2025 Appalachian Clean Energy CLE Panelists

Brett Breitschwerdt is Partner at McGuireWoods, LLP where he represents public utilities and other clients in developing strategies and obtaining regulatory approvals to achieve their business goals. Brett has recently led the firm’s representation of major electric utility clients in numerous complex proceedings including multi-jurisdictional integrated resource planning and certificate proceedings for major new generating facilities. Brett also has expertise in renewable energy regulation, including PURPA implementation, renewable energy procurement and green tariff programs, generator interconnection standard approval and administration, as well as demand side management/energy efficiency program approval and cost recovery.

Zeke Hollingsworth Creech serves as Staff Attorney with the Public Staff of the North Carolina Utilities Commission.

Thad Culley is Director of Public Policy for Sunrun, covering regulatory matters in the Southeast and the mid-Atlantic. Prior to joining Sunrun, Thad served as a regulatory lawyer and Senior Regional Director for Vote Solar. Thad previously was a partner at the Oakland-based law firm Keyes & Fox, LLP where he worked on distributed generation issues including net metering, rate design, and interconnection.

Brodie Erwin, Counsel with Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, is a seasoned litigator, managing business and employment law matters for clients in multiple states and in various federal courts around the country. His experience includes litigating and counseling on all applicable federal and state employment statutes. A significant portion of Brodie’s practice involves the prosecution and defense of matters seeking injunctive and equitable relief related to restrictive covenants, misappropriation of trade secrets, tortious interference, unfair competition, and other business-related claims. Brodie has earned many recognitions from numerous legal publications.

Commissioner Karen M. Kemerait served as Chair for the North Carolina Utilities Commission from January 28, 2025, to July 31, 2025. Commissioner Kemerait was appointed to the Utilities Commission by Governor Roy Cooper for a term that commenced on May 2, 2022, and ends on June 30, 2027. Commissioner Kemerait is a member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and serves on NARUC’s Critical Infrastructure Committee, Water Committee, and International Committee. She is a member of the Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and the Mid-Atlantic Conference of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. She is a member of the American Water Works Association, NARUC-NASEO Comprehensive Electricity Planning Initiative and a state member of the Federal and State Current Issues Collaborative. Commissioner Kemerait is on the Board of the Organization of PJM States, Inc. (OPSI), and serves as the chair of OPSI’s Governance Committee.

Peter Ledford, Attorney at Ward and Smith, P.A., is a North Carolina State Bar Board Certified Specialist in Utilities Law. His areas of focus include electric and natural gas rate cases, resource planning dockets, and the full spectrum of regulatory challenges utilities, customers, and independent power producers face as they respond to emerging technologies and shifting energy priorities. Peter previously served as Deputy Secretary for Policy at the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality prior to serving as the Clean Energy Director in the Office of Governor Roy Cooper. Before that, he spent nearly eight years with the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, ultimately serving as General Counsel and Director of Policy.

John Livingston is Partner at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, LLP, and the co-chair of the firm’s Energy Team and leader of the Real Estate Investment and Development Team. He devotes his practice to renewable energy transactions, sustainable development, including mixed-use projects, and LEED certified projects. John has earned numerous recognitions among the most prestigious publications for his experience representing developers, buyers, sellers, investors, owners, and others in all aspects of energy and commercial real estate transactions.

Nadia Luhr is an attorney with the Public Staff of the North Carolina Utilities Commission, where she is the Manager of the Electric Section of the Legal Division. She joined the Public Staff in 2019 and her work focuses on electric utility matters, including general rate cases and the implementation of House Bill 951. Prior to her time with the Public Staff, Nadia worked as an Associate Attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center and as a Postgraduate Fellow at the University of North Carolina School of Law’s Center for Climate, Energy, Environment, and Economics.

Will Scott serves as the Southeast Climate & Clean Energy Director for Environmental Defense Fund  where he leads EDF’s clean energy and transportation electrification work in North Carolina and supports the clean energy work of the other Southeast offices. Will has been with EDF since 2022.  Prior to coming to EDF, he worked with the North Carolina Conservation Network and Duke Environmental Law & Policy Clinic. He also served as the Yadkin Riverkeeper and has worked on state and federal political campaigns.

Benjamin Smith serves as Counsel at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, LLP, where he practices energy regulation and related energy policy and regulatory work. Prior to joining Kilpatrick Townsend, Ben was Associate General Counsel at the NCSEA where he led NCSEA’s regulatory work including matters litigated at the North Carolina Utilities Commission, FERC, and other venues.

Justin Somelofsky serves as Regulatory Counsel for the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, working to advance clean energy policies at the NCUC Utilities Commission and providing NCSEA with legal analysis of clean energy policy in support of its advancement in the state’s regulatory landscape. Prior to joining NCSEA, Justin worked for a national environmental non-profit and private law firm advocating for the equitable implementation of clean energy solutions.