GW Law alumna Commissioner Allison Clements, of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), spoke to energy law students on January 28, 2022, through a nationwide webinar hosted by GW Law. Students from 35 schools across the U.S. registered for the event.
Commissioner Clements was sworn in on December 8, 2020 for a term expiring June 30, 2024. Prior to her appointment, she spent two years as director of the energy markets program at Energy Foundation. Earlier, she founded Goodgrid, LLC, an energy policy and strategy consulting firm. She also spent a decade at Natural Resources Defense Council in New York, NY, as the organization’s corporate counsel and then as director of the Sustainable FERC Project. Before that, she spent several years in private legal practice.
After being introduced by GW Law student Erin Wever, Commissioner Clements spoke to the students about her career, including her time at GW Law, the challenges the industry is facing, and the need for young lawyers in this field. She also spoke about the critical work needed to assure we have a strong "backbone" of energy infrastructure, such as the transmission network, and noted that this is an industry poised for "disruption." She pointed to the recent DOE Clean Energy Corps announcement that will create 1,000 new jobs in energy as indicative of the opportunities for students considering a career in energy law. Commissioner Clements' legal counsel, Vivian Chum, and technical advisor, Byron Corum also shared their career experiences.
Student Monishaa Suresh, 3L handled the very active question queue. The audience’s questions probed substantive matters such Commissioner Clements' views on FERC's role in curbing greenhouse gasses and protecting communities from environmental injustices; advice on preparing for future careers in energy law, and job opportunities at FERC; and the very important issue of which of the FERC Commissioners was winning the competition for choosing the most popular playlist of hold music. On the latter, Commissioner Clements expressed great frustration that her playlist was scheduled for a week when, as rarely happens, the FERC meeting began on time.
The event was co-sponsored by GW Law's Environmental and Energy Law Association, Journal of Energy & Environmental Law, and GW Law’s Energy Program.