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People Partner

Education

Colgate University, B.A., 2003; Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany, MPA, 2008; Albany Law School of Union University, J.D., 2009, magna cum laude

Adam has helped clients successfully develop projects across the energy spectrum, focusing on project development, policy and utility rate regulation. He helps clients navigate complex and contentious regulatory approvals, negotiate power purchase and energy performance agreements and provides counsel on relevant laws and regulations.

Adam works closely with a cross-disciplinary team at Couch White, focusing on energy regulatory, permitting, and real estate, to provide comprehensive and cost-effective renewable energy development advice to companies looking to develop, acquire, or finance projects in New York State and surrounding states. He has experience with large-scale and distributed-scale solar, wind, hydroelectric, battery storage, fuel cell, anaerobic digester, and biomass projects.

He advises large energy users – including private companies, educational institutions, and others – on renewable energy purchase agreements and procurements. He has counselled clients in several high-profile, innovative renewable energy aggregation purchases that brought multiple companies together to achieve economies of scale in their renewable energy purchases.

He also regularly advises clients on key energy policies intended to foster renewable energy, distributed generation and microgrids, battery storage, electric vehicles and residential electric submetering. He has appeared before regulatory agencies in New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut and has experience dealing with a wide range of issues related to electricity, natural gas, and steam rates.

Admissions

  • New York State Courts
  • New Jersey State Courts

Professional Experience

  • Securing regulatory approval for the Bluestone Gathering System, a 9.8 mile natural gas pipeline located in Broome County, New York;
  • Negotiating power purchase agreements for solar projects on behalf of large educational institutions;
  • Representing the City of New York on its application for a federal license to construct a hydroelectric project at the Cannonsville Dam and Reservoir;
  • Representing the developer of a wood-fired biomass boiler that displaces oil usage at educational facilities in Upstate New York; *Helping developers of multi-unit residential properties obtain approval to submeter residential electricity usage;
  • Counseling the City of New York on its efforts to help building owners convert from heavy fuel oil to cleaner-burning natural gas.
  • Representing the City of New York, IBM and other sophisticated clients in administrative proceedings involving energy rates and regulatory policies.

Memberships

  • New York State Bar Association