Education
- University of Colorado Law School, J.D., 1999
- The University of Utah, B.S., cum laude, 1995, Geography
Bar Admissions
- Alaska
- Colorado (Inactive)
- District of Columbia
Court Admissions
- Supreme Court of the United States
- U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
Chuck is a regular speaker on hydro issues, addressing organizations and conferences such as the National Hydropower Association, the National Water Resources Association, HydroVision International, and the Northwest Hydroelectric Association. His recent presentations include:
- Speaker, “D.C. Update – Uncertainty Abounds!” NHA Northeast Regional Meeting, July 23-24, 2025.
- Speaker, “D.C. Update – Uncertainty Abounds!,” NHA California Regional Meeting, June 25, 2025.
- Speaker, “State Water Rights in the Northwest,” NHA’s 2024 Clean Currents, October 7-10, 2024.
- Speaker, “Tools of the Trade: Skill-Building and Applications for Negotiations Techniques,” Waterpower Week, May 10, 2023.
- Speaker, “Other Federal Agency Administration of Non-Federal Hydropower,” Energy Bar Association’s Energy Law Academy Course 109: Introduction to Hydropower, March 31, 2023.
- Speaker, “Legal and Regulatory Discussion,” NWHA’s Fall Regional Workshop, September 13-15, 2022.
- Presenter, 29th Annual Endangered Species Act Conference, January 20-21, 2022.
- Presenter, 30th Annual Oregon Water Law Conference, November 4-5, 2021.
- Speaker, “Finding Certainty in Uncertain Times,” Troutman Pepper Webinar, February 24, 2021.
- Speaker, “Hydropower Licensing,” Northwest Hydroelectric Association Fall Regional Workshop, October 9-10, 2019.
- Speaker, “Hydropower – A New Look at Opportunities for America’s First Renewable Energy Resource,” Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and National Hydropower Association (NHA), April 24, 2019.
- Speaker, “Exploring Federal and State Regulatory Policy Changes,” Water Power Week in Washington, April 2, 2019.
- Speaker, “Reservoir of Recent Federal Legal and Policy Initiatives,” NorthWest Hydroelectric Association Conference, February 20, 2019.
- Speaker, “Solving ‘Flexibility Gap’: How Hydro, Solar and Wind Can Work Together,” Renewable Energy Webcast, May 4, 2018.
- Speaker, “NHA 2018 Legislative Update and Outlook,” Water Power Week in Washington, April 30, 2018.
- Speaker, “Hydroelectric Policy and Licensing,” Spring 2018 Joint CREPC WIRAB Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia, April 18, 2018.
- Speaker, “Legal and Policy Landscape in Flux,” NorthWest Hydroelectric Association Conference, February 2018.
- Speaker, NHA Regional Meeting in Girdwood, AK, September 24, 2017.
- Speaker, “Emerging Federal Policy Affecting Hydro Development,” U.S. Society of Dams meeting in Girdwood, AK, September 20, 2017.
- Speaker, “FAST, WRDA, HREA and Other Regulatory Developments That Will Affect Hydro Licensing,” HydroVision International 2017, Denver, CO, June 27, 2017.
- Speaker, “New Hydropower Development in Alaska: Challenges and Opportunities,” National Hydropower Association’s Alaska Regional Meeting, National Hydropower Association, Cordova, AK, September 19, 2016.
- Presenter, “Hydro Permitting Roundtable,” National Water Resources Association’s Western Water Seminar 2016, Sun Valley, ID, August 3, 2016.
- Presenter, “Relicensing: TLP vs. ILP,” 2016 National Hydropower Association Northeast Regional Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, June 2, 2016.
- Speaker, “Overlapping Jurisdiction Issues in Licensing,” EBA Primer Series: An Introduction to Hydropower Law and Regulation, Energy Bar Association and the National Hydropower Association, Boston, MA, September 15, 2014.
Chuck is a frequent author on various issues affecting the industry, publishing dozens of pieces in such journals as Energy Law and Transactions; ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources Newsletter; The Water Report; and Irrigation Leader. Some of his recent articles include:
- Co-author, “To Waive or Not to Waive, Redux,” Troutman Pepper Locke, July 16, 2025.
- Co-author, “FERC Revises Regulations Implementing NEPA; Adopts Two Hydropower-Related Categorical Exclusions,” Troutman Pepper Locke, July 9, 2025.
- Co-author, “One-Track Mind: Unanimous SCOTUS Decision on Rail Line Approval Further Narrows Scope of NEPA,” Troutman Pepper Locke, May 30, 2025.
- Co-author, “To Waive or Not to Waive? That Is the 401 Question,” Troutman Pepper Locke, May 22, 2025.
- Co-author, “FERC Issues Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Conform to EPA’s Recent CWA 401 Rule,” Troutman Pepper, June 4, 2024.
- Co-author, “Western Pond Turtle Listing Will Impact Land and Water Managers Throughout the Western U.S.,” Troutman Pepper, November 29, 2023.
- Co-author, “EPA’s Clean Water Act Certification Proposal to Significantly Impact Hydropