Bio

Thomas Sniscak , a former rates and fixed utility service attorney at the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PA PUC), has been a partner with the firm since 1989 and spent much of his career representing a wide array of clients in virtually every utility industry type of rate, certificate of public convenience, service, financing, and merger and acquisition proceedings before the PA PUC. His experience includes advising and representing major natural gas, electric, municipal and private utility water and sewer suppliers in negotiating power purchase, gas or bulk sales agreements, and in rate, service, franchise proceedings, disputes regarding service rights or bulk sales agreements. He also represents large institutional and municipal customers in those areas, including Power Purchase Agreements, Negotiated Contract Service, and Flex Pricing Arrangements for natural gas, electric, water and sewer. Plus, he represents and provides advice to investment funds, potential buyers, and institutions regarding regulatory PA PUC due diligence for planned or potential transactions which are or may become before the PA PUC. His experience also includes representing utilities, local governmental bodies, and large institutions before the Susquehanna River Basin Commission in permitting, rulemaking and compliance matters, proposed regulations before the Independent Regulatory Review Commission, consent and compliance matters involving the Department of Environmental Resources, and providing legal advice and drafting for legislation or regulations. Relative to Marcellus Shale development and use of PA gas, he is lead counsel in PA PUC matters for Energy Transfer Partners and its Sunoco Pipeline L.P. relative to Mariner East 1, 2, 2x and other PA pipelines. He also was lead counsel for applicants in two recent successful and precedent-setting contested proceedings before the PA PUC: (1) Application of Laser to become a certificated midstream pipeline; and, (2) Application of Leatherstocking Gas Company, LLC, which is now the first new Natural Gas Distribution Company in Pennsylvania in 40 years and who primarily uses supply from shale gas. He continues to provide legal services, advice and representation with respect to existing and planned pipeline projects and cogeneration facilities. He presently also is lead PA PUC counsel for Pike County Light & Power Company and Corning Natural Gas Company. Tom is frequently a speaker at continuing legal education and association conferences on rate, acquisition, service, and Marcellus Shale issues including the 2017 Keystone Energy Forum regarding Eminent Domain in utility and pipeline and Marcellus Shale operations, conferences on PA utility mergers and acquisitions, the annual Pennsylvania Municipal Electric Association meeting on ratemaking law requirements, and as a speaker on Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale pipeline issues at the National Gas and Energy Conference hosted by the University of Texas Law School and the Texas Energy Bar. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Pennsylvania Municipal Electric Association, and the PA Bar Public Utility and Environmental Law sections.