Louisville, Ky. – LG&E and KU Energy has announced that senior corporate attorney Jennifer Keisling will take on the role of director of federal regulation and policy, effective Jan. 1, 2016.
Keisling will replace the company’s vice president of federal regulation and policy, Mike Beer, who announced he will retire Dec. 31 after more than 17 years of service.
“Mike has been a great asset to LG&E and KU, and I’m going to miss his dedication and expertise. He led us through several tough issues including the unprecedented MISO withdrawal and rate cases at a time when they were uncommon for our company,” said LG&E and KU Chairman, CEO and President Vic Staffieri. “Beyond his expertise, I will miss Mike’s great wit and ability to take even the most mundane issues and make them interesting and often entertaining.”
Beer was instrumental in securing approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Kentucky Public Service Commission for LG&E and KU’s Powergen and E.ON acquisitions in 2000 and 2002, respectively. In 2003 and 2004, Beer led LG&E and KU through their first rate cases in more than a decade. He also oversaw the request to withdraw from the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator. The cases, which lasted from 2004 to 2006 and required multiple regulatory approvals, resulted in a landmark decision by the FERC allowing LG&E and KU to withdraw from MISO. More recently, he has represented the company on a number of federal energy regulatory issues in Washington, D.C., including FERC Order 1000.
Keisling, who currently represents the company from a legal perspective on federal issues, joined the company in 2001 and has been heavily involved in ensuring compliance with the company’s FERC-regulated transmission tariff, applicable FERC orders, including the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) reliability standards and FERC Order 1000, and other federal activities. She also has managed the majority of the company’s litigation at FERC and has been responsible for providing guidance on FERC and NERC matters for transmission, and for the company as a whole. Keisling participated in an expat assignment in Germany in 2008 and 2009 while the company was under the ownership of E.ON.
In her new role, Keisling will be responsible for developing and implementing a federal regulatory strategy for LG&E and KU including coordinating the company’s response to regulatory developments at the federal level. Keisling will manage the relationship between the company and FERC and represent the company in various forums before FERC. She will advise LG&E and KU on all issues relating to the interface of the company, PPL, applicable trade groups, FERC and other federal regulatory agencies. Additionally, Keisling will maintain her duties as legal counsel.
Prior to joining the company, Keisling was a management consultant for the Corporate Executive Board in Washington, D.C. She also represented the interests of the United States as lead trial counsel for the Commercial Litigation Branch of the United States Department of Justice. Keisling received her Juris Doctor in 1991 from the Harvard Law School, cum laude, and her bachelor’s degree in 1988 from Bryn Mawr College, magna cum laude.
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