Long-term Renewable Energy Contracts, Net-Metering, and Off-Shore Wind Initiatives in New England - April 30, 2010

About The Presenter

Mr. Michaud is an accomplished regulatory and transactional attorney in the firm's Energy and Environmental practice areas and has expanded the renewable energy practice within those areas. With fifteen years combined law firm and in-house counsel experience, Mr. Michaud has extensive knowledge in renewable energy project development, power plant development and permitting, energy efficiency, and electric utility law. He is formally the Managing and Lead Counsel for the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund where he represented the Fund before various state and federal regulatory and administrative law tribunals, including the Department of Public Utility Control, Siting Council, Department of Environmental Protection, NEPOOL Participants Committee, and the Freedom of Information Commission. Mr. Michaud also drafted and negotiated complex project finance agreements, power purchase agreements, and other legal instruments including engineering, procurement and construction contracts. He established project documentation and compliance requirements, including reporting requirements for the use of State Energy Program (SEP) funding allocated by the Federal Department of Energy (DOE) as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Before joining the Fund, Mr. Michaud was a Senior Attorney at Curtis, Goodwin, Sullivan, Udall & Schwab, P.L.C. in Phoenix, Arizona, where his practice there focused on renewable energy and power plant project siting and permitting. Accomplishments included securing state and federal permit approvals to construct a 620 MW gas-fired, combined-cycle power plant and an associated 26-mile transmission tie-line. Mr. Michaud was also lead attorney in securing the first renewable energy loan ($2.8 million) from the United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Utility Service to fund the construction of an electric cooperative utility-owned 200 kW solar photovoltaic generating facility. Mr. Michaud was also lead attorney representing a solar industry association, and was instrumental in persuading the public utility commission to adopt the state's first Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS).

Mr. Michaud is admitted to practice law in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Arizona, and the United States District Court, District of Arizona. He earned his J.D. from New England School of Law, M.B.A. from Southern New Hampshire University, and B.S. in Finance from Bentley University.