Members of the Public Utilities Practice Group possess broad-based experience in all types of matters relating to the public utilities industries. In the telecommunications industry, for example, members of the group have represented incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs), competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs), interexchange carriers (IXCs), commercial mobile radio service providers (CMRS Providers), payphone service providers (COCOTs), internet service providers (ISPs), and other specialty telephone companies. The group's attorneys also have significant experience in matters involving water utilities, energy utilities, sewage utilities and cable companies, as well as entities pursuing new and alternative technologies such as wind energy, landfill gas, biodiesel and ethanol. Members of the Public Utilities Practice Group also have extensive experience advising utility customers with respect to issues concerning their utility needs.
The Public Utilities Practice Group's attorneys have handled rate cases; utility territorial disputes; rights-of-way matters; franchise issues; interconnection agreements; tariff construction issues; access charges; supply agreements; energy supply contracts; certifications to do business; certificates of public convenience and necessity (CPCNs); changes in ownership and control; mergers and acquisitions; customer proprietary network information (CPNI); CPCN transfers, wireless license transfers; regulatory investigations; policy issues; eminent domain issues; tower siting issues; customer service issues; pole attachments; and eligible telecommunications carrier designations and utility tax matters.
Examples of the Public Utilities Practice Group's experience include the following:
- Representing a large aluminum smelter in its efforts to re-enter the service territory of a large electric utility
- Representing twelve ILECs in the negotiation and arbitration of the ICAs with CMRS carriers
- Representing an ILEC, under traditional rate of return regulation, in its efforts to obtain a rate increase
- Representing an ILEC in its efforts to obtain access to the utility poles of an electric utility under rates, terms and conditions identical to those available to cable television companies
- Representing a wireless carrier in its efforts to obtain numerous CPCNs from local planning units and utility regulatory commissions
- Representing a start-up company in its efforts to establish a wind farm for purposes of providing electricity for transport and sale
- Representing a start-up company in its efforts to use landfill gas to produce electricity for transport and sale
- Representing a water utility in its efforts to promote efficient solutions to a regional water crisis and discourage another water utility's plans to construct a new water treatment plant
- Representing a CLEC in an interconnection arbitration to open effective competition in the 911/E911 services market in Kentucky
- Reviewing, negotiating and effectuating wireless license transfers
- Representing 7 ILECs in a regulatory proceeding to determine whether a transit tariff is lawful
- Representing a condominium association in an effort to compel appropriate service by a sewage utility
- Representing manufacturing operations in securing electricity as steam and telecommunications services
- Representing a CLEC before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit regarding the opt-in provision of the Telecommunications Act of 1996
- Representing wireline and wireless carriers in their efforts to obtain eligible telecommunications carrier status
- Counseling wireline and wireless carriers regarding regulatory compliance issues such as customer proprietary network information
- Counseling a wireless carrier as it launches new products and services
- Drafting legislation establishing alternative regulatory regime for small telephone utilities