Cliff Sikora is a Partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Troutman Sanders and is the leader of the law firm's Energy & Industry Regulation Section.
Representative Experience
Renewable Energy/ Renewable Energy Transmission
Acted as counsel to Green Power Express Project, a $12 billion proposed transmission line expected to bring wind power resources from the Dakotas to Midwestern and Eastern markets.
Acted as counsel to wind developers seeking market-based transmission service from proposed DC transmission facility in the Western US.
Acted as counsel to Midwestern utility regarding its purchase of wind power under several contracts.
Acted as counsel to developer establishing a "renewable energy park" in California.
Acted as counsel to small developer regarding its purchase and operation of small hydro and biomass facilities.
Litigated before FERC the question of whether a requirements supplier must allocate a percentage of its purchased renewable energy (and costs) to certain wholesale customers.
Advised client regarding the potential retrofit of dam and lock with hydropower facilities. Represent Green Power Express, a subsidiary of ITC Holdings, regarding the development of a $12 billion AC network to interconnect wind generation in North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa.
Represent large independent wind company regarding development and interconnection of project in Montana.
Represent traditional utility regarding its investment in solar facilities.
Represent Ampersand Energy Partners LLC regarding purchase of small hydro facilities, and development/ operation of biomass/ solar facilities.
Represent numerous utility buyers under wind and solar power purchase agreements (PPAs).
Transmission Construction/ EPC
Counsel to Jyoti Structures Ltd., an international transmission tower/ substation manufacturer and EPC contractor.
Counsel to Air2 (national, helicopter-assisted transmission line contractor).
FERC
Provide day-to-day FERC counsel for traditional utilities, IPPs, marketers, transmission companies, banks and others. Successfully handled numerous FERC matters in all substantive areas on the electric side including: traditional cost-based rate filings and litigation (generation and transmission); market based rates; asset and stock acquisitions; mergers; standards of conduct; affiliate rules; PURPA/ QF matters; RTO membership issues, regional market rule counseling and litigation, etc.).
Public FERC filings made on behalf of (non-exclusive list): Ameren, Bangor Hydro Electric, Detroit Edison, Dominion Resources, E.ON U.S., Illinois Power, Indianapolis Power & Light, ITC Holdings, Pacificorp and Tucson Electric.
FERC Enforcement
Successfully defended a number of electric utilities (located in the Eastern Interconnection and Western Interconnection) regarding confidential FERC enforcement matters.
Electric Reliability
Represent traditional utilities regarding NERC and regional reliability counsel compliance issues (self-assessments, self-reports, audits, counseling, etc.).
Represented large Midwestern utility holding company regarding legal, regulatory and political issues associated with August 14, 2003 Eastern Interconnection blackout.
Hydropower
Provide day-to-day FERC counseling regarding all aspects of licensing and compliance under FPA Part I.
Represent traditional utilities regarding development of new hydropower resources at existing dams.
Representative Corporate Transactions
Represent buyer regarding purchase of transmission/ distribution company (Ameren/ Illinois Power).
Represent lead underwriter regarding IPO of independent transmission company.
Regulatory and corporate counsel to DTE Energy Company regarding the sale of International Transmission Company to Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts ("KKR").
Counsel to DTE Energy Company regarding the establishment of a corporate subsidiary transmission company (International Transmission Company).
FERC and PUHCA counsel in connection with a $7.5 billion merger of an electric utility holding company and a domestic independent power producer/ gas marketer (Illinova/ Dynegy).
Regulatory counsel in connection with the merger of a national energy marketer with a large, multinational, independent generation company (New Energy Ventures/ AES).
Represent seller regarding acquisition of cogeneration company (CogenAmerica/ Calpine).
Regulatory and transactional counsel in connection with the corporate unbundling of an electric utility holding company's fossil-fired generation assets and the creation of an unregulated, wholly-owned, generation-only subsidiary (Illinova/ WESCO).
Publications
Moderator, "Discussion of FERC's Order No. 1000: Reforming Transmission Planning & Cost Allocation Requirements" webinar, August 2, 2011.
Clifford S. Sikora, "Engineering Exotic Blends in Utility Mergers," Mergers & Acquisitions (Sept. 1997).
Donald F. Santa, Jr. & Clifford S. Sikora, "Open Access and Transition Costs: Will the Electric Industry Transition Track the Natural Gas Industry Restructuring?", 15 Energy L.J. No. 2, 273 (1994).
Donald F. Santa, Jr. & Clifford S. Sikora, "New Directions at FERC," in Reinventing Electric Utility Regulation 363 (Public Utility Reports Inc., 1995).
Clifford S. Sikora, "The Changing Electricity Supply Market: New Challenges, Opportunities for Hydro," Hydro-Review, Vol. XV, No. 1 (Feb. 1996).
Clifford S. Sikora, "FERC's New Approach to Economic Analysis: Putting It In Perspective," Hydro-Review, Vol. XIV, No. 7 (Dec. 1995).
Other Distinctions
Recognized as one of America's Leading Lawyers for Energy & Electricity by Chambers USA (2005-2006, 2008-2011)
Selected for inclusion in the May/June 2010 Law & Politics' Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition.
Honored as a 2009 Groundbreaking Lawyer in Public Utilities Fortnightly magazine in the area of Transmission Project Development
Selected for Washington, DC Super Lawyers in Energy and Natural Resources (2009-2010).
Recognized by his clients for The BTI Client Service All-Star Team for Law Firms (2005).
Work Experience
Practice Group Leader, Energy
Partner, Troutman Sanders, October 1999-present
Of Counsel, Troutman Sanders, October 1996-1999
Counsel, United States Senate, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, June 1995-September 1996
Legal Advisor, Commissioner Donald F. Santa, Jr., Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, May 1993-June 1995
Supervisory Attorney, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of the General
Counsel, Department of Electric Rates and Corporate Regulation, January 1991-May 1993
Advisory Attorney, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of the General Counsel, Department of Electric Rates and Corporate Regulation August 1989-January 1991