Public Utilities
Our Practice - What We Do
To say that public utilities play a significant role in their respective communities is an understatement. Public utility companies are keenly aware of their contributions and responsibility to the areas they serve, and retaining competent, professional legal counsel affords them the security that assists them in continuing doing business uninterrupted. Snell & Wilmer has skillfully represented public utility clients and their customers for more than 50 years.
Snell & Wilmer’s attorneys currently advise clients (both utilities and their customers) in connection with a variety of matters:
- Determination of utility rates
- Litigation of service disputes, antitrust issues and appeals of agency decisions
- Transactions (including debt and stock offerings, sales of utility property, utility service agreements, acquisitions and divestitures, etc.)
- Proceedings for certification of new utilities and expansion of existing certificates
- Power plant and transmission line siting
- Electric and telephone restructuring/deregulation issues
- Legislative drafting and rulemaking.
We also assist clients in compliance with the statutes and regulations applicable to public service corporations. Much of our "compliance" work for utility clients involves identification and resolution of problem areas before they rise to the level of complaint proceedings or adversarial hearings. Additionally, our utility lawyers become involved in legislative services for utility clients where these companies are affected by proposed legislation at the state and federal level.
Our Attorneys - Who We Are
Our Public Utilities lawyers are well-versed in issues affecting all our utilities clients, whether they provide electricity, gas, water and wastewater, or communications services, both wireline and wireless. With more than a half century of experience in this area, Snell & Wilmer brings a wealth of knowledge that enhances our representation at every level.
Our Clients - Who We Represent
Along with representing Arizona’s largest electric utility, Snell & Wilmer serves as legal counsel to other electric and natural gas utility companies, telephone companies, cellular telephone companies and water/wastewater utility companies.The following companies represent a cross-section of the Public Utilities client base:
Arizona Public Service Company
Pinnacle West Energy Corporation
Reliant Energy
Nevada Power Company
One Point Communications
GTE Corporation
Bell Atlantic/NYNEX Mobile
Western Wireless
Citizens Utilities Company
Telephone & Data Systems, Inc.
Our Experience - What We've Done
From siting and permitting of high voltage power lines and major new power plants to deregulation of various utility industries, our Public Utilities attorneys have provided reliable counsel in significant utilities cases throughout Arizona and the southwestern U.S.The following is a partial list of matters handled by the Public Utilities team:
- Representation of Arizona Public Service Company in legislative, regulatory and judicial proceedings to restructure and “deregulate” portions of the electric utility industry in Arizona.
- Representation of public utilities in over 20 major rate cases in the last 10 years before public utility commissions in Arizona, Nevada, Texas and California.
- Representation of incumbent and competitive local exchange carriers, as well as wireless providers, in the deregulation of Arizona’s telecommunications industry and related regulatory proceedings.
- Representation of the owners and manager of the nation's largest nuclear power plant, the $10 billion Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, including an intensive audit directed by the Arizona Corporation Commission to investigate the prudence of the planning, construction and operation of the plant.
- Representation of merchant plant owners in the development and permitting of almost $2 billion in new generating capacity.
- Negotiation of multi-state energy service agreements for customers.
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