Areas of Practice

Public Utilities

Jeff Crockett has experience in virtually all facets of public utilities regulation in Arizona. During his 25 years of practice before the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), he has developed important relationships with commissioners and staff and a deep knowledge of Arizona utility law. Mr. Crockett regularly represents water companies, sewer companies, an electric company, local telephone companies, competitive telecommunications providers and various intervenors in a wide variety of matters before the ACC including:

• Rate Cases
• Financing Approvals
• New Certificates of Convenience and Necessity (CC&N)
• CC&N Extensions, Transfers and Cancellations
• Main Extension Agreements
• Interconnection Agreements
• Tariff Preparation and Approval
• Utility Asset Sales and Transfers
• Utility Stock Sales
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Renewable Energy Standard and Tariff
• Resource Planning and Procurement
• Net Metering
• Energy Efficiency
• Public Utility Holding Company Organizations and Reorganizations
• Affiliated Interests Reporting and Compliance
• Annual Report Filing and Compliance
• Complaint Proceedings
• Rulemaking Proceedings
• Public Policy Generic Dockets
• A.R.S. § 40-252 Applications
• Adjudications Not a Public Service Corporation

Mr. Crockett also represents utilities in litigation arising out of the decisions of the ACC. In addition, he represents utilities in matters before the Arizona Department of Water Resources, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the Arizona State Land Department. He also assists utilities in obtaining federal, state, county and city rights-of-way, permits, licenses and franchises.

Beyond ACC regulatory matters, Mr. Crockett advises clients in developing and executing sound business strategies which comply with the complex web of federal, state and local laws in the highly regulated utility industry. He also assists clients in negotiating and drafting contracts in a variety of transactions and provides legal advice on a broad range of matters that come up in the day-to-day operations of a public utility.

In addition to regulated utilities, Mr. Crockett represents developers, municipalities, trade associations, investment funds, homeowners associations and other intervenors in rate cases, complaint cases, merger cases and other proceedings before the ACC, and in line siting proceedings before the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee. He is also regularly involved in generic dockets before the ACC to formulate public utility policy for Arizona.

Mr. Crockett assists clients in forming domestic water improvement districts and domestic wastewater improvement districts, and provides legal advice to these special taxing districts on a variety of matters including:

• Formation of New Districts
• District Elections
• Board Meetings and Executive Sessions
• Regulatory Compliance and Reporting
• Compliance and Training Regarding Arizona's Open Meetings Law
• Grants and Loans from the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona (WIFA)
• Contract Review and Drafting
• Intergovernmental Agreements
• Water Rights
• Wastewater Treatment and Disposal
• Employment

Mr. Crockett also represents wireless carriers and private landowners in negotiating cell site leases and collocation agreements. He has experience working with tribal councils and tribal enterprises in Indian country, including negotiating contracts that address dispute resolution within the unique context of tribal sovereign immunity.