WASHINGTON, D.C., April 9, 2012 — Leading experts from the nation’s energy, telecommunications and transportation sectors will explore the impact of administrative rules and laws on regulated industries against the backdrop of election year politics and policy during the American Bar Association Section of Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Law  spring meeting on April 16 at Pepco Holdings in Washington, D.C.

Vickie Sutton, professor and director of the Center for Biodefense, Law and Public Policy at Texas Tech University School of Law, will present luncheon keynote remarks about the impact of energy policy on presidential politics and re-elections from 12:45 – 1:30 p.m.

Program topics include:

“The Impact of Regulation on Energy Generation in the US” — Executives from top electricity and clean energy companies will discuss the most recent changes and developments in the business of energy generation as it responds to environmental regulation.
8:45 – 10:15 a.m.

“Future of US/Canada Energy Supply Relationship” — Panelists — including Kristine Delkus, vice president, law, TransCanada PipeLines Limited, and R. Skip Horvath, president, Natural Gas Supply Association — will discuss the impact of the Keystone Pipeline project on the U.S.-Canada energy supply relationship.
10:30 a.m. – Noon

“Public/Private Partnerships and US Rail” — This session will explore the opportunities for public and private partnerships in rail transportation projects.  Speakers include: Louis P. Warchot, senior vice president–law and general counsel, Association of American Railroads; John V. Edwards, general director, passenger policy, Norfolk Southern Corporation; Tony Kinn, director of the Office of Transportation Public-Private Partnerships, Virginia Department of Transportation; and David Rankin, senior general attorney, BNSF Railway Company.
1:30 – 2:45 p.m.

“‘Connecting America’ (National Broadband Plan)” — Telecommunication industry experts will discuss the promotion of “Connecting America,” a plan that aims to improve access to broadband Internet services for millions of Americans.  Panelists will address concerns about the Federal Communications Commission’s statutory authority to regulate broadband Internet access services.  Panelists include: Rick Chessen, senior vice president of law and regulatory policy, National Cable & Telecommunications Association; Michael Altschul, senior vice president and general counsel, CTIA–The Wireless Association; Robert W. Quinn Jr., senior vice-president–federal regulatory and chief privacy officer, AT&T Services, Inc.
3 – 4:15 p.m.

The conference brochure provides a complete list of meeting programs and speakers.

There is no charge for media covering this event.  For media credentials and more information please contact Maria Gutierrez at 202-662-1091, Maria.Gutierrez@Americanbar.org.

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.  As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

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