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Deborah is a partner at Pierce Atwood whose practice focuses on energy and utility matters. She is currently lead outside counsel for a Maine gas distribution company, handling all tariff and regulatory matters for this start-up utility. She has litigated cases involving approval of restructuring and competition plans, stranded cost issues, rate cases, transmission and power sales agreements, accounting treatment, demand side management targets, nuclear decommissioning, and utility mergers. Deborah has extensive knowledge of electricity market issues through her ongoing involvement in litigation arising out of California’s 2000-2001 energy crisis and her work for USAID in Southeast Europe helping regulators develop the tools to create and monitor competitive energy markets. As part of Pierce Atwood’s regulatory reform project in Southeast Europe, Deborah is currently assisting the regulators in Albania, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina on various aspects of electricity market regulation, including commenting on draft market opening legislation and rules governing conditions of supply, developing tariff methodologies and rules, advising on regional Treaty and Directive requirements, training regulators in the fundamentals of power purchase agreements, public hearings, privatization and competition issues. Representative Experience Representing U.S., investor-owned utilities in numerous proceedings before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and state regulatory commissions in cases involving creation and approval of restructuring and competition plans, stranded cost issues, rate design, transmission, power sales agreements, accounting treatment, and demand side management targets. Served for over a decade as a regulatory advisor to Maine’s largest electric utility on regulatory compliance issues such as uniform accounting, sale of property, open access transmission, franchise territory certifications, separation of utility functions, and contracts with independent power producers. Represented California state agency in litigation challenging long-term power contracts entered into during 2001 energy crisis. Representing investor-owned nuclear power company in Maine regarding a wide array of nuclear power issues, including plant management, shutdown, contract performance litigation, and all aspects of regulation including various decommissioning issues before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Maine Public Utilities Commission. Advising and training government officials in Bosnia and Herzegovina on regulatory reform, particularly in drafting rules of procedure and tariff methodologies, and training regulators and staff on these rules. Advising the newly-formed Energy Regulatory Office in Kosovo on licensing and authorization rules, EU Directive and regional treaty requirements, and hearing procedures. Advising the Albanian energy regulator on secondary legislation governing asset transfers and long-term investment plans and working with the inter-agency market working group to harmonize sector legislation with EU Directives. | 