Overview

The Energy, Regulatory and Telecommunications practice of Pullman & Comley offers a wide range of legal services to assist clients in responding to the opportunities and requirements of the energy, utility and telecommunications markets throughout the New England region and the country. This practice incorporates the firm’s extensive transactional and regulatory experience in:

  • Renewable energy projects and biofuels
  • Electricity and power markets
  • Power plant development and financing
  • Energy procurement, conservation and demand-side management 
  • Battery energy storage systems
  • Natural gas markets
  • Water utilities and water treatment
  • District steam heating and chilled water
  • Wireless and wireline telecommunications

Our attorneys deliver practical, focused results for our clients.  We deal with every aspect of energy, utility and telecommunications practice, including real estate, leasing, regulatory proceedings, rate setting, siting and land use, interconnection, environmental law, taxation, business, project and operational finance and litigation.

Attorneys in this practice have extensive experience before federal and state agencies, including: the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Connecticut Siting Council, and the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, as well as similar agencies throughout the East Coast. 

Our attorneys also have extensive experience before state siting councils and regularly practice before local zoning, wetlands and land use agencies with respect to the siting of electric generating facilities, telecommunications towers and antennas, water treatment facilities, fuel pipelines, transmission lines and substations as those agencies balance the impacts and public benefits of various projects.

Pullman’s regulatory team has experience in the cutting-edge issues facing the energy and utility sectors, such as: renewable energy projects, competitive energy pricing and procurement, power plant development, energy contracts, battery energy storage systems, licensing of competitive suppliers, distributed generation, project financing, conservation and load management, metering and transmission enhancements and biofuels. In addition, our attorneys have a wide range of experience in matters that are ancillary to energy and utility matters, such as environmental permitting and compliance, taxation, property valuation, antitrust matters, contractual issues, mergers and acquisitions of utility companies, and unfair trade practice statutes.

Experience

  • Representation of utilities before FERC and state regulators throughout the Northeast in rate matters, restructuring, market access and resource portfolio requirements
  • Representation of various power plant developers in regulatory proceedings, permitting and transactional matters
  • Representation of independent electric generation plants for siting approvals
  • Representation of electric generation plants for development and construction financing
  • Representation of lenders in connection with project financing for fossil-fueled power projects
  • Representation of licensed national and regional wireline and wireless telecommunications providers and national wireless infrastructure developers in procurement of siting and regulatory approvals
  • Representation of national telecommunications providers and national infrastructure developers in lease review and procurement
  • Representation of licensed national and regional wireline telecommunications providers in state regulatory proceedings and proceedings before the Federal Communications Commission
  • Representation of licensed national and regional wireline telecommunications providers in negotiations of interconnection agreements and facility and equipment leasing
  • Representation of utilities in rate proceedings before state regulators
  • Representation of utilities on customer-related issues
  • Representation of parties involved in disputes associated with water companies' water allocation rights
  • Representation of biomass gasification plant in obtaining regulatory approvals
  • Representation of state finance authority in refinancing of stranded costs through rate reduction bonds as well as bonds to protect the state's conservation and renewable energy programs
  • Representation of landfill gas project, including assistance with environmental and regulatory approvals; financing, and obtaining grants for construction
  • Representation of Qualifying Facilities in disputes concerning ownership of renewable energy credits
  • Representation of television network before regulatory agency in connection with cable company franchise rates and agreements
  • Representation of wood energy project before regulatory agencies and in state court appeals
  • Representation of hydroelectric projects before regulatory agencies and in construction contract negotiations and disputes
  • Representation of resources recovery authority in negotiation of energy contract, regulatory approval and state and federal litigation
  • Representation of private power producer in connection with the buy out of an energy contract
  • Representation of a cogeneration equipment vendor in arbitration and state court litigation concerning construction dispute
  • Representation of municipalities and other groups regarding siting of transmission lines
  • Representation of a municipal utility in resource acquisition, wholesale power contracts and power plant development
  • Representation of electric generators in negotiating tax agreement with municipalities
  • Representation of large consumers in the competitive procurement and negotiation of contracts to meet their energy needs and for demand-side management and conservation measures
  • Representation of parties in power contract disputes
  • Representation of local exchange carriers and end-users before state utility commissions and the Federal Communications Commission
  • Representation of manufacturers, service companies, financing authorities and end-users in alternative energy projects
  • Representation of wind generation developer before the Connecticut Siting Council
  • Representation of buyers in conducting due diligence on potential power plant acquisition

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