Gregory T. Simmons is a partner in the firm’s Energy, Renewables and Utilities department.
Greg’s practice focuses on the highly regulated field of energy and utilities, including regulation of energy in interstate commerce under jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and other administrative agencies, as well as retail distribution.
Greg has represented and advised natural gas local distribution companies (LDCs), electric distribution companies (EDCs), electric generators, and natural gas storage providers, among others.
Regularly appearing in FERC administrative proceedings and negotiated settlements, Greg has represented LDCs as they face increasing rates on interstate natural gas pipeline, expensive infrastructure modernization, increasingly constrained interstate natural gas transportation, and increasing regulatory pressures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Greg has handled a wide variety of proceedings including general base rate cases, limited Natural Gas Act Section 4 cases (e.g. fuel, imbalance, reservation charge crediting, and other tariff modifications), and market-based rate applications.
In addition to working with retail distributors and other end-users in their day-to-day gas transportation needs and problems, Greg has advised on long-term strategies, cutting-edge jurisdictional questions for renewable development, liquefied natural gas (LNG) transportation, and settlements under the Federal Power Act. Greg has also helped retail LDCs maintain and update their FERC regulated certificates necessary for transportation of gas in interstate commerce, and participate in interstate natural gas project certificate and rulemaking proceedings.
Greg seeks to ensure his clients achieve their goals and the greatest value provided under the laws and regulations. Greg has helped clients achieve their cost-containment and service reliability goals, energy purchase and sales transactions, safety regulatory requirements, and many other successes in this dynamic industry.
Greg’s legal career began as a law clerk for the Hon. Thomas F. Stansfield at the Circuit Court for Carroll County, Maryland. He next accepted a position as an Assistant People’s Counsel with the Maryland Office of People’s Counsel – a statutory consumer advocate for utility customers in Maryland – where his experience as an advocate in the energy sector began. With his only focus being the regulation of retail utility companies, Greg gained extensive experience with utility rate cases before the Maryland Public Service Commission. There, Greg also worked intimately with energy efficiency and smart grid/smart meter programs, and briefed and argued utility case appeals in state courts.
The energy industry continues to develop and modernize, and those who must navigate federal regulation of energy transportation are facing changing service profiles and challenges as the energy supply mix and national economies undergo constant change. In this environment, Greg’s experience and passion for the subject has been invaluable to his clients.
Areas of Concentration:
- Interstate pipeline rate review and settlements
- Interstate pipeline operational issues and settlements
- Interstate pipeline tariff review and dispute counseling
- Pipeline compliance with North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) standards (wholesale gas quadrant)
- Jurisdictional review
- State and federal regulatory approvals for merger and acquisition activity
- State rate review and settlements
- State-level regulation of LDC and EDC activities