Jim, an attorney and clean energy consultant in Kentucky, is a native of Calgary and a dual citizen of U.S. and Canada. Previously, he served eight years as a commissioner and chairman of Kentucky’s utility regulatory commission. He led the agency’s efforts to respond to US EPA’s Clean Power Plan and spearheaded the agency’s efforts to require that jurisdictional utilities adopt cleaner energy sources. He championed such efforts as approving the state’s first biomass facility, the first utility-scale solar and landfill gas generation, and he urged the adoption of low cost wind power. Under his leadership, utility-sponsored energy efficiency and demand-side management programs dramatically increased. Jim was active in the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), serving on the Executive Committee and serving as chair or co-chair of committees, task forces, and conferences all dealing with energy and environment issues. While a Commissioner, he was invited to speak at the Canadian Regulators (CAMPUT) annual conference in 2015 on environmental regulations and their impact on utility regulation. Currently as an attorney and clean energy consultant, Jim has advised a large manufacturer, a municipality, a utility, an NGO, and a start-up corporation on issues such as establishing a collaborative for LED tariffs for municipalities, financing for the purchase of electric buses, effects of the increase of energy efficiency programs on utility revenues, and utility rate structures to incent renewables and energy efficiency programs.
