Pole attachments continue to be a significant legal, regulatory, and operational issue for public power utilities as demand for broadband deployment, fiber expansion, wireless infrastructure, and grid modernization accelerates. This session will examine current developments in pole attachment law and policy, including attachment agreements, rate methodologies, make-ready requirements, pole replacement costs, access disputes, safety and reliability concerns, and evolving federal and state regulatory initiatives.

Fuel up for another day with a powerful boost of caffeine and meaningful connections at this informal continental breakfast and seize the opportunity to ignite valuable conversations with sponsors and your fellow attendees.

Ignite empowering connections as you join a vibrant gathering of women in public power, fostering engaging conversations that unravel shared challenges, embrace exciting opportunities, and propel our industry forward.

Today's public power leaders face a range of evolving employment law challenges that extend far beyond traditional HR issues. This session will explore key legal considerations related to executive performance evaluations, managing and documenting employee performance issues, the growing use of artificial intelligence in the workplace, and navigating employee use of emerging technologies. Attendees will gain practical guidance, real-world examples, and strategies for reducing legal risk while fostering accountability, transparency, and effective workplace management.

Unwind with friends at a relaxed reception. Connect with fellow attendees, share conversations, and create lasting memories.

This session will examine key cybersecurity issues affecting public power utilities, including evolving federal requirements, reliability standards, incident response, vendor and supply chain risks, and strategies for protecting critical infrastructure while maintaining reliable service to communities.

Natural gas remains a critical component of the electric generation portfolio for many public power utilities, but the regulatory, legal, and market landscape continues to evolve. This session will explore emerging issues affecting natural gas supply, transportation, contracting, infrastructure development, environmental compliance, and reliability. Panelists will discuss the implications of federal and state policy changes, pipeline constraints, fuel security concerns, market volatility, and increasing electrification trends.

Public power utilities operate in an increasingly complex environmental landscape shaped by evolving regulations, emerging technologies, reliability concerns, and community expectations. This session will examine the issues that can arise over common forms of litigation challenging new and ongoing projects that may have environmental impacts. In particular, this session will focus on the “citizen suit” provisions providing causes of action against private actors under the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and other federal statutes. This session will discuss the issues that can arise in legal challenges to regulatory approvals of projects under the Administrative Procedure Act, as well as factors lawyers should consider when confronted with these challenges.

New to the Legal & Regulatory Conference? Meet with other first-time conference attendees and forge lasting connections that will fuel your success throughout the event.