Andrea Wortzel
Troutman Pepper

Dustin Till
PacifiCorp

Kim Ognisty
Pacific Gas & Electric Company

Shawn Zovod
Troutman Pepper

DESCRIPTION

Description: This panel will highlight significant federal regulatory changes/proposals and how they impact licensing and operations of hydropower facilities.  The panel will use real-world examples from conference attendees to explain the impact of these changes and proposals.

Who Should Attend:
Environmental Managers, Government Relations Managers, Senior Risk Managers, Attorneys, Consultants

Why You Should Attend:
There are significant federal regulatory changes underway, and these changes are likely to impact not only the licensing process, but also operations and maintenance activities.  This session will help attendees understand the proposed changes, and the impact they will have on NWHA members.

Moderator:

• Andrea Wortzel, Practice Group Leader, Troutman Pepper and General Counsel, NWHA

Panelists:

• Dustin Till, Assistant General Counsel, PacifiCorp
• Kim Ognisty, Chief Counsel, Pacific Gas & Electric Company
• Shawn Zovod, Partner, Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP

Speaker Bios:

• Andrea Wortzel’s practice focuses on natural resource-related compliance, including addressing issues such as water quality, endangered species, National Environmental Policy Act reviews, environmental justice and water rights. She works closely with hydropower projects as they navigate through ESA consultation, NEPA analyses, and obtaining Clean Water Action Section 401 certifications. Additionally, she has worked with hydropower clients on environmental justice studies, and with strategies for developing ESG programs. She serves as General Counsel to the Northwest Hydroelectric Association.
• Dustin Till is assistant general counsel at PacifiCorp. He supports PacifiCorp’s renewables group on project compliance and development for hydro assets. He is also heavily involved in regulatory and legislative efforts to address the growing risk catastrophic wildfires pose to electric utilities in the west.
• Kim Ognisty is Chief Counsel at Pacific Gas and Electric Company. She is part of the Strategy and Policy group and support staff managing and operating PG&E's 21 hydroelectric projects. Prior to joining PG&E in 2021, she worked as outside counsel for clients around the country, including in the Pacific Northwest, advising on FERC-related hydroelectric matters.
• Shawn is a Partner at Troutman Pepper in San Francisco where she counsels a diverse range of clients on sophisticated environmental and natural resources compliance matters. She specializes in legal compliance and strategy under the Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Clean Water Act, National Historic Preservation Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and analogous state laws throughout California and the western states. She has decades of experience representing clients in permitting processes under sections 7 and 10 of the ESA, the MMPA, the California ESA, sections 404 and 401 of the CWA, and state water quality and riparian resource regulatory programs, and in consultations with State Historic Preservation Officers and Tribal governments. Her depth of experience and understanding of the issues and challenges associated with state and federal natural resources laws, regulations, and policies allows her to craft project-specific regulatory approaches that best achieve her clients’ business and operational goals.