Jon R. Stickman

Jon has been a key member of Duncan & Allen’s energy law practice since 1997, focusing on energy regulatory, strategic planning, and transactional matters. His work has recently emphasized restructured electric markets and compliance with the Energy Policy Act of 2005. He represents publicly-owned utility systems, including municipal electric utilities, rural electric cooperatives, and irrigation districts, in states such as California, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, New England, and the Midwest.

Jon has extensive experience in energy regulatory matters, including representing the Turlock Irrigation District, the Imperial Irrigation District (IID), and the cities of Glendale and Burbank, California, in litigation stemming from the California electric crisis before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). His work has encompassed complex, multiparty cases involving refunds, allegations of market manipulation, and contract abrogation. He has also been involved in utility restructuring efforts in California, the Southwest, and New England, helping to craft FERC-compliant Open Access Transmission Tariffs (OATTs). Additionally, Jon has successfully litigated cases involving the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) and the Independent System Operator of New England (ISO-NE) to protect clients’ transmission contract rights and non-jurisdictional status under the Federal Power Act.

Jon’s representation of the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities in opposing the merger between Western Resources and Kansas City Power and Light highlights his breadth of experience in regulatory matters and market design. He leverages his deep knowledge of FERC restructuring mandates, the California energy crisis, and restructured markets in the West and Northeast to provide clients with strategic planning for market participation, transmission access, and energy pricing.

Each year, Jon conducts a seminar for clients’ local counsel and upper management, focusing on strategic planning and compliance with reliability standards, transmission access, and market manipulation requirements under the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

In the transactional arena, Jon negotiates a wide range of power purchase and sale agreements and transmission procurement contracts. Notably, he negotiated the IID Interconnection Agreement with CalEnergy and a 30-year, 170 MW power purchase agreement. Recently, he completed negotiations for ten long-term power supply and delivery arrangements between Arizona Public Service and ten Arizona Electric and Irrigation Districts in the Phoenix area. His expertise in CAISO operations and procedures has also allowed him to negotiate numerous agreements related to CAISO.

During law school, Jon clerked for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, gaining in-depth experience in federal litigation and arbitration. He also worked at Eversheds, an international law firm in England, where he focused on international energy and tort issues, including matters related to energy restructuring in England. Jon’s comprehensive background equips him to deliver exceptional legal counsel across regulatory, strategic, and transactional aspects of energy law.