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| Thomas Blackburn, Partner |
Tom, a BGM partner, joined the firm in 1987. He has extensive experience representing investor-owned utilities, electric cooperatives and their energy affiliates in matters before FERC. In recent years, his practice has emphasized open-access transmission service, including transmission rates and incentive transmission rates, and FERC compliance issues. He regularly provides advice on compliance with the FERC Standards of Conduct, affiliate restrictions, anti-market manipulation requirements, market behavior rules, and NERC Reliability Standards, and conducts training and audits regarding compliance with FERC requirements. He also represents clients with respect to utility operations under regional transmission organizations, competition issues, and the negotiation and drafting of power purchase and sales contracts.
Prior to joining BGM, Tom worked as a trial attorney in FERC’s Office of Enforcement from 1979-1983, where he was responsible for major investigations of electric utilities. From 1983-1987, he served in FERC’s Office of Hydroelectric and Electric Litigation, first as a trial attorney and then as a supervisory attorney. He was responsible for a wide variety of electric utility litigation issues, including rate filings, the reasonableness of fuel contracting practices, inter-utility cost allocations and federal utility rates.
Tom also worked as an associate with a Washington D.C. firm specializing in administrative law, where he represented educational institutions and charitable organizations and was responsible for some energy-related matters.
Tom graduated, magna cum laude, from Duquesne University in 1970 and from Georgetown University Law School in 1975. He has held a number of positions within the Energy Bar Association, including serving on the board of directors (1999-2001), as the co-chair of the Alternate Dispute Resolution Committee (1998-1999) and as the chair (1997-1998) and vice chair (1996-1997) of the Committee on Electric Utility Regulation. He also served on the board of directors of the Foundation of the Energy Bar Journal (1999-2000) and is a member of the Edison Electric Institute’s Legal Committee, the Electric Cooperative Bar Association and the American Bar Association. He is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Bar Admissions • District of Columbia • Admitted to practice in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Education • Georgetown University Law Center, J.D. (1975) • Duquesne University, B.A. (1970), magna cum laude
Professional Associations and Memberships • American Bar Association • Edison Electric Institute Legal Committee - Vice Chair, Subcommittee on Energy Delivery and Retail Marketing, 2003-2010 • Electric Cooperative Bar Association • Energy Bar Association - Board of Directors, 1998-2001 - Co-Chair, Alternate Dispute Resolution Committee, 2000 - Vice-Chair and Chair, Committee on Electric Utility Regulation, 1997-1998 • Foundation of the Federal Energy Bar Journal - Board of Directors, 1999-2000
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