December 31, 2009

Carbon Management and the Law

Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010, 11 am–5 pm
Auditorium, William Mitchell College of Law

From cap-and-trade to emissions regulation to new twists on common law, the law is reacting to carbon. Now, William Mitchell College of Law is proud to host a major symposium highlighting the rapidly emerging field of carbon management law. Come hear a range of local and national experts drawn from industry, government, and advocacy organizations explain and debate the current state of carbon management and what the future may hold.

This event is free. Application will be made for 1 CLE credit.

Register online.

Schedule

11 am–Noon	Session I: Overview of Carbon Management: Law and Politics John Larsen, senior associate, Climate and Energy Program, World Resources Institute Frank Prager, vice president, Environmental Policy, Xcel Energy
Noon–1 pm	Luncheon Address Dirk Forrister, managing director, Natsource
1–1:15 pm	Break
1:15–2:30 pm	Session II: The State of Carbon Management Law: Minnesota Perspectives J. David Thornton, assistant commissioner, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Kevin Johnson, member, Stoel Rives Lisa Crum, attorney, Lindquist & Vennum
2:30–2:45 pm	Break
2:45–4:30 pm	Session III: The Future of Carbon Management Law Stephen Brick, senior fellow on Energy and Climate, Chicago Council on Global Affairs J. Drake Hamilton, science policy director, Fresh Energy Andrew Long, assistant professor, Florida Coastal School of Law Elizabeth Burleson, assistant professor, University of South Dakota School of Law Jonathan Dettman, partner, Faegre & Benson LLP Megan J. Hertzler, Assistant General Counsel, Xcel Energy
4:30–5 pm	Reception

                        

Speakers

Stephen Brick, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Stephen Brick is a nonresident senior fellow on energy and climate at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Previously he served as the manager of the environment program at the Joyce Foundation, the associate director of research for the Energy Center of Wisconsin, and the director of environmental affairs for the PG&E National Energy Group.

Elizabeth Burleson, University of South Dakota School of Law
Elizabeth Burleson is an assistant professor at the University of South Dakota School of Law. She was a member of the UNICEF delegation to the Bali Climate Conference. She began participating in treaty negotiations at the United Nations in 1991 during proceedings for the U.N. Conference on the Environment and Development. She has written reports for the United Nations and delivered presentations at UN conferences. Burleson has been an advisor to UNICEF’s senior advisor for the environment and the New York director of the U.N. Environmental Program. She has written reports for the U.N. Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization and the U.N. Development Program and conducted legal research for Amnesty International’s London-based International Secretariat and New York-based research division. Her research addresses emerging international environmental and human rights Law. She has an LL.M. in international law from the London School of Economics and a J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

Jonathan W. Dettman, Faegre & Benson
Jonathan Dettman is a lead lawyer in Faegre & Benson’s climate change and sustainability practice, within the firm’s New Energy, Clean Technology, and Climate initiative. Dettman assists clients in navigating the complex and rapidly evolving legal regimes to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. He has advised clients on regional, federal, and international cap and trade systems, and he has drafted some of the initial contracts for offset projects involving rangeland, cropland, and methane capture in the upper Midwest. He coordinates a team of attorneys working on climate issues from several different practices and offices, and he is a frequent writer and speaker on climate change laws and regulations.

J. Drake Hamilton, Fresh Energy
Fresh Energy is a private nonprofit organization working to lead the transition to a clean, efficient energy system. J. Drake Hamilton directs Fresh Energy’s global warming solutions program. Her responsibilities include scientific analysis, policy development, and outreach on clean energy solutions that will maximize economic opportunities for the Midwest. Hamilton holds degrees in geography from Dartmouth College and the University of Minnesota. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, she was an assistant professor at George Washington University in Washington, DC. Hamilton gives more than 100 invited presentations every year.

