Mark Detsky Participated on the Panel at the 2017 Clyde Martz Spring Symposium

Mark Detsky joined a great list of speakers at the 2017 Clyde Martz Spring Symposium at the Getches - Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment on April 11th.   Mark was on a panel with Matt Futch, Jeff Lyng, and Professor Sharon Jacobs discussing Challenges/Opportunities in our Energy and Electric Systems.

http://www.colorado.edu/law/research/gwc/events

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A Visit From Chloe!

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In a real Christmas treat, Dietze and Davis had a visit from Julie Wolfe's niece, Chloe Cook.  Chloe has spent nearly all of her 17 months of life at Children's Hospital, having been discharged just two weeks ago.  You can see that Chloe and her proud Aunt Julie are close as can be.  To Chloe, to Chloe's moms, Beth and Jackie, and all, we say, Bless Us, Every One.

Kara Godbehere Participates in Panel Discussion

On November 17, 2016, Dietze and Davis, P.C. attorney Kara Godbehere moderated and participated in a panel discussion with Division 5 and 6 Water Court Judges James Boyd and Michael O’Hara III and Division 6 Referee Daniel Birch.  The panel discussed recent Colorado water law issues, legislation, and case law as well as a “view from the bench” on evidence, expert witnesses, and ethics.  This CLE was sponsored by the National Business Institute.  

Dietze and Davis, P.C. Congratulates Its Client, Energy Outreach Colorado, on a Victory for Black Hills Electric Customers

Dietze and Davis, P.C., on behalf of its client Energy Outreach Colorado (EOC), advocated zealously in the recent Phase I rate case of Black Hills/Colorado Electric Utility Company, LP for reductions to the overall proposed rate increase, and for the Colorado PUC’s rejection of the improper use of fixed charges to implement the rate increase.  The Commission adopted many of EOC’s recommendations, including disallowing collection from ratepayers of any equity compensation to high-level executives, and minimizing the disproportionate impacts on low-income customers of increasing the fixed monthly component of customers’ bills.  Congratulations to EOC!

Karl Kumli Gives Speech at Switch~9 Conference

Lawyers tend to be fond of words and Karl Kumli is . . . no exception.  So imagine the challenge for him to talk about the Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act of 1978 (a law which gave a jump-start to renewable energy projects nationwide) in only 6 minutes.  But he did exactly that, distilling almost 40 years of legal history (Karl first started working with PURPA in 1980 when he was a law clerk in Washington, D.C.)  into 300 seconds.  A full house of 200 energy professionals attended the program at Boulder’s unique E-Town Hall on October 27.  Old friend and colleague Bill LeBlanc was the emcee for the program. 

The forum for Karl’s whirlwind presentation was the Switch~9, a biannual conference put on by the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Association of Energy Service Professionals.  The PechaKucha (Japanese for “chit-chat”) format requires presenters to complete their entire presentation using 20 slides which auto-advance every 15 seconds.  Karl got it done.  (However, after this experience, he advises that his next career move may be as a play-by-play announcer for the NHL!)

Karl Kumli Named Chair of Colorado State Historical Fund Advisory Committee

Karl Kumli has been asked to chair the Colorado State Historical Fund Advisory Committee (SHFAC).  That Committee conducts an in-depth review of grant applications which are made to History Colorado (the Colorado State Historical Society) for investigation and preservation of history and archaeology in Colorado.  Last year the SHFAC reviewed scores of grant applications and forwarded to the History Colorado board recommendations for funding $7.9 million in grants for archaeology and historic preservation in Colorado.   Karl has served on the SHFAC for the past two years.  This work compliments Karl’s past service on the Board of Trustees for Crow Canyon Archaeological Center and his current work on the boards of Colorado Preservation, Inc. and Hilos Culturales, an Indo-Hispanic Cultural Preservation nonprofit.

