The state of the energy industry affects all energy users, from households to public buildings, manufacturers to agricultural concerns, and the entire transportation sector. The industrial sector alone uses roughly one-third of the total energy in the United States. The future will belong to those who look to harness the power of technological innovation and the market system—while maintaining economic growth and encouraging global participation—to produce sound, clean and abundant forms of energy. Public policy must be introduced and laws crafted toward achieving these ends.

The energy industry has seen massive growth in recent years. Oil and gas, nuclear energy, utilities and power generation, coal and renewable energy sources such as solar, hydropower, geothermal, biomass (ethanol), and wind generation are rapidly advancing to meet growing energy demands. But with massive expansion and advancement come equivalent legal and regulatory obstacles. To remain successful in this climate, teams comprised of entrepreneurs, advisors, experts and those familiar with the various energy agencies must develop strategies that answer regulatory demands, environmental concerns, complex transactions, tax issues, and the potential for litigation. In addition, energy stakeholders must consider forthcoming legislation, federal agency and commission scrutiny, and review from state utility agencies, foreign regulatory entities, consensus and private standard-setting groups and the perceptions of individual consumers.

Patton Boggs handles matters for a wide array of clients in the energy industry, including major oil companies and pipeline contractors, electric and nuclear utilities, start-up technology manufacturers, and power marketers.  We are a full service firm and a national leader in public policy, litigation and business law. We are well known for our deep bipartisan roots in the national political arena and our skill at affecting legal outcomes abroad.