Melissa Oellerich Butler is an energy attorney with a practice that primarily focuses on advising and representing utilities in connection with transactional and regulatory litigation matters.
Melissa has advised clients on trade secret matters; prudence issues; and construction monitoring proceedings for nuclear plant cost recovery, state ratemaking proceedings, including cost-of-capital issues, nuclear plant development cost recovery, integrated resource planning issues and Georgia Territorial Act disputes.
Prior to becoming an attorney, Melissa was employed by Southern Co. subsidiaries, where she obtained a broad understanding of the electric utility industry through her participation in Georgia Power’s professional development program during which she completed rotations in the areas of distribution, generation resource planning, transmission planning, and financial reporting at Georgia Power and financial reporting and regulatory accounting at Gulf Power Company.
Upon graduation from that program, Melissa joined Georgia Power’s regulatory accounting organization, where she supported the company in base rate case and numerous generation resource certification proceedings.
Melissa has also provided support with respect to corporate governance and board of director matters for two major Georgia corporations and has experience with entity management, including international subsidiaries.
Melissa’s prior utility and regulatory accounting experience further enhances the legal advice she gives her clients. In addition, Melissa has experience as part of an in-house legal department and thus is able to consider her clients’ issues from both an independent outside-counsel perspective and a corporate management and in-house perspective.
Representative Matters :
- Counseled and prepared numerous client witnesses for participation in state regulatory proceedings.
- Assisted in obtaining state regulatory approval of a natural gas/electric utility merger involving several state jurisdictions.
- Helped obtain verification and approval of costs in nuclear construction monitoring proceedings and approval of new cost forecasts.
- Assisted in drafting and executing distributed generation power purchase agreements and amendments, and in connection with contract administration and enforcement matters for one of the largest voluntary renewable programs in the country.
Professional and Community Involvement :
- Member, Energy Bar Association
- Member, Carroll County Bar Association
- Member, Board of Directors, Women’s Energy Network, Greater Atlanta (2015)
Professional Experience :
- Corporate Governance & Entity Management, Legal Department, Southwire Company LLC, 2017-2018
- Corporate Secretary Coordinator, Georgia Power Co., 2010-2012
- Professional Development Program, Georgia Power Co., 2005-2007
- Internal Audit Co-op Student, Southern Company Services, 2002-2004
EDUCATION :
- Georgia State University College of Law, J.D., 2012
- Georgia Institute of Technology, B.S., with highest honors, 2005, Management (Minor: International Affairs)
COURT ADMISSIONS :
- Georgia Superior Courts
- Georgia Court of Appeals
- Supreme Court of Georgia
BAR ADMISSIONS : Georgia
Cost
Rate : $$$