • Breakout Room C: PPAs
  • 8:00 am
    1.00 hr
    Corporate PPAs
    The power markets have evolved with more corporate buyers helping the transition to a clean energy future.  Examine the virtual PPA structure and discuss key differences and concerns involved with Corporate offtake structures. 

    Rochelle Rabeler, Holland & Hart - Denver, CO
    Dmitri Jarocki, Google - San Francisco, CA

  • Breakout Room D: Texas vs. ALTA Title Matters
  • 8:00 am
    1.00 hr
    Texas vs. Other State Title Customs, Requirements and ALTA Title Matters  
    Other state practices and ALTA title forms and endorsements differ often significantly from Texas. A discussion and dialogue regarding those differences.

    Larry Bonney, Foley & Lardner LLP - Milwaukee, WI
    Matthew Skalka, Thomas Title & Escrow - Houston, TX

  • MORNING SESSIONS Via Webcast Portal
  • 9:00 am
    10-Minute Break: Transition Back to the Webcast Portal

  • 9:10 am
    0.75 hr
    2021 Legislative Sessions - A Texas Update and Outlook on the States
    A panel discussion of anticipated key renewable energy related issues likely to be considered during the upcoming legislative sessions in Texas, Oklahoma, California and other key states.

    Jeff Clark, Advanced Power Alliance - Austin, TX
    Susan Williams Sloan, American Clean Power - 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
    Trends in Community Solar
    Community solar is the fastest growing segment of the solar industry. According to SEIA there were 2.5 GW of community solar projects installed over the last ten years, with an additional 3.4 GW expected in the next five years. This session will cover the basic structure of the community solar markets and will explore the trends that are driving such rapid growth throughout the country.

    Kacie Peters, Pivot Energy - Denver, CO

  • 11:05 am
    5-Minute Break

  • 11:10 am
    0.50 hr
    FERC Action on Energy Storage: Where We’ve Come From, Where We’re Going
    The past 5 years have seen a sea change in the deployment and electricity market participation of energy storage resources. This session will frame the key barriers to storage deployment, review major policy developments at FERC, and look ahead to the set of market issues to come in a post-Order 841 world.

    Jason Burwen, U.S. Energy Storage Association - Washington, DC

  • 11:40 am
    5-Minute Break

  • 11:45 am
    0.75 hr
    Utility-Scale Battery Storage - Revenue Streams and Project Considerations
    In this moderated discussion with the CEOs of two leading stand-alone energy storage developers, we will explore the revenue streams being pursued in different ISOs and the types of offtake agreements that can be utilized for stand-alone energy storage.  We will also discuss other considerations in project development and financing tied to revenue generation such as siting, interconnection, procurement, and finance structures.  

    Moderator:
    Becky H. Diffen, Norton Rose Fulbright - Austin, TX
    Panelists:
    Jeff Bishop, Key Capture Energy - Salt Lake City, UT
    Andy Bowman, Jupiter Power LLC - Austin, TX

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

  • Tuesday Afternoon, Jan. 26, 2021
    Presiding Officer:
    Hayden Harms, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP - Houston, TX
  • Luncheon Presentation
  • 1:00 pm
    0.75 hr
    Alternatives to Renewables – Carbon Capture & Storage/ Waste to Energy
    A fireside chat on renewable fuels opportunities (LCFS and RIN program focused) coupled with carbon capture and sequestration opportunities (Section 45Q). You’ll hear about projects in each area: biogas, plastics to fuels (+), hydrogen, carbon capture and gasification could benefit from current incentives and proposed legislation designed to further advance these types of projects.

    Zeina El-Azzi, Brightmark - 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
    Insights into considerations for siting and developing a solar facility on land with competing minerals, timber, farming or other land use activities.

    Ed Shelton, RWE Renewables Americas - San Francisco, CA

  • 2:20 pm
    5-Minute Break

  • 2:25 pm
    0.50 hr
    CleanTX—A Goal for 50% Renewable Energy in ERCOT by 2030
    Discussion of CleanTX’s Strategic Plan initiatives that support achievement of the member-shared Vision to achieve 50% renewable energy in Texas by 2030, including annual GridNEXT conference topics such as West Texas Deliverability and Constraints, Grid Scale Storage, and Electrified Transport as well as monthly webinar topics ranging from emerging clean energy technologies to Texas and Federal Legislation.