Dietze and Davis attorneys part of historic solar rate case compromise featured in Utility Dive

Dietze and Davis attorneys Mark Detsky and Gabriella Stockmayer are pleased to report that our client, Energy Outreach Colorado, has signed onto the “3 case settlement” involving applications by Public Service Company of Colorado for a revised rate design, a 50 MW utility-sponsored solar project, and the 2017-2019 Renewable Energy Plan.   Key points of emphasis for EOC, a statewide organization providing low income ratepayer assistance and demand side management products to low income customers, are a lowering of customer fixed charges and the first 100% low-income centered Community Solar Garden Project, with which EOC will partner with PSCO.

The settlement was recently featured in Utility Dive: http://www.utilitydive.com/news/rocky-mountain-compromise-inside-xcels-landmark-colorado-solar-settlement/424843/

Dietze and Davis is a sponsor of the Buffalo Bicycle Classic Scholarship Ride on September 11th

The Buffalo Bicycle Classic dates back to 2003, having raised over 3 million dollars in support of student scholarships at CU Boulder. The students served by the BBC are some of Colorado’s brightest; each entering CU with over a 4.0 high school GPA. Our student scholars also demonstrate strong financial need, which makes this scholarship particularly important. Our $10,000 scholarship to these promising students makes higher education attainable. Through the generous support of our sponsorsvolunteers and riders, we are able to make a difference in the lives of over 400 students in the last fourteen years.

http://www.buffalobicycleclassic.com/bbc/

Mark Detsky and Gabriella Stockmayer Law Review Article on the Law of Electric Vehicle Utility Regulation Now Published:

The article, entitled ELECTRIC VEHICLES: ROLLING OVER BARRIERS AND MERGING WITH REGULATION was published in the Winter 2016 edition of the William & Mary Law School Environmental Law and Policy Review.  The William & Mary Law Journal is rated as the number one energy law publication in the United States.  Mr. Detsky and Ms. Stockmayer’s article describes in depth the state of electric vehicle law and policy as it applies to public utility regulation.   Their article discusses best practices and sets forth a road map for state regulators to address market barriers and critical threshold questions that will allow electric vehicles the opportunity to provide environmental and economic benefits for rate payers and utilities.  Read the article here.

Karl Kumli Presents at the Saving Places Conference

Karl presented a talk about historic preservation law on February 5, 2016.   The 90 minute talk to a good-sized and appreciative audience at the Colorado Convention Center was entitled, “Preservation Law 101 – A Survey of the Law of Historic Preservation in the United States with Emphasis on Colorado.”  The talk was part of the “Saving Places” Conference sponsored by Colorado Preservation, Inc. where Karl is a board member.

Mark Detsky Speaks on Panel Presentation at Colorado's Law Future Grid Conference

On January 14, 2016 Mark Detsky was a featured panelist discussing the implications of distributed resources on the evolution of the transmission and distribution grids.   The panel was led by Professor Sharon Jacobs, and was one of three panels that included discussions of grid modernization and data privacy, as well as keynote by FERC Commissioner Tony Clark.   Mark is an advisory board member of the Energy Innovation Center – a partnership between CU law’s Silicon Flatirons Center and the Getches Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources.

Joel Maguire Obtains Reversal of $441,724.64 Judgment

Joel Maguire appealed a $441,724.64 judgment entered against his client for failure to pay a $300,000 promissory note.   The note had been signed by the client in part to settle personal injury claims against his wife arising from a physical altercation with the noteholder.   That altercation had resulted in the filing of criminal charges against the wife.  Part of the consideration for the note was the noteholder’s letter to the district attorney, asking that the wife receive a deferred sentence.   On September 24, 2015, the Colorado Court of Appeals reversed the judgment.  It held that an agreement in which money or other valuable consideration is paid in exchange for a crime victim’s efforts to obtain leniency in connection with a criminal charge is void as against Colorado public policy.   The Court ordered that the action be dismissed.