Kimberly Frank co-leads the firm’s global Power practice group and focuses her electric regulatory practice on representing clients in matters before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and state utility commissions, as well as transactions in the US market.
Kimberly’s clients include investor-owned electric utilities and electric cooperatives, large consumers, and government agencies. She represents clients before FERC in contested proceedings, administrative hearings and settlements, rulemakings, technical conferences, and investigations. She advises clients in developing strategies for litigation and prepares complaints, protests, comments and other pleadings filed with the agency. She works regularly with economists, engineers, accountants, financial analysts, and other electric utility industry experts.
Kimberly helps clients navigate the complex rules of the FERC-regulated regional wholesale markets, assisting to evaluate and advocate for rule changes in the energy, capacity, and ancillary services markets. She has represented clients in numerous proceedings before FERC, including capacity and energy market rules in the regional markets, transmission and generation rate cases, formula rate design, transmission planning, and cost allocation.
Kimberly counsels clients developing renewable energy facilities, regulated by FERC on Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA), Public Utility Holding Company Act (PUHCA), and Federal Power Act (FPA) compliance. She assists clients with interconnections to distribution and transmission systems and with regulatory compliance matters related to federal- and state-regulated electric power transactions.
Before her legal career, Kimberly was research faculty with a law and economics think tank in the Department of Economics, University of Maryland College Park.
- Recognized by Chambers Global for Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation) in the USA, 2024
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for Energy Law and Energy Regulatory Law in Washington, D.C., 2019-2024
- Recognized by Chambers USA for Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation) nationally, 2023
- Solar United Neighbors-Chair, Board of Directors (2022–current)
- Charitable Foundation of the Energy Bar Association-Member, Board of Directors (2019–2022)
- Energy Bar Association-Member, Board of Directors (May 2016–2019)
- Women's Council on Energy and the Environment
- Maryland State Bar Association, Section on Environment & Energy Law
- District of Columbia Bar Association, Section on Environment, Energy and Natural Resources
- ESG for Renewable Energy Financing, hosted by Infocast Master Class, Nov. 2021
- Connecticut: Ground Zero for Offshore Wind, Moderator, Business Network for Offshore Wind, June 2019.
- “FERC’s Inaction Frustrates Opportunities for Offshore Wind in New England,” Business Network for Offshore Wind, Feb. 2019.
- Connecticut: Ground Zero for Offshore Wind, Moderator, Business Network for Offshore Wind, June 2019.
- Cybersecurity Outlook, Moderator, Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment, May 2019.
- Women in Leadership Committee Holiday Reception featuring Sue Kelly, Moderator, Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment, Dec. 2018.
- How the Federal Power Act Impacts Your Utility, Speaker, American Public Power Association, National Conference, June 2018.
- Lessons Learned from Political Appointees, Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment, Jan. 2018.
- Florida Electric, Renewable and Telecommunications Updates: The Interplay of Federal, State and Local Jurisdiction, Speaker, Energy Bar Association and the Florida Bar Association, Oct. 2017.
- States Move Toward a Cleaner Energy Future: Opportunities and Challenges, Moderator, Energy Bar Association Mid-Year Conference, Oct. 2016.
- Federal Energy Regulation, Speaker, New England Conference of Public Utilities Commissioners Symposium, Feb. 2015 and Nov. 2016.
- Offshore Innovation: The Development, Implementation and Financing of Offshore Wind Energy in Maryland's Coastal Waters, Moderator, Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment, Dec. 2014.
- Meet the Judges: Trial Practice with Judge Peter Young, Moderator, FERC Practice Committee, Energy Bar Association, June 2014.
- Capacity Roundtable: Sharing Regional Perspectives, Moderator and Panelist, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, Sept. 2013.
- Debating the Minimum Offer Price Rule, Panelist, Restructuring Today, Dec. 2012.
- “Order No. 2023: Interconnection Reform Is Finally Here,” The Journal of Federal Agency Action, January–February 2024
- “The Curious Case of the 1,200 MW Transmission Size ‘Limit’ in New England,” Marine Technology Reporter, November/December 2023
- “Offshore Wind Auction Results Portend Difficulties In Gulf,” Law360, 12 September 2023
- “Reactive Power Compensation for Renewable Energy Facilities: Opportunity Amidst Change,” Oil, Gas & Energy Resources Law Section Report, Jan. 2023
- “Lessons From FERC New England Capacity Market Settlement,” Law360, 29 July 2022
- “Key Provisions of FERC’s 2021 Enforcement Report,” Pratt’s Energy Law Report, Feb. 2022
- FERC Enforcement In 2021: A Year Of Change, Law360, 3 Jan. 2022
- Series and survey, Industrial Maintenance & Plant Operation, “Manufacturers Show Interest in, But Lack Awareness of, Energy Demand Response Programs,” Jan./Feb. 2014, and “Demand Response Programs Lower Electricity Costs, But Also Pose Risks,” Nov. 2013.
- “Federal Courts Thwart State Efforts to Develop New Generation for Reliability,” New England Consumer Liaison Group, Nov. 2013.
- “Ominous News for State Energy Commissions,” Law360 Expert Analysis, Oct. 2013.
- “Rethinking Capacity Markets: A Pragmatic New Approach to Assuring Reliability,” Public Utilities Fortnightly, May 2013.