Immersed in energy law since the beginning of his legal career, Matt focuses primarily on the regulation of energy companies. Specifically, he represents regional transmission organizations (RTOs), RTO members and electric public utilities in regulatory proceedings before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and federal courts. Advising and representing RTO clients in a myriad of FERC rulemaking proceedings, energy market design and implementation, transmission planning and open access transmission tariff development and administration, Matt also represents RTO members and other transmission-owning public utilities in litigated rate proceedings, applications for FERC ratemaking incentives, regulatory compliance and regional cost allocation proceedings. Matt counsels clients on self-reporting of regulatory violations and compliance with regulatory requirements, and represents clients facing regulatory audits and enforcement proceedings. He also represents clients in electric and natural gas pipeline rate cases, rulemakings, litigation, licensing proceedings, regulatory review of transactions and other matters before federal and state agencies, including the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Department of Energy and federal and state courts.
Outside of the energy industry, Matt has represented the interests of various trade associations in legislative matters before state legislatures and the United States Congress. Prior to joining Wright & Talisman, he was an associate in the energy and environmental practice at another Washington, D.C. law firm.
Experience
Lead counsel advising and representing an RTO in all aspects of design, development, regulatory approvals, implementation, ongoing review, and further refinement of “Day 2” day-ahead and real-time energy, reserves, and congestion rights markets.
Lead counsel representing a public utility client in a regulatory audit of its operations and accounting.
Counseling and representing a group of RTO members through a successful prosecution before FERC, federal appellate courts and the U.S. Supreme Court of a major redesign of regional transmission cost allocation.
Advising and representing various RTO and RTO member clients on developing and implementing compliance with a major FERC rulemaking related to regional and interregional transmission planning and cost allocation, including representation in various appeals of the FERC rulemaking and subsequent FERC orders on compliance.
Representing a group of public utility RTO members in a successful effort to secure incentive return on equity adders for RTO participation.
Advising and representing an RTO in proceedings to reform regional transmission planning processes and cost allocation methodologies.
Successfully defending an RTO against complaints challenging its regional cost allocation methods.
Counseling and successfully prosecuting before FERC several public utility applications for FERC approval of transmission rate incentives and forward-looking transmission formula rates.
Counseling and representing RTO and RTO-member clients on compliance with various FERC rulemakings related to energy market reforms, market monitoring, demand response accommodation and compensation, credit policy reforms, frequency regulation compensation and transmission planning and open access.
Defending a group of public utility clients in litigated proceedings challenging their transmission rates.
Advising a client on exemption from Commodity Futures Trading Commission regulation under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
Representing an RTO and other public utilities in obtaining energy export authorizations from the Department of Energy.
Defending an RTO against numerous complaints challenging its revenue crediting processes and implementation.
Admissions
Maryland
District of Columbia
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
Supreme Court of the United States
Education
University of North Carolina School of Law, J.D., with honors (2003) (Comments Editor, North Carolina Law Review)
The American University, B.A., magna cum laude (1996)
Professional Activities
Energy Bar Association
Honors
Lawdragon, 500 Leading U.S. Energy Lawyers: Energy Regulation (2023-2024)
Results
- Facilitating the Energy Transition through Robust Transmission Expansion
- Defending Return on Equity for Transmission Investment
- Defending the Right to Earn a Return on Investment
- MISO’s Multi-Value Projects (MVP) Cost Allocation Enables Reliable and Economic Delivery of Energy
- FERC Approves Western Power Pool's First of Its Kind Regional Resource Adequacy Program
Spotlight
- FERC Adopts a Wide Package of Interconnection Reforms with Order No. 2023
- Wright & Talisman Attorneys Recognized in Lawdragon's Inaugural Edition of 500 Leading U.S. Energy Lawyers
- Wright & Talisman, P.C. Ranked in 2024 "Best Law Firms"
- FERC Responds to Extreme Weather Threats to Reliability by Mandating New Reliability Standard and Transmission Provider Reports
- D.C. Circuit Opinion Further Clouds FERC's Rehearing Authority
- FERC Engages on Environmental Justice and Equity in Permitting
- FERC Approves Western Power Pool's First of Its Kind Regional Resource Adequacy Program
- FERC Issues Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Targeting Interconnection Queue Backlogs
- FERC Issues Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Revise Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation Policies
- FERC Orders Transmission Providers to Implement Ambient-Adjusted Transmission Line Ratings
- FERC Limits the Retail Regulator "Opt-Out" from Demand Response Participation in Wholesale Markets and Considers Further Limitations
- FERC Proposes Rule on Ambient-Adjusted and Seasonal Transmission Line Ratings to Improve Accuracy and Transparency
- D.C. Circuit Upends FERC Tolling Order Practice
- FERC Modifies Approach to Return on Equity for Utilities and Pipelines
- Court Upholds Transmission Owners' Right of First Refusal Under Minnesota Statute
- FERC Proposes Changes to Electric Transmission Incentives Policy
- FERC's Opinion No. 569 Again Modifies Methodology for Setting Transmission Owners' Base Rate of Return on Equity
- FERC Reforms Generator Interconnection Rules
- FERC Seeks Comments on Return on Equity Policy for Regulated Utilities
- FERC Applies New ROE Framework to Additional Complaint Cases; Signals a Generic Proceeding to Examine ROE and Incentives
- FERC Seeks Comments on Transmission Rate Incentives Policy
- FERC Orders Help to Clarify Order 1000
- United States Court of Appeals Throws Out FERC's Order 745 and Finds That the FERC Has No Jurisdiction Over Demand Response in the Wholesale Energy Markets it Regulates
- FERC Grants Rehearing to Allow Consideration of State and Local Laws in MISO’s Order No. 1000 Transmission Planning Process
- Supreme Court Rejects Challenges to Lower Court Decision Upholding MISO “MVP” Regional Cost Allocation
- DOE Issues Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Aimed at High-Voltage Electric Transmission Line Expansion
- Wright & Talisman Attorneys Recognized in Lawdragon’s 2nd Edition of 500 Leading Energy Lawyers
- FERC Issues Two Historic Rulemakings to Revise Transmission Planning, Cost Allocation, and Siting Policies
- Supreme Court Overturns Chevron “Deference”
- FERC Provides Long-Awaited Guidance on Electric Transmission Return on Equity
- FERC Accepts Outside-the-Box Approach to Generator Interconnections for Bordering Regional Transmission Organizations
