Utility Law Section Fall Seminar

Thursday, October 24 - Friday, October 25
Purdue Memorial Union and Union Club Hotel, West Lafayette 

About the Event

This annual event offers the opportunity to network with seasoned regulatory law practitioners in the electric, communications, consumer, water, and natural gas industries, as well as learn about new developments and hear the direction the industry and practice is heading, in addition to pragmatic practice tips. Additionally, the section’s annual business meeting takes place during the fall seminar.

Who Might Enjoy This

This event is geared towards the Utility Law practitioner as well as employees of the IURC and OUCC.

Schedule 
Note: CLE programming will be held in the Purdue Memorial Union connected to the Union Club Hotel.

Thursday, October 24

12:30pm - Registration Opens

1:00pm - Life and Ethics I learned from Baseball (1.0 Ethics)
2:00pm   Hon. Margret Robb, Indiana Court of Appeals (ret.)

2:00pm - From the Frontlines: Confronting Cyber Threats and Privacy Challenges in the Utility Sector (1.0 CLE)
3:00pm   Brian McGinnis, Barnes & Thornburg
    Maddie San Jose, Barnes & Thornburg                    

3:00pm - Break
3:15pm

3:15pm - Plugging In to Charging the Crossroads and Other Electrification Initiatives in Indiana (1.0 CLE)
4:15pm   George McCue, ZEV Program Director, INDOT
            Dr. Steve Pekarek, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University

4:15pm - The Downplayed Costs of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) (1.0 CLE)                                         
5:15pm   Trey Cowan, Energy Analyst, Oil & Gas, IEEFA

Optional Excursion:
5:30pm - DC Nanogrid & ReNEWW House Tours*
6:15pm   542 Hayes St., West Lafayette

A 1920s-era home in West Lafayette, Indiana, the DC Nanogrid House has been converted to run entirely on direct current (DC) power and is a “living laboratory.” Graduate students live in the home full time to offer real-world feedback on its comfort and usability. Sensors have been installed in every room to detect whether people are present so that the HVAC system only conditions air where it’s needed.

Located next door to the DC House, the ReNEWW House was once heated by coal and now offsets all its energy use with solar power, relying on rainfall as a water source and using waste-handling systems, such as composting toilets, to prevent household waste from going to the landfill.

*The tours have a capped # and therefore, registration is required to participate. The ISBA will reach out to registered fall seminar attendees approximately two weeks out with a sign up form.

Participants are on their own for transportation to the houses which are approximately a 10-15 minute walk from the Union Club Hotel.

6:00pm -  Reception at Union Club Hotel
7:30pm

Friday, October 25

8:15am - Breakfast
9:00am

9:00am -  PFAS Panel (1.0 CLE)
10:00am  Chris Luning, Essential Utilities EVP and General Counsel, Aqua
                      David Pippen, General Counsel, Indiana American Water and Kentucky American Water

10:00am - Break
10:15am

10:15am - Forecasting the Future: The Methodologies and New Man Behind the Scenes at the State
11:00am   Utility Forecasting Group (.75 CLE)
                       Sunil Maheshwari, Ph.D., Director, State Utility Forecasting Group, Purdue University
                       Doug Gotham, Ph.D., Former Director, State Utility Forecasting Group, Purdue University

11:00am - Carbon Capture Sequestration (1.0 CLE)
12:00pm    David Bausman, Chief Legal Counsel, DNR
                        Emily Grubert, Associate Professor of Sustainable Energy Policy - Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame

12:00pm - Section’s Annual Business Meeting
12:15pm

Hotel Information

The Union Club Hotel at Purdue University
201 N Grant St, West Lafayette, IN 47906

The ISBA rate for Thursday, Oct. 24 is $229/night. Click here to make your reservation. To take advantage of the ISBA special room rate, your reservation must be made by 5pm on October 1, 2024.

Note: a $111 rate is available for government employees at Union Club Hotel – based on availability. A separate reservation link has been set up for government employees to access this rate. (click here)

Parking at Union Club Hotel:

Valet Parking: $35/day

*Self parking is available in the Grant Street Parking Garage, located across the street from the Union Club hotel for $10/day.

Due to the campus being very busy during our Fall Seminar, we anticipate our block being filled quickly. Therefore, a small block of rooms has been set-up for attendees at the Hilton Garden Inn (located approx. 5 minutes from the Union Club Hotel)

Hilton Garden Inn West Lafayette Wabash Landing
356 East State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906

The Hilton Garden Inn offers complimentary on-site parking.

The ISBA rate for Thursday, Oct. 24 at the Hilton Garden Inn is $149/night. Click here to make your reservation (the group code is 92L). To take advantage of the ISBA special room rate, your reservation must be made by October 3, 2024.

Why Book with Us: When you make a reservation within ISBA’s block of rooms, you enhance our ability to negotiate preferential pricing for future seminars. Not only will that save you money for accommodations in the future, it will help keep conference registration fees stable and affordable. Please make your reservation count by booking with us.

Pricing and Registration
The early bird registration deadline ends October 3!

Program materials will be emailed to registered attendees the week of the seminar. In order to receive this information, please make sure your email is listed correctly when registering for the seminar.  Since materials will be provided electronically, we encourage attendees to download the materials prior to the seminar and bring their laptops with them (powerstrips will be provided throughout the seminar room). Registration includes CLE programming and electronic materials, Thursday's reception and refreshment breaks.

Cancellation Policy

Refunds will be issued for cancellations received in writing on or before October 9, 2024 and are subject to a $25 processing fee. Refunds will not be granted after October 9, 2024 nor will they be given for no-shows after the conference. If you are unable to attend but would like to send someone in your place, contact Ashley Higgins.

More Information

Code of Conduct Policy for ISBA Events