Winston P. Skinner
Winston’s principal areas of practice are utility regulation and eminent domain litigation, with a focus on representing power generators, utilities and investors involved in the electric, gas and liquids industries. He has represented clients in various rate, tariff, complaint, registration, rulemaking, and certificate of convenience and necessity proceedings before the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), Railroad Commission of Texas (RCT), Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), other state and federal regulatory commissions, and Texas courts. He also represents utility clients on North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) reliability standard compliance issues, including enforcement by the Texas Reliability Entity (TRE). His eminent domain practice includes litigation and counseling on behalf of both condemning authorities and landowners throughout Texas.
Experience Highlights
(PUCT) — Co-lead counsel before the PUCT and State Office of Administrative Hearings for various electric utilities’ applications for certificates of convenience and necessity (CCN) for numerous 345 and 138 kilovolt electric transmission lines throughout Texas
(RCT) – Lead counsel before the RCT in gas utility’s application for securitization recovery of extraordinary gas costs related to Winter Storm Uri event
(RCT) – Co-lead counsel for multiple gas transmission pipelines and local distribution companies in base rate proceedings
(ERCOT/PUCT) – Counseled private equity investor in transaction and regulatory registrations associated with purchasing gas-fired generation assets
(NERC/TRE) – Advises electric utilities on NERC compliance issues, including compliance audits by, and self-reports and self-logs submitted to, TRE
(PUCT) — Represents electric utility clients in various CCN, rulemaking, complaint, and rate proceedings
(Regulatory Commission of Alaska) — Trial counsel for gas utility in base rate proceeding
(Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) — Represented various natural gas pipelines in Section 311 rate proceedings
Credentials
- Vanderbilt University Law School, J.D., 2011
- Louisiana State University, B.A., political science summa cum laude, 2008 (Phi Beta Kappa)
- Judicial clerk for The Honorable James J. Brady, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, 2011–2012
- Chambers USA, Energy: State Regulatory & Litigation (Oil & Gas)(Texas), 2023
- The Best Lawyers in America© (BL Rankings, LLC), Energy Law (Dallas), 2022–2024
- Juvenile Pro Bono Award 2013, co-recipient of firm-wide pro bono award for work representing clients before the Dallas County Truancy Courts
- Member: American Bar Association; Texas Bar Association
- Texas; Louisiana (inactive)
- InsightFebruary 9, 2024
V&E Energy Update
- Deals & CasesDecember 11, 2023
- InsightNovember 13, 2023
V&E Energy Update
- Rankings & AwardsAugust 21, 2023
- Rankings & AwardsJune 1, 2023
- Rankings & AwardsAugust 18, 2022