Issues in Michigan Energy and Electric Utility Regulation
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Before undertaking any on-demand effort, you should review the rules of your licensing/certifying entity. It’s your responsibility to determine whether or not this on-demand course meets your continuing education requirements.
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Streamable MP4/PDF
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Click the link which appears at the end of the video to be taken to the course quiz.
USB MP4/PDF
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Agenda
Webinar instructions will be emailed before the date of the webinar.
Please log into the webinar 15 – 30 minutes before start time.
Log into Webinar
8:00 – 8:30 am EDT
Morning Session
8:30 am – 12:15 pm EDT
Break
12:15 – 1:15 pm EDT
Afternoon Session
1:15 – 4:00 pm EDT
Michigan Public Service Commission (PSC) Rules of J. Hanselmen
Practice and Procedure and Guidance Documents
PSC hearing procedures
Review of PSC guidance documents
PSC informal procedures – mediation etc.
Formal complaints
PSC Jurisdiction, Authority Oversight J. Janiszewski
Jurisdiction over generation and transmission facilities
Jurisdiction over service areas
Approval options for generation facilities
Issues outside PUC jurisdiction
Understanding Utility Easements and Rights of Way D. Sullivan
Current law on utility rights of way J.R. Gehring
• Federal laws and regulations
• State laws and regulations
Types of utilities affected
• Electric, water, natural gas, telecommunications, satellite communications
Basis for and definition of the easement
Encroachments and interferences
Maintenance
Environmental issues
Condemnation law
Current issues involving utility easements
Alternative Energy Providers and L. Babcock
Regional Energy Markets
Electric competition in Michigan and regional electric markets
• Electric competition –
how it started and what it looks like in the rest of the US.
• Electric competition in Michigan – the history, from 1998 to present
• Electric competition in Michigan – the likelihood of a competitive future
Regional electric markets
• Regional electric markets – what they are
• Regional electric markets – why they matter
• Regional electric markets – how they affect power supply in Michigan
• Regional electric markets – what happens next
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) S. Mikalonis
Construction Storm Water Permitting and On-line Permitting Process
NPDES program overview
Construction stormwater permit requirements
Construction stormwater compliance and enforcement
Requesting authorization on-line
Webinar Instructions
All attendees must log-on through their own email – attendees may not watch together if they wish to earn continuing education credit. HalfMoon Education Inc. must be able to prove attendance if either the attendee or HalfMoon Education Inc. is audited.
Certificates of completion can be downloaded in PDF form upon passing a short quiz. A link to the quiz will be sent to each qualifying attendee immediately after the webinar. The certificate can be downloaded from the Results page of the quiz upon scoring 80% or higher.
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Credits
Michigan Attorneys
Non-Credit CLE
Professional Engineers
6.0 CE Hours
Continuing Education Credit Information
This webinar is open to the public and offers a non-credit continuing legal education opportunity to Michigan attorneys.
This webinar offers Michigan professional engineers 6.0 continuing education hours. Educators and courses are not subject to preapproval in Michigan.
Professional engineers seeking continuing education in other states will be able to apply the hours earned at this seminar, in many cases. Refer to specific state rules to determine eligibility. Michigan specific course content is not eligible for continuing education credit in Indiana and Ohio.
Completion certificates will be awarded to participants who complete this event, respond to all prompts, and earn a passing score (80%) on the quiz that follows the presentation (multiple attempts allowed).
Speakers
Lisa Babcock
Attorney in East Lansing
In her 15 years of energy regulatory experience, Ms. Babcock has worked for both the public and private sectors and with utility commissions and legislative bodies. A former newspaper reporter, Ms. Babcock began working for the Michigan Senate’s minority policy staff in 1996. At that time, Michigan hoped to be the first state to deregulate its electricity market. Deregulation came years later, but Ms. Babcock’s interest in energy policy was piqued and she enrolled in law school. She then clerked in the Regulatory Affairs Division of the Michigan Public Service Commission, where she was responsible for drafting commission orders and creating administrative rules on animal contact current, or “stray voltage,” an issue that had been unresolved for a decade. After graduating from law school, Ms. Babcock worked at the MPSC’s “21st Century Energy Plan,” which created a renewable portfolio standard, certificate of need process for new energy plants, and other updates to Michigan’s 1939 energy statute. Ms. Babcock later worked for Integrys Energy Services, primarily monitoring legislation and regulatory affairs in New York and the ISO-NE states. She is a co-author of the January 2011 Michigan Bar Journal article “Changes in the Law Governing Public Utilities.” Ms. Babcock is a graduate of Michigan State University College of Law and the University of Michigan.