Megan Hertzler, Xcel Energy
Megan J. Hertzler is an assistant general counsel with Xcel Energy. Hertzler advises Xcel Energy on various matters before federal and state regulatory commissions, including rate regulation. Prior to joining Xcel Energy, Hertzler was an assistant attorney general in the Minnesota Office of the Attorney General, and former counsel to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. 

Kevin D. Johnson, Stoel Rives
Kevin Johnson is an attorney with the Minnesota office of Stoel Rives. He focuses on the areas of environmental and renewable energy law and advises clients on such matters as: compliance with environmental regulations and project development, finance, and permitting. Stoel Rives has approximately 400 attorneys and offices in seven states. The firm focuses on environmental, natural resources, and energy law. Johnson received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota, a master’s from Hamline University, and a J.D. from William Mitchell in 1993.

Frank Prager, Xcel Energy     
Frank Prager is vice president of Environmental Policy with Xcel Energy. He is responsible for establishing the company’s position on a variety of environmental public policy issues, including air quality, renewable energy, innovative technology, and climate change. He leads an environmental policy team that is developing strategies to provide Xcel Energy with greater flexibility and certainty in its operations, promote the company’s environmental reputation, and provide the company with opportunities for growth arising from its unique environmental position. Previously, Prager was assistant general counsel with Xcel Energy and represented the company on environmental matters. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado, where he received degrees in chemical engineering and English. He earned his law degree from Stanford University. Prior to joining the utility industry, Prager was an associate at Holland & Hart in Denver and in-house environmental counsel at The Gates Corporation. 

John Larsen, World Resources Institute
John Larsen is a senior associate in the Climate and Energy Program at the World Resources Institute. He leads WRI’s analysis of federal policy and Congressional proposals with a focus on achieving strong environmental goals while managing costs to the U.S. economy. Previously, he was a member of WRI’s state climate policy team and led one of WRI’s regional business partnerships. Prior joining to WRI, Larsen worked on environmental issues with several non-profits and research centers including The Nature Conservancy, the Campaign for America’s Wilderness, the Global Development and Environment Institute, Clean Water Action, and in the Massachusetts State Legislature. He holds a bachelor of science in environmental science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a masters in urban and environmental policy and planning from Tufts University. 

Andrew Long, Florida Coastal School of Law
Andrew Long is an assistant professor of law at Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, Fla. His current research concentrates on the intersection of climate change, biodiversity, and forestry issues in international environmental law. Long has published numerous articles on international and U.S. domestic environmental law in journals such as the Carbon & Climate Law Review (a peer-reviewed international journal), the Columbia Journal of Environmental Law, and the New York University Environmental Law Journal. Previously Long taught at the University of Louisville, Brandeis School of Law. Before entering academia, he clerked with the New York State Court of Appeals and practiced law in Oregon. Long holds an LL.M. from New York University School of Law and a J.D. from Willamette University College of Law. 

J. David Thornton, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
David Thornton is one of three MPCA assistant commissioners. He is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of the agency’s air policies to improve and maintain air quality in Minnesota. Thornton joined the MPCA staff in 1980 as the acid rain coordinator. He managed air quality monitoring, data analysis, and air policy activities for many years. Most recently he has been involved with implementing federal regional haze regulations, policies to reduce mercury emissions, and efforts related to greenhouse gas emissions. Thornton is a graduate of Texas Christian University with a degree in chemistry and attended graduate school at the University of Minnesota where he studied atmospheric chemistry and environmental science.

Lisa A. Crum, Lindquist & Vennum
Lisa Crum is an attorney at Lindquist & Vennum. She focuses her regulatory practice on traditional and renewable energy, including large, community-based wind developments and other renewable energy projects. She advises clients on regulatory and permitting matters before the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) and other state regulatory agencies. Before joining Lindquist & Vennum, Crum served as an assistant attorney general in the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office for more than six years. Prior to that, she  worked for three years as a law clerk and an assistant attorney general in the Alaska Attorney General’s Office. She currently serves as an adjunct professor of law in the Writing and Representation Program at William Mitchell College of Law.