Applying her administrative agency experience, Maria C. Faconti provides regulatory guidance to energy and renewable development clients, be it on litigation or transactional matters. Maria’s primary practice focuses on administrative regulatory issues on behalf of clients before the Public Utility Commission of Texas and on transactional work for renewable energy development clients.
She also represents clients in Texas Public Information Act requests, defending a client’s right to maintain confidentiality when an outside entity seeks information on file with a public body. Additionally, she supports litigation efforts in rate proceedings on behalf of clients. As a transactional attorney, Maria guides clients through the regulatory process for renewable development.
She works to obtain regulatory permits, power purchase agreements, and shared utility agreements within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), Southwest Power Pool (SPP) and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). She also provides research and analysis for clients on regulatory frameworks within Texas and in electric regional markets nationwide.
As an administrative litigator, Maria advocates for clients in all aspects of the competitive electric market in Texas, including contested rate cases, retail electric provider applications and Public Utility Regulatory Act (PURA) §39.158 applications. She also is heavily involved in administrative rulemaking for clients.
Prior to her time with the firm, Maria worked for the Public Utility Commission of Texas. While there, she performed legal research and analysis as part of a litigation team in rate cases and transmission sales, as well as proposed sale, transfer and merger transactions for water and electric utilities in the state.
Additionally, she helped develop commission policy as the lead on more than 18 different rulemaking projects, ranging from the Transmission and Distribution Utility/Retail Electric Provider (TDU/REP) tariff to the REP rule and Directorate General (DG).
Experience :
- Administrative Litigation
- Represented merchant generator in obtaining dismissal of competitor’s request to install two battery storage systems as alternative to traditional distribution system expansion.
- Drafted comments in various Public Utility Commission of Texas projects related to resource adequacy and marketing design changes (Projects 47199, 48551, 48539 and 48540).
- Assisted client in understanding proposed regulatory changes and impacts of deregulation on state and company.
- Assist client in understanding federal and state Kari’s Law requirements related to provision of 9-1-1 services.
- Assist client in understanding regulatory framework around cryptocurrency for use in business plan.
Community Leadership : Texas Law Mentor
Education :
- Master of Law, University of Texas at Austin School of Law
- Global Energy International Arbitration and Environmental Law
- J.D., William Mary Law School
- Business Law Review, Managing Editor
- B.A., University of California-Los Angeles, Political Science, magna cum laude
Admissions : Texas, California
Professional Associations and Memberships :
- Austin Bar Association, Young Lawyers
- Gulf Coast Power Association
- Kappa Delta, Austin Chapter
- University of Texas at Austin School of Law, Texas Law Mentoring Program
Cost
Rate : $$$
