Profile
Thomas R. Brill has deep legal and management experience in the energy industry and has represented clients in virtually every electricity and natural gas restructuring proceeding in California for over three decades, including proceedings adopting and implementing decarbonization strategies for California’s electricity and natural gas markets. Tom also has extensive experience in regulatory litigation, as well as strategy and policy development to address rapidly changing laws, regulations, and market dynamics as well as technological disruptions that are leading to significant changes in the energy industry. Tom also has comprehensive experience addressing issues related to the integration of central station and distributed renewable generation, including electricity storage, smart grid technologies, and the impacts of utility rate design and cost allocation on competitive entry by third party providers and utility stranded cost exposure.
Tom’s current clients include developers of carbon sequestration, CO2 pipeline, and carbon capture projects as well as developers and producers of Renewable Natural Gas. He also represents utilities seeking to navigate emerging decarbonization policies, an independent natural gas storage provider, and retail providers and consumers of distributed generation and other behind the meter services.
Before joining Greenberg Traurig, Tom served in in-house positions at Sempra Energy, San Diego Gas & Electric Company, Pacific Enterprises, the Southern California Gas Company, and the American Gas Association. In these roles, he served as lead counsel in proceedings to implement state policies and legislation to introduce competition and reduce emissions in California’s electricity and natural gas markets, developed legal, regulatory, legislative and public affairs strategies to address Community Choice Aggregation, Greenhouse Gas and carbon reduction initiatives, promote storage and smart grid investments, implement wholesale and retail market competition in the electricity and natural gas industries, address wildfire risk issues, and implement new utility rate designs to address emerging needs and new technologies in the energy industry.
Tom has deep experience on a wide range of matters before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the California Air Resources Board, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and has lobbied before these organizations, as well as the California Legislature, Nevada legislature, and the United States Congress. He also currently serves on the Board of the California Hydrogen Business Council.
Concentrations
- Greenhouse gas and emission reduction strategies
- Obtaining and maximizing value of carbon credits in mandatory and voluntary carbon markets
- Obtaining and maximizing value of credits Low in Carbon Fuel Standard credit markets
- Development and implementation of decarbonization strategies in electricity and natural gas markets
- Industry restructuring
- Climate action plans
- Distributed energy technologies/renewable generation
- Utility cost allocation and rate design
- CPUC and FERC merger approvals/market power analysis
Capabilities
Experience
- Sempra Energy, 1998-2010 and 2016-2019
- Special Counsel & Director, Regulatory and Legislative Policy, 2016-2019
- Director/Assistant General Counsel, Corporate Regulatory Policy, 2003-2010
- Director, Regulatory Policy and Analysis, 1999-2002
- Director, Regulatory Strategy and Policy, 1998-1999
- San Diego Gas & Electric Company, 2010-2016
- Special Counsel and Director, Strategic Projects, 2013-2016
- Director, Strategic Analysis, 2010-2013
- Manager of Federal Regulatory Affairs, American Gas Association, 1995-1996
- Pacific Enterprises, 1987-1995
- Regulatory Attorney, 1987-1991
- Currently represent developer of CO2 capture and sequestration project, including CO2 pipeline development
- Currently represent developers of potential green hydrogen projects
- Currently represent Renewable Natural Gas developers
- Currently represent providers and commercial/industrial consumers of distributed generation and other behind the meter services
- Currently represent several utilities seeking to navigate emerging carbon reduction policies
- Obtained decisions in rate design, industry restructuring and cost allocation proceedings on behalf of two of the largest public utilities in California
- Obtained CPUC and FERC approval of the largest utility merger in California history
- Obtained a decision in general rate case proceedings for one of the largest natural gas utilities in the United States
°The above representations were handled by Mr. Brill prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, Chambers USA Guide, 2023
- Listed, The Legal 500 United States, Energy> Energy Regulation: Oil and Gas, 2023
- Team Member, a Law360 “Environmental Practice Group of the Year,” 2022
- Board Member, California Hydrogen Business Council
- Member, California State Bar, 1986-Present
Credentials
- J.D., Southwestern University
- B.A., University of California at Santa Barbara
- California