Overview
Bruce L. Richardson focuses his practice on electric energy law. He advises independent power producers (IPPs), merchant transmission developers, electric power marketers, energy asset managers and private equity firms in the energy sector. While Bruce routinely appears before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on regulatory matters and in administrative litigation, he represents energy sector clients on a wide range of regulatory, electric reliability, transactional and project issues.
On regulatory matters, Bruce provides guidance on issues arising under the Federal Power Act, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, the Energy Policy Acts of 1992 and 2005, and the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005. The guidance includes independent power production, interconnection matters, affiliate utility issues, transmission access and pricing, ancillary services, cost-based rates, regional transmission organizations, organized power markets, market-based rates, reliability must-run service, power supply purchases and sales, retail wheeling and wholesale electric customer disputes.
Bruce also counsels clients on regulatory compliance matters, including the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) electric reliability standards and requirements. For transactions, he assists clients regarding electric power contracts, utility restructuring, and mergers and acquisitions.
He appears before FERC in complaint proceedings, reactive service proceedings, reliability must-run proceedings, transmission rate proceedings and regional transmission organization proceedings.
As a result of his in-house role with an IPP, Bruce’s experience extends to legal support for project development, as well as to issues related to the operation and management of generation projects.
Results
- Represented a project developer in a proceeding before FERC to prevent the transmission owner from terminating the interconnection agreement*
- Represented Calpine in its reactive service rate proceedings for its portfolio of generating units in PJM*
- Represented IPPs in the development of reliability must-run rate filings and in proceedings before FERC*
- Represented GenOn on transactional issues associated with the sale of the Choctaw Generating Station to Entergy Mississippi*
- Represented Exelon in its reactive service rate proceedings for its portfolio of generating units in PJM*
- Represented merchant transmission entities on FERC regulatory issues from initial approval of the open season process through implementation of open access transmission tariff and interconnection*
- Represented IPPs on NERC electric reliability compliance matters*
- Represented NRG in its reactive service rate proceedings for its portfolio of generating units in MISO*
- Represented NRG in its reactive service rate proceedings for its portfolio of generating units in PJM*
- Represented other IPPs in their respective reactive service rate proceedings for generating units in PJM and/or MISO*
- Represented IPP on implementing stand-alone electric reliability compliance program in connection with corporate restructuring*
*Matter handled prior to joining McDermott.
Recognitions
- The Best Lawyers in America, Energy Law, 2023-2025
- Chambers USA, Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation), 2020-2024
- Legal 500 US, Recommended, 2022-2024
Credentials
Education
George Washington University, JD, with honors, 1990
University of Chicago, BA, 1984
Admissions
District of Columbia
Maryland
Virginia
