Katherine A. McDowell

Practice Areas

Katherine's practice focuses on energy regulatory matters and related litigation. She advises and represents utilities and energy companies on a full range of regulatory and administrative law issues, including ratemaking, resource development and acquisition, compliance with environmental mandates, industry restructuring, and utility mergers and acquisitions. She has represented clients before regulatory commissions throughout the West, including Oregon, Washington, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, and Arizona, and at the Bonneville Power Administration and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Katherine also handles appeals from administrative agency final orders.

Career

Katherine practiced with Stoel Rives LLP for eighteen years until May 1, 2006 when she opened her own law firm, McDowell & Associates, now McDowell Rackner Gibson. While at Stoel Rives, she practiced in both the litigation and energy areas, and chaired the firm's energy practice group for a number of years.

Professional Memberships

* Member of the Oregon, Washington, and Florida State Bars.

* Executive Committee Member of the Oregon State Bar Energy, Telecom, and Utilities Section.

*Selected by her peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America in the Energy Law category for many years.

* Selected by her peers as an Oregon "Super Lawyer" in energy and natural resources law.

Personal

Katherine is active in various public interest organizations. She has served as Chair of the Oregon Law Foundation, President of Multnomah County’s Volunteer Lawyers Project and a board member of HEAT Oregon.

Work Highlights

* Counsel on electric utility general rate cases in OR, WA, UT, ID, and WY.

* Handled utility merger approval proceedings in various Western state commissions.

* Assisted in drafting and implementing state law governing removal of hydro project.* Worked on rulemaking to implement cost recovery mechanism of renewable portfolio standard.

* Advised on PURPA compliance and other issues related to Qualifying Facility contracts.

* Handled rulemaking to implement utility taxation law and successfully defended commission rules in state appellate court.

* Advised on Energy Service Supplier issues in Oregon.