John R. Gehring
John R. Gehring Associate with Zausmer, P.C. in Farmington Hills, MI
Mr. Gehring concentrates his practice on eminent domain and commercial litigation, using his critical thinking and advocacy skills to achieve positive outcomes for the firm’s clients. He has represented a variety of agencies in eminent domain and land acquisition matters and large financial
institutions in commercial disputes. Mr. Gehring received his Bachelor of Arts in Biology, magna cum laude, from Carleton College. He then earned a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of Michigan before attending Michigan State University College of Law, graduating summa cum laude. Mr. Gehring has been named to Best Lawyers Ones to Watch in 2021.
Jason Hanselman
Dykema Gossett
Mr. Hanselman is a member in Dykema’s Energy Industry Group with a focus on generation, transmission, and distribution by traditional utilities and electric cooperatives. He represents clients before administrative tribunals, trial courts, and appellate courts, regularly appearing before state regulatory agencies, including the Michigan Public Service Commission. Mr. Hanselman works on complex matterssuch as general rate cases, power supply and gas recovery cases, and certificates of public convenience and necessity applications for various facilities. He has been recognized as a Michigan leading lawyer in the areas of governmental, municipal, lobbying and administrative law by the Leading Lawyers Network, 2014-2016. He is the recipient of an AV® Preeminent™ rating by Martindale-Hubbell. He has also been recognized as a Rising Star in Michigan Super Lawyers® in 2012-2015. Mr. Hanselman also is an elected public school board member and serves as a Michigan boxing commissioner, after being appointed by Michigan’s governor.
John A. Janiszewski
Attorney at DykemaMr. Janiszewski is a senior attorney in Dykema’s Lansing office. Mr. Janiszewski specializes in government relations and administrative law while representing clients in highly-regulated industries. Before joining Dykema, he served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Michigan within the Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture Division. During this time, Mr. Janiszewski served as first chair on numerous electric and natural gas ratemaking proceedings before state and federal administrative agencies. He gained substantial experience in public utility regulation, energy law, and environmental law while advising and representing agencies such as the Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture, and the Michigan State Police. Mr. Janiszewski received the Attorney General’s Top Civil Litigator award in 2014 for his work in the Special Litigation Unit representing the Attorney General in ratemaking proceedings before the Michigan Public Service Commission and appellate courts. His work experience includes serving as an adjunct professor of Business Law & Ethics at Michigan State University’s Eli Broad College of Business. Mr. Janiszewski graduated magna cum laude from the Michigan State University College of Law. While in law school, he served as the Managing Articles Editor for the Journal of Business & Securities Law.
Saulius Mikalonis
Plunkett CooneySenior Attorney at Plunkett Cooney
Mr. Mikalonis has specialized in environmental law for over 30 years. He leads Plunkett Cooney’s Bloomfield Hills office in the practices of environment, energy and resources law and cannabis business law. Mr. Mikalonis focuses his practice on all aspects of environmental, energy and sustainability law. He has been published extensively and has particular expertise in cutting edge issues concerning greenhouse gases, renewable energy and green building. Mr. Mikalonis practices regularly before state and federal agencies including the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), the Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Devin Sullivan
Zausmer, August & Caldwell, P.C., Farmington Hills, MI
Mr. Guttman’s practice focuses on business and real estate transactions, municipal law, eminent domain, and real property law. He has represented various clients in land acquisition and disposition matters, including the use of eminent domain and the negotiation of purchase agreements, leases, and other commercial agreements. He also contributed to the American Arbitration Association’s Handbook on Arbitration Practice. Mr. Guttman earned his undergraduate degrees from Michigan State University’s James Madison College and Broad College of Business before attending Wayne State University Law School.