April 14-15, 2026 | Washington, DC
Energy Unleashed: Infrastructure, Innovation, and Policy Integration
Jonathan Brightbill, U.S. Department of Energy
Thank you to the speakers, panel coordinators, and the EBA’s Professional Education Council for making the 2026 EBA Annual Meeting & Conference such a great event! We enjoyed recognizing the hard work of EBA members, committees, and leadership, and seeing industry knowledge being shared and connections being made.
In Case You Missed It
We were excited to welcome Jonathan Brightbill (General Counsel, U.S. Department of Energy) and Laura V. Swett (Chairman, FERC) as the keynote speakers of this event. General and concurrent educational sessions covered a wide range of timely energy law and policy topics, including evolving federal and state energy policy dynamics, congressional investigations, natural gas and oil permitting reform, FERC enforcement priorities, cross-border electricity coordination, records compliance and ethics, grid reliability and large load integration, gas-electric coordination, offshore critical minerals development, capacity market pressures, artificial intelligence ethics, and transmission planning under Order No. 1920.
The conference also featured a state commissioners roundtable and special events such as the Charitable Foundation of the Energy Bar Association Gala, Young Lawyers Council Q&A with Chairman Swett, and committee meet-ups.
The Honorable Kevin J. McIntyre – General Session: “Outside 888: Who Else Shapes Energy Policy in 2026?” explored how rapid growth in U.S. energy demand is reshaping policy, drawing unprecedented attention from federal agencies, legislators, the White House, and state commissions. Affordability, resource adequacy, and reliability are prompting new collaborations, overlapping mandates, and occasional jurisdictional tensions. The panel featured non-FERC policy leaders and regulators addressing these challenges and covered intra federal and federal–state dynamics, resource adequacy, permitting, and infrastructure modernization.
General Session 2 – “Roundtable Discussion with State Commissioners” featured State Commissioners from different regions of the country will examine the most significant energy issues facing their states. Panelists discussed how the State Commissions balance competing considerations – e.g., ratepayer concerns, infrastructure development, evolving political landscapes, etc. – and what critical issues they see on the horizon for their states.
General Session 3 – “Transmission Planning in Transition: Implementing Order No. 1920 in a Shifting Landscape” This panel examined emerging compliance and litigation issues in the wake of FERC’s Order No. 1920, beginning with a brief status update on where the rule stands in ongoing litigation and the current landscape of initial and forthcoming compliance filings across regions. Panelists covered substantive questions that surfaced following the rule’s issuance, including whether existing planning frameworks can realistically forecast future load growth and generation development at the scale now required, and what methodological adjustments may be needed.
Welcome 2026-2027 EBA President: Nicholas Pascale!
The members of the Energy Bar Association (EBA) elected Nicholas Pascale of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association as the new President of the Board of Directors for the 2026-2027 bar year. Nick has been a longtime, active member of the EBA in addition to supporting its boards and foundations. In his acceptance remarks, Nick shared “Supporting the development of emerging energy lawyers and professionals remains a key priority within EBA’s strategic plan. I encourage our young members to engage actively with the Young Lawyers Council, pursue leadership opportunities within the organization, and take full advantage of EBA’s mentorship program.”
Thank you to Floyd R. Self of Berger Singerman LLP for his leadership, support, and commitment during his tenure as EBA President for the 2025-2026 bar year.
In addition to electing Mr. Pascale as EBA President, the membership elected the following individuals as EBA Board officers: Monique Watson of Vinson & Elkins LLP as President-Elect; Daniel Frank of Eversheds Sutherland LLP as Vice President; Meredith Berger Chambers of Van Ness Feldman LLP as Secretary; Richard Lorenzo of Loeb & Loeb LLP as Assistant Secretary; Karen Bruni of Steptoe LLP as Treasurer, and Katlyn Farrell of McGuireWoods LLP as Assistant Treasurer.
In addition to board officers, the EBA elected the following people to serve as directors of the board for a 3-year term: Joseph Hicks of Venable LLP; Craig Johnson of Colorado Rural Electric Association; Alan Rukin of FirstEnergy; and Denyse Zosa of Stinson LLP. Thank you to these longtime EBA members for their continued dedication and efforts to the organization, and congratulations on these new roles.
Special Recognitions
During Wednesday’s luncheon, we recognized a special EBA member for their contributions to the EBA and the energy community. Louis Legault (Régisseur, Régie de l’énergie) was the recipient of the 2026 Jason F. Leif Chapter Service Award. Louis is one of the founding members of the EBA’s Canadian Chapter, and his volunteer service to the EBA has spanned a decade at the chapter level as well as serving on the EBA board. He remains a strong ambassador and advocate for the EBA and the value it provides, and actively works with chapter leaders creating programs bringing together American and Canadian attorneys.
During lunch on Wednesday, attendees offered a standing ovation to outgoing Energy Law Journal Editor-in-Chief Harvey Reiter for his significant contributions to the EBA and the energy law community throughout his career. Harvey served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Energy Law Journal since 2020 and Executive Editor before that. The most recent edition of the Journal is Harvey’s last as he turns over the reins to the incoming Editor-in-Chief, Caileen (Kat) Gamache (Norton Rose Fulbright).
CFEBA Raises Over $100,000 for the Foundation!
On the evening of Tuesday, April 14, the Charitable Foundation of the Energy Bar Association (CFEBA) held its annual fundraising gala, an elegant event that directly supports the foundation’s grant-giving activities. The Gala began with a cocktail reception on the patio of the Omni Shoreham, followed by a seated dinner with presentations from 2026 Grant Recipients: Heart of America (represented by VP of Development Belinda Harris), Solar Electric Light Fund (represented by Executive Director Bob Freling), and Footprint Project (represented by Founding Director Will Heegaard). Belinda, Bob and Will did an incredible job of conveying the impact CFEBA donations had on their respective organizations’ efforts. Grant Recipient Action for Grassroots Womens’ Empowerment (AGWE) was also recognized but unable to attend.
Thanks to the generosity of EBA members, and the tireless efforts of the Fundraising and Gala Committees, the CFEBA raised over $100,000 this year in sponsorships and onsite donations, capping a successful year for the foundation under the leadership of outgoing President Ruta Kalvaitis Skučas (White & Case LLP). We also formally welcomed incoming CFEBA President Susan Bruce (McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC) to her position!
To learn more about the organizations that received these grants and the meaningful work they are doing, visit the CFEBA Impact page here. If you would like to make a donation to the CFEBA, you may do so here!
