May 1-2, 2025 | Washington, DC
Energy Unleashed: Infrastructure, Innovation, and Policy Integration
Commissioner Judy Chang (FERC)
Thank you to the 460+ registrants of the 2025 EBA Annual Meeting & Conference for making it one to remember! We’d like to extend a special thank you to our sponsors, speakers, and Professional Education Council (PEC), without whom such successful EBA events could not happen.
In Case You Missed It
We were thrilled to kick off the 2025 EBA Annual Meeting & Conference with keynote remarks from Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Commissioner Judy Chang. Commissioner Chang’s engaging presentation discussed top priorities of the current landscape and key issues affecting energy law today, such as energy storage, transmission planning and electricity market design.
A full day and a half of CLE Sessions followed, with topics ranging from focused on state energy policy, emerging energy technologies, NEPA’s shifting landscape and more!
The Honorable Kevin J. McIntyre – General Session: Trump 2.0 Energy Outlook explored President Donald J. Trump’s energy policies and priorities, as well as how Congress and newly established administrative bodies may work to implement them. The discussion also addressed the key factors shaping the President’s energy agenda and congressional perspectives on how best to support it, including the nation’s AI-related energy consumption and the potential implications of tariffs.
General Session 2 – EPAct 2005 at Twenty: Looking Back (and Ahead) at the Long-Term Impacts of the Defining Energy Law of the Early 2000s included a dynamic discussion on the impact and legacy of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct). Signed into law by President George W. Bush, EPAct aimed to address rising energy costs and reduce dependence on foreign energy by incentivizing and financing various types of energy production. Notably, it repealed the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 and expanded FERC’s authority to combat energy market manipulation. This panel explored the ongoing legal and policy debates surrounding the law’s provisions and how it continues to shape the energy landscape today.
General Session 3 – Data Centers: Customer Impact, Legal Standards, and Financial Assurances was a lively discussion around the retail ratemaking and customer-impact dimensions of data centers. In a debate-style format, panelists argued the role of states and how to best address retail rate and cost allocations associated with serving large-load customers, as well as whether data centers should be a separate customer class and the proper conceptual/legal standards and measurement for allocating costs between customers and data centers. They debated the basis on which utilities should prioritize scarce load interconnection slots as well as the question of what financial assurances should be required from large load customers and the wisdom and limits of such requirements.
Welcome 2025-2026 EBA President: Floyd Self!
The members of the Energy Bar Association (EBA) elected Floyd Self of Berger Singerman LLP as the new President of the Board of Directors for the 2025-2026 bar year, as well as a full slate of officers and directors. The election took place at EBA’s 2025 Annual Meeting, held in Washington, DC on May 2, 2025. This event had 460+ energy law and policy professionals in attendance.
“It is my great privilege to be your new board chair, and I’m grateful to the nominating committee for providing me with this opportunity.” said Self in his address to the audience. “I have made so many great friends [during my time in the EBA] and learned so much about energy law and policy that I want every member of our association to have their own versions of such friendship and professional growth. With your engagement, this will continue to be the go to place for energy lawyers and professionals.” Welcome, President Self!
New Board Members Announced
In addition to electing Mr. Self as EBA President, the membership elected the following individuals as Board Officers: Nicholas Pascale of National Rural Electric Cooperative Association as President-Elect; Monique Watson of Vinson & Elkins as Vice President; Meredith Berger Chambers of EDP Renewables as Secretary; Richard Lorenzo of Loeb & Loeb LLP as Assistant Secretary; Daniel Frank of Eversheds Sutherland LLP as Treasurer, and Holly Rachel Smith as Assistant Treasurer.
The membership also elected the following directors to serve three-year terms: David Applebaum of Baker Botts LLP, Katlyn Davis Farrell of McGuireWoods LLP, Tory Lauterbach of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Justin Mirabal of Dentons LLP, and Jamie Hurst Watts of Long Law Firm, LLP.
Thank you to these longtime EBA members for their continued dedication and efforts to the organization, and congratulations on these new roles.
Congratulations to the 2025 EBA Award Winners!
Diversity & Inclusion Champion Award: This award is given to an EBA Member who has shown unequivocal support of EBA’s diversity and inclusion program with sustained efforts toward the active promotion of diversity and inclusion within the Association and legal profession. This person embodies the principles of EBA’s Diversity and Inclusion program as outlined in the Diversity and Inclusion Policy and through their actions in EBA, CFEBA and FELJ and/or their professional career.
- 2025 Recipient: Matthew Rudolphi (Partner, Thompson Coburn LLP)
State/Provincial Regulatory Practitioner Award: This award honors and recognizes exemplary long-term service, or one or more particularly significant examples of service, by an EBA member to one or more of the EBA Chapters. Exemplary service to the community in connection with EBA Chapter activities may also be considered. The award is granted as deemed warranted by the EBA Board and may, or may not, be granted annually.
- 2025 Recipient: Michael J. Messonnier, Jr. (Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP)
2025 CFEBA Annual Fundraising Gala
Thursday, May 1 | Washington, DC
Thank you to the 250+ attendees and 27 sponsors of the CFEBA Annual Gala! We were so glad to have representatives from two 2025 grant recipient organizations (Footprint Project, Empowering Sierra Leone Project) there to share impactful first-hand experiences and information around how CFEBA donations powered their energy-related initiatives. Thanks to the generosity of EBA members, and the tireless efforts of the Fundraising and Gala Committees, the CFEBA raised over $110,000 this year, capping an incredibly successful year for the foundation under the leadership of outgoing President Katlyn A. Farrell.
