DIETZE AND DAVIS, P.C. LAWYERS CONTINUE A TRADITION OF LEADERSHIP IN COLORADO LAW

June is the time of year when the state and local bar associations announce their leadership for the 2017-18 year.  This year six Dietze and Davis, P.C. lawyers and a paralegal hold several leadership positions in the Colorado and Boulder County Bar Associations: 

  • Renee Ezer has accepted the gavel as incoming President of the Boulder County Bar Association.
  • Jennifer Lorenz will continue on the Boulder County Bar Association Board as the new Secretary/Treasurer.
  • Karl Kumli will chair the Natural Resource and Energy Law Section of the Colorado Bar Association. 
  • Kara Godbehere is the incoming Secretary/Treasurer of the CBA Water Law Section.
  • Star Waring will continue her service on the CBA Water Law Section Executive Council. 
  • Star and Karl also will continue their service on the statewide Colorado Bar Association Board of Governors. 
  • Gabriella Stockmayer will serve another term as co-chair of the Natural Resource and Environmental Law Section of the Boulder County Bar Association.
  • Julie Wolfe continues her service as co-chair of the Paralegal Section of the Boulder County Bar Association.

Renee’s tenure marks the fourth time a D&D attorney has served as Boulder Bar President.  Steve Closky (2006-07), Karl (2009-2010) and Star (2011-2012) have held those reins in the past.  Of course, the standard for service was set by Joel Davis, who was a founder of the Boulder County Bar Foundation, and Peter Dietze, who served three terms (1977-1996) as a statewide elected Regent of the University of Colorado, including two terms as Chair of the Regents of the University.

Signing of HB 17-1227!

Mark Detsky is proud to share this picture of Governor Hickenlooper's bill signing ceremony in May 2017 of HB 17-1227, the culmination of three years of work with Dietze and Davis, P.C.'s client, the Energy Efficiency Business Coalition. - www.eebco.org-   The bill extends Colorado's energy efficiency resource standard for 10 years and brings the base line measurement forward 12 years to drive this strong corner of Colorado's economy. 

 

HB17-1227 can be found at the following link::  https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb17-1227

Dietze and Davis, P.C. Volunteer Day!

Nothing stuffy about this group!

Nothing stuffy about this group!

The attorneys and staff of Dietze and Davis, P.C. volunteered their time at the Community Food Share facility in Louisville on Friday, April 28th.  The participants sorted donations, packaged cereal, and inspected and packaged eggs.  The entire group had a great time while helping many families in need of meal assistance.  The firm plans to continue to give back to the community by striving to make this a fun and gratifying event on a quarterly basis.

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

Symposium.jpg

A Visit From Chloe!

Chloe-final.jpg

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 sponsors, volunteers 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.