Energy Law

Over the years, the traditional regulatory framework put in place by the Virginia State Corporation Commission ("SCC") has allowed Virginians to enjoy some of the lowest electricity rates in the nation. However, continual growth in demand coupled with the growth of public utility providers has been cause for significant changes to the state’s laws and regulations. Lawyers from our firm have helped shape the law to meet the needs of manufacturers, businesses, residential customers, and landowners in this rapidly changing market.

Our lawyers are experienced in dealing with energy matters and have represented a diverse group of clientele in various administrative proceedings. Our work has been involved in the regulatory components of this area, and we have had great success in representing our clients before the SCC. Our firm has defended small business owners, manufacturers, health care providers and industrial development authorities in matters pertaining to the citing and approval and rate and service regulation of electric utilities.

During the 2007 General Assembly session, Virginia’s largest electricity provider Dominion Virginia Power issued its own legislative proposals to re-regulate the state’s retail electricity market. This preventative measure allowed the company to avoid the potential political backlash it may have faced when rate freezes were to expire in 2010. Our lawyers worked with state legislators on behalf of business and residential customers to amend Dominion’s proposals, maintain a favorable business climate, and ensure only modest rate increases over time.

In addition, our attorneys recently represented Frederick County Industrial Development Authority before the SCC, together with eighteen businesses, to defeat an $85 million dollar fuel factor rate increase sought by Allegheny Power. If granted, the utility’s petition would have allowed the utility to break a memorandum they entered in 2000 that prohibited them from passing on the increased cost of purchasing power to rate payers. Our lawyers commanded the legal, lobbying, and public relations services needed to defeat the petition at the SCC.