    Melissa Kay Miller, Avangrid Renewables - Austin, TX
    Ken A. Donohoo, Electric Power Engineers, Inc. - Austin, TX

  • 2:55 pm
    5-Minute Break

  • 3:00 pm
    1.00 hr ethics
    Bordering on the Edge: Multijurisdictional Practice Issues For Inside and Outside Counsel
    None of us has a practice that is confined to a single state. We’re all working on matters across the country all the time. Our clients need our knowledge and experience, and there’s certainly nothing wrong in handling deals in other states where we’re not licensed as long as we have some involvement by a local lawyer, right? Wait! Are you really sure that this is the right “ethical” answer? Nationally-renowned speaker Mike Rubin, with his unique blend of scholarship and humor and with one of the most unusual multimedia presentations you’ll ever see, will challenge your thinking, raise issues to ponder, and give you something to smile about.

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

  • 4:00 pm
    Adjourn

Download Schedule

Conference Faculty

Jeff Bishop

Key Capture Energy
Salt Lake City, UT

Larry Bonney

Foley & Lardner LLP
Milwaukee, WI

Andy Bowman

Jupiter Power LLC
Austin, TX

Jason Burwen

U.S. Energy Storage Association
Washington, DC

Jeff Clark

Advanced Power Alliance
Austin, TX

Carrie Collier-Brown

Locke Lord LLP
Austin, TX

William Gerald Demas

Stonepeak
New York, NY

Becky H. Diffen

Norton Rose Fulbright
Austin, TX

Ken A. Donohoo

Electric Power Engineers, Inc.
Austin, TX

Kristyn Dunn

KH Law LLC
Chicago, IL

Zeina El-Azzi

Brightmark
Austin, TX

Ellen Friedman

Nixon Peabody LLP
New York, NY

Sameer A. Ghaznavi

DLA Piper LLP
Chicago, IL

Hon. Richard A. Glick

Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC

Dana Harmon

Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute
Austin, TX

Kyle Hermanson

Invenergy LLC
Chicago, IL

Aileen M. Hooks

Baker Botts
Austin, TX

Abigail Ross Hopper

President and CEO, Solar Energy Industries Association
Washington, DC

Dmitri Jarocki

Google
San Francisco, CA

Jennifer Key

Steptoe & Johnson LLP
Washington, DC

Warren Lasher

Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc.
Austin, TX

Diana M. Liebmann

Haynes and Boone, LLP
San Antonio, TX

Keith Martin

Partner and Co-Head of Projects, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP
Washington, DC

Jeanine McGuinness

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP
Washington, DC

Conor McKenna

CohnReznick Capital
New York, NY

Melissa Kay Miller

Avangrid Renewables
Austin, TX

Georgina Owino-Trice

Clean Energy Counsel LLP
Washington, DC

Kacie Peters

Pivot Energy
Denver, CO

Rochelle Rabeler

Holland & Hart
Denver, CO

Michael H. Rubin

McGlinchey Stafford PLLC
Baton Rouge, LA

Carolyn E. Shellman

CPS Energy
San Antonio, TX

Ed Shelton

RWE Renewables Americas
San Francisco, CA

Matthew Skalka

Thomas Title & Escrow
Houston, TX

Susan Williams Sloan

American Clean Power
Austin, TX

Caitlin Smith

AB Power Advisors
Austin, TX

Erika Walker

The Walker Thomas Group
South Holland, IL

Heather Zichal

CEO, American Clean Power Association
Washington, DC

Planning Committee

Jenn Goodwillie—Co-Chair

Orsted
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

High Road Clean Energy LLC
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 Clean Power
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.
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.
UT Law CLE will report credit on your behalf to the Kansas Continuing Legal Education Commission (KSCLE) within 30 days after the conference. UT Law CLE will maintain Attendance Records for four years.
To claim Louisiana MCLE credit, Louisiana credit option must be selected PRIOR to viewing the live webcast. UT Law CLE will report credit on your behalf to LSBA within 30 days after the conference.
UT Law CLE will report credit on your behalf to the Nebraska Supreme Court Continuing Legal Education Commission within 30 days after the conference. UT Law CLE will maintain Attendance Records for four years.
UT Law CLE will report credit on your behalf to the State Bar of New Mexico within 30 days after the conference. You will receive a Certificate of Attendance at the conference to keep for your records.
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.
This course will qualify for self-reporting credits with PELS (TX Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors) - please see the education form log below to keep track of your credits in the case of an audit. When you select this credit type in the webcast, you will receive a downloadable Certificate of Attendance with date and course information for your records.

https://pels.texas.gov/downloads/TBPE_CEP_Log.pdf
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. The State Bar of Texas MCLE number will qualify this course for this type of self-reporting credit to TREC. UT Law CLE will provide a Certificate of Attendance once you complete the course.

Key Dates

Live Webcast – Jan 25-26, 2021
Conference Concluded
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Live Webcast
Last day for cancellation (full refund): Jan 19, 2021

$50 processing fee applied after this date

Last day for cancellation: Jan 20, 2021

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