Education
-
Cornell Law School, J.D., cum laude, 1976
-
University of Rochester, B.A., with distinction, 1973
Bar Admissions
-
District of Columbia
-
New Mexico
Court Admissions
-
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
-
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit
-
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
-
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
-
U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico
Awards and Honors
- Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (2003-2009)
- Top U.S. Energy Leader, CNBC Executive Vision 2009
- Champion 2010, Women’s Council on Energy and Environment
- Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Lecturer on Energy Law, Pace Law School (2009)
- Gridwise Alliance Award for Leadership (2008)
- Chair and Commissioner, New Mexico Public Service Commission (1983-1986)
- Lewis & Clark Law School Distinguished Visitor (1998)
- Keleher & McLeod Professor of Law (1997-1999)
- Susan and Ronald Friedman Excellence in Teaching Award (1995-1996)
|
|
| |
Suedeen Kelly is an internationally-recognized energy industry veteran and former Commissioner with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Ms. Kelly serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Public Policy and Regulatory Department and represents a variety of clients in the electric and natural gas industries on business, regulatory, litigation and policy matters such as smart grid, renewable energy, electricity transmission, electricity and gas markets, hydro licensing, natural gas infrastructure, natural gas quality standards, carbon emissions, clean energy technologies, energy efficiency and other issues. Ms. Kelly’s knowledge of the national electricity and natural gas industries includes significant experience in infrastructure development and operation, market structures and financial products, emerging technologies, federal and state laws and regulations, impending policy changes and domestic/international market interrelations. She is an experienced litigator on energy and environmental matters in federal and state courts.
Nominated by Presidents Bush and Obama to three terms as FERC Commissioner, Ms. Kelly resolved 7,000 disputes with published Commission decisions and personally authored 100 separate statements during her tenure. She is credited with spearheading change in numerous regulatory policies, including integration of renewables into the grid, transmission interconnection and planning reform, deployment of smart grid technology to the transmission grid, the inclusion of smart grid demonstration grants in the stimulus effort, and natural gas quality standards. Ms. Kelly created a Smart Grid Collaborative between FERC and the association of state regulators to promote technology deployment and helped to grow membership to 30 states. She also pioneered internal strategic planning efforts to enable market reforms to adapt to new Congressional proposals regarding carbon emissions; demand response and efficiency; smart grid; and hydrokinetic, offshore wind turbine and photovoltaic technologies.
In addition to her time at FERC, Ms. Kelly served as regulatory counsel for the California Independent System Operator and was a law professor at the University of New Mexico School of Law where she taught energy law, utility regulation, administrative law and legislative process. In 1999, Ms. Kelly worked as a legislative aide to Sen. Jeff Bingaman, then the ranking member of the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee. She also served as Chairwoman and Commissioner for the Public Service Commission of New Mexico, in the private practice of law in New Mexico (Modrall; Sheehan, Sheehan & Stelzner; Luebben, Hughes & Kelly) and Washington, DC (Ruckelshaus, Beveridge Fairbanks and Diamond) law firms, and as an attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Professional Affiliations:
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Smart Grid Advisory Committe
- Advisory Council, Women’s Council on Energy and Environment (2008 – present)
- Board Member, Charitable Foundation of the Energy Bar Association
- Member, Task Force on Policy and Coordination, ABA Section of Environment Energy & Resources
- Council Member, American Bar Association Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice (present)
- Member, Board of Directors, Tendril
- Council Member, American Bar Association Section on Environment, Energy and Resources (2000-2003)
- Board Member, Santa Fe Diocese Foundation (1999-2003)
- Founding Board, Albuquerque Open Space Alliance (1996-1999)
- Trustee, Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation (1988-1993)
- Research Advisory Board, National Regulatory Research Institute, Ohio State University (1988-1992)
- Chair of Advisory Council, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (1979-1981)
|
|
|