Dane Stinson, Member
Dane's practice focuses on energy and telecommunications. He represents clients on regulatory matters before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), the Ohio Power Siting Board (OBSP) and the Ohio Supreme Court; and also counsels them on commercial and transactional matters.
Dane has over 20 years of regulatory experience, and served as the PUCO's deputy legal director and the Ohio Supreme Court's master commission of public utility law before entering private practice in 1994.
Dane has actively been engaged in representing competitive providers' legislative and regulatory interests in the restructuring of Ohio's natural gas and electricity markets. He represents competitive electric suppliers in proceedings implementing the provisions of Senate Bill 221, including formulating electric security plans and market rate options, and counsels clients on alternative and renewable energy matters, including wind power. He also represents competitive natural gas clients in the evolving structure of the natural gas market, including the incumbent utilities' exit from the merchant function.
In addition, Dane represents and advises clients, including competitive local exchange carriers, competitive telecommunication services providers; energy marketers, generators, brokers, and aggregators; and utility customers on a wide range of issues involving alternative regulation, governmental aggregation, customer choice, competitive disputes, consumer complaints, commercial relationships, and emerging alternative and renewable energy resources.
Noteworthy Matters
- Represented competitive suppliers in incumbent utility electric security plan proceedings, provision of service to governmental aggregation.
- Represented competitive suppliers in electric restructuring legislative process.
- Represented competitive suppliers in formulation of state PUC's competitive electric and natural gas administrative rules.
- Represented competitive suppliers' challenges to electric utilities' regulatory plans for transitioning to competitive markets and succeeding rate stabilization plans.
- Represented Ohio's largest governmental aggregator on a variety of regulatory issues before the state PUC.
- Successfully mediated informal complaints before the state PUC staff initiated by competitors and customers.
- Successfully defended formal suits that customers, competitors and utilities have filed with the state PUC.
- Initiated a successful original suit in the Ohio Supreme Court to prevent the state PUC from taking action contrary to our clients' interests.
- Obtained certification for siting new generation facilities, and electric and natural gas lines.
- Represented clients regarding service quality complaints before the Ohio Supreme Court and the state PUC.
- Represent telecommunications clients in negotiating, mediating, and arbitrating interconnection agreements.
- Primary advisor to the Supreme Court of Ohio on appeals filed from the PUCO, including telecommunications alternative regulation procedures, major rate and pricing proceedings, complaint cases, and emerging competitive issues.
Memberships and Community Involvement
- Supreme Court of Ohio, Master Commissioner for Public Utilities Law (1991-1994)
- Deputy Director, Legal Department, Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (1989-1991)
- Attorney Examiner, Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (1986-1989)
- Member, Public Utilities Committee, Ohio State Bar Association
- Member, Public Utilities Committee, Columbus Bar Association
- Member, Ohio State and Columbus Bar Associations
- Member, Federal Communications Bar Association
