Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation to Hold Special Institute on Renewable Energy November 7-8 in Las Vegas

The Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation (RMMLF) will sponsor a Special Institute on "Renewable Electric Energy: Law, Development, and Investment," in Las Vegas on November 7-8, 2013

The Special Institute will examine state and federal policies and regulations driving development of renewable power projects, and discuss project management as a coordinated whole. Among those associated with Denver Law who are involved with the Special Institute include Professor K.K. DuVivier, Adjunct Professor Bob Noun, Adjunct Professor Mark Safty, and former Practitioner in Residence Rebecca Watson.

Don Smith, Director of the Environmental & Natural Resources Law program at Denver Law said, "There is no finer organization when it comes to issues related to natural resources than the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation.  Their conferences are second to none.  Denver Law is delighted to co-sponsor this important conference."

More information about the Special Institute can be found by clicking here.

Denver Law is a constituent organization of the RMMLF.

"Oil & Gas Development Key to U.S. Future," Write Rebecca Watson and Don Smith in Christian Science Monitor Opinion Piece

Oil and gas development using fracking and horizontal drilling will support U.S. energy security and benefit the national economy, according to an opinion piece co-authored by Rebecca Watson, former Assistant Secretary of the Interior and Denver Law graduate, and Don Smith, director of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law program.

 "Fracking, or more broadly, oil and gas development, is an industrial activity and can cause negative environmental effects," Ms. Watson and Mr. Smith wrote in the piece published October 23,2013, in The Christian Science Monitor.  "But many modern industrial and everyday activities have environmental or human health risks.  The reasonable response is sensible regulation, at both the federal and state level, rather than wholesale bans."

Ms.Watson, a Denver energy and land-access lawyer, is a shareholder with Welborn Sullivan Meck &Tooley, P.C. in Denver.

The Christian Science Monitor is considered one of the nation's leading publications and is read by opinion makers across the U.S. and the world.  Click here to read the entire opinion piece.

'07 MRLS Alum Discusses Wind Energy in Boulder

Danny Splettstosser graduated from DU’s MRLS program in the winter of 2007. After working for 3 years as one of Electricite De France – Renewable Energy’s first utility scale solar project developers, he returned home to Colorado. Danny is currently the Manager of Business Development for juwi Wind based out of Boulder Colorado. Danny runs a small team of business developers which specialize in utility scale wind project mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, and renewable energy power sales.

Over the past two years, Danny has focused on diversification of juwi’s wind energy portfolio away from the uncertainties of U.S. renewable energy tax credits. In particular, Danny has been instrumental in beach-heading new markets the Canadian Maritimes provinces. Creation of this new market opportunity has included: working with Canadian corporate and tax counsel to create a viable and financeable corporate structure; leading acquisitions of more than a half dozen community wind projects; comprehensive coordination of project development activities with internal and external contract project developers; securing provincial and municipal permits; coordinating interconnection studies and interconnection agreements; leading the negotiation of four joint ventures with community wind project co-owners, three of which are with First Nations, and subsequently managing those joint ventures; leading a consortium of market participants in PPA negotiations with Nova Scotia Power under their Community Feed-In-Tariff including assisting in writing filings for Nova Scotia’s Utility Review Board; preparation of a portfolio of more than $65 million of wind energy projects for finance and construction in 2014; leading efforts for further diversification within the Canadian wind energy market.

Key elements of his course work at DU which have directly applied to his work experience are: Land Use Development Law, Environmental Law (particularly related to NEPA processes), Corporate Social Responsibility and  Renewable Energy Finance.

Danny shares, “The work is extremely challenging, but every day before I go to work, I get to tell my son that ‘Daddy is off to save the world’  and that’s a pretty good feeling.”