Mr. Cooper represents companies with energy interests before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), and state utility commissions. He represents clients before federal and state commissions on contested proceedings, including interconnection and transmission service disputes, contract disputes, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA), demand response, and distributed energy resources. He works on a range of energy transactional matters, from project development (including obtaining regulatory approval) to sales and purchases of energy to transmission offerings. He also advises clients on emerging issues such as battery storage, electric vehicles, and renewable integration issues.
Using his experience as a former chief compliance officer and assistant general counsel for a Fortune 500 energy-based holding company, Mr. Cooper regularly works with companies to design, implement, and manage their regulatory compliance programs. He prepares clients for and represents clients during government audits and investigations.
Mr. Cooper previously served as legislative director and counsel to former U.S. Senator Ernest F. Hollings of South Carolina. In this role, he worked as the senior advisor on all legislative, policy, and political matters and was the main resource for all energy, judiciary, and financial issues.