Education
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University of Texas School of Law, J.D., 1992
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University of Texas at Austin, B.A., 1989
Bar Admissions
Court Admissions
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U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
Awards and Honors
- Colorado Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers, 2012
- Sustainability Champion, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment-Office of Environmental Integration and Sustainability (2009)
- Minority Business Leader, Colorado Springs Business Journal: Best of Springs Business (2009)
- Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbard
- “Who’s Who in American Law”
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Eric Drummond has practiced administrative law and complex administrative litigation for two decades, focusing his practice in alternative energy issues, electric utility and telecommunications law. Before joining Patton Boggs, Mr. Drummond served as chair of the Alternative Energy and CleanTech practice for a regional, Denver-based firm, where he represented electric transmission developers, Smart Grid, solar, biofuel, wind and energy efficiency companies, as well as major financial institutions.
While serving as the mayor of Manitou Springs, CO, Mr. Drummond participated in large-scale initiatives developed by the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office to implement sustainable energy strategies. As part of an effort to measure the City of Manitou Springs’ carbon footprint, Mr. Drummond actively supported a greenhouse gas emission reduction program and played a key role in ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability and Cities for Climate Protection campaigns.
Mr. Drummond’s electric utility experience includes the representation of one of the nation’s largest investor-owned electric utility holding companies, which involved multi-state and multi-jurisdictional transactions and regulatory proceedings as well as representing the largest electric transmission and distribution utility in Texas. He has also represented cities, other governmental entities and private land owners in major electric utility rate cases and electric transmission siting cases.
Mr. Drummond is familiar with the core development experience needed to engineer, construct and develop solar and wind projects and with many of the issues facing commercial and investment bankers in evaluating the financing of various alternative energy and cleantech projects. Mr. Drummond has substantial experience with solar development, having represented the Department of Energy in the development of the largest utility scale Concentrating Solar Photovoltaic generation plant globally as well as representing commercial scale distributive solar projects. In addition, Mr. Drummond has assisted both wind developers and land owners in the development of wind generation projects.
Experienced in telecommunications law, Mr. Drummond has been involved in interconnection agreements and wireless communication issues, and has participated in the relocation of microwave operators from electromagnetic spectrum allocated to CMRS providers. In addition, he has worked closely with the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice on state and federal matters related to Section 271 Relief under the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
Representative Matters
- Represented leading Smart Grid, distributive energy services, solar and biofuel-related companies and assisted various start-up cleantech enterprises, including those involved with electric drive vehicles, solar and alternative energy parks and waste-to-energy projects, as well as companies seeking to market the commercially viable use of hydrogen technology.
- Represented the U.S. subsidiaries of a Global 15 Bank in evaluating the financing of renewable energy and cleantech projects.
- Represented the federal government in developing the world’s largest concentrating solar photovoltaic project and the first-of-its-kind municipal solid waste to fuel ethanol project.
- Represented waste-to-energy projects, including an electric cooperative providing power to 17 Colorado cities involving a 3 MW landfill methane gas recovery system and the first-of-its-kind abandoned coal mine methane gas recovery system and carbon offset verification program. Representation included the drafting of power purchase and interconnection agreements.
- Represented European Smart 20 Cleantech Company that has commercialized technology derived from the European Union’s satellite simulation space agency program.
- Represented one of the three largest investor-owned electric utility holding companies in the U.S. involving multi-state/multi-jurisdictional transactions and regulatory proceedings, including transmission and distribution issues, merger and acquisition, rate cases, fuel reconciliation cases and fixed fuel factor cases, with significant work addressing nuclear reactors and nuclear fuel contracts.
- Represented utility-scale hydroelectric projects.
- Represented both wind developers and landowners in large scale wind generation projects.
- Represented largest U.S. wireless company as one of five regional outside members of counsel.
Professional Affiliations:
- University of Colorado at Boulder Law School Energy Innovation Initiative, Advisory Board
- Global New Energy Summit (GNES), Executive Committee
- Rocky Mountain Innosphere – Cleantech Incubator, Board of Directors
- Colorado Cleantech Industry Association – Cleantech Fellows Institute, Clean Energy Generation Department Head
- Recharge Colorado, Recharge Executive Council
- Renewable Energy Development Team, Advisory Board, Colorado Governor’s Energy Office
- State Bar of Colorado, Natural Resources & Energy Law
- Denver Bar Association
- Energy Sustainability and Environment Committee, Colorado Municipal League
- College of the State Bar of Texas
- State Bar of Texas, Administrative and Public Utility Law Section
- Gulf Coast Power Association
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