Practice areas
Education
University of Minnesota Law School, J.D., 2007
Middlebury College, B.A., 2000
Bar & Court Admissions
- Minnesota
- North Dakota
- Colorado Bar Admission Pending
- U.S. District Court District of Minnesota
- Minneapolis, Denver
- p: MN 612.977.8865 | CO 720.778.5463
- f: 612.977.8650
- zsimpser@briggs.com
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Zev Simpser is a member of the Energy section. He practices principally in the areas of:
- Energy law
- Regulatory compliance
- Regulatory proceedings and disputes
- Regulated transactions, and
- Risk management
Zev has a diversified energy law practice which includes counseling clients in compliance matters, electricity sale and purchase transactions, asset transfers, complex jurisdictional interconnections and sales, and representing clients in regulatory proceedings.
Prior to law school, Zev served as an aide to U.S. Senator Bob Graham, where he advised the Senator on matters related to energy, the environment and agriculture.
While in law school, Zev was a staff member of the Minnesota Journal of Law and Inequality.
Honors & Awards
- BTI Client Service All Star, 2014
Experience
Transactions
- Assisted Midwestern utility in federal jurisdictional wheeling and distribution interconnection agreements for mid-size hydro facility (FERC Docket No. ER08-719; MPUC Docket No. 08-351).
- Assisted Midwestern utilities in various transmission asset sales and purchases including the acquisition of 500-mile DC transmission line and sale of 30-mile transmission line.
- Represented Midwestern utility in the transitioning of wholesale customers to interconnection customers, including asset transfers and associated new interconnections, as well as regulatory proceedings establishing FERC jurisdictional pro-forma transmission-to-load interconnection agreements and state regulatory approvals. Totaling over 70 different transactions in one year.
- Represented Midwestern utility in complex PURPA related transactions to transition interconnection and rate treatment from state to federal jurisdiction.
- Represented Midwestern utility in negotiating various tariffed power purchase agreements and advised on development of master tariff form.
- Represented utilities and developers in numerous federal jurisdictional interconnection agreements and related disputes.
- Represented Midwestern utilities for numerous electric service agreements.
- Assisted Midwestern utility in management of statutorily mandated renewable energy program culminating in more than 30 transactions.
- Advised Midwestern utility on various PURPA related strategic matters.
- Represented Midwestern utility in various real estate transactions.
State Regulatory
- Joint representation of two Midwestern utilities for advance determination of prudence for four large transmission projects (NDPSC Case Nos. PU-09-676, PU-09-678).
- Represented Midwestern utility in advance determination of prudence for over 1500 MW of generation resources (NDPSC Case Nos. PU-12-59, PU-13-706, PU-13-707, PU-13-708, PU-13-742, PU-13-194)
- Represented Midwestern utility in various rate cases and settlement implementation before the NDPSC (NDPSC Case Nos. PU-10-657, PU-11-55, PU-12-813).
- Represented Midwestern utility in the permitting of a 345 kV transmission line (NDPSC Case No. PU-07-759)
- Advised Midwestern utility in various matters before the MN PUC.
- Advised Midwestern utility on various regulatory matters, including tariff compliance.
- Advised Midwestern utility on various affiliated interest matters.
Federal Regulatory
- Represented developers’ interests in various FERC proceedings (See e.g., FERC Docket Nos. ER10-1791, ER11-28, EL11-30).
- Represented Midwestern utility in significant FPA Section 206 matters relating to rights to develop and own transmission facilities under the MISO Tariff (FERC Docket Nos. EL12-28, EL13-9, EL13-49).
- Represented Midwestern utility in various FPA Section 205 matters(See e.g. FERC Docket Nos. ER09-1421, ER09-1428, ER12-2273, ER12-1679, ER13-629, ER13-633, ER13-645).
- Represented Midwestern utility in defense of FPA Section 206 compliant related to presumed discriminatory treatment (Docket No. EL11-53).
Professional Affiliations
Energy Bar Association, Member
Minnesota State Bar Association, Member, Environmental, Natural Resources and Energy Law Section
North Dakota Bar Association, Member
News
- September 15, 2014
- November 7, 2007
Events
- "Implications of MISO Order No. 1000 Compliance on State Permitting," MSBA Section on Natural Resources, Energy and the EnvironmentApril 16, 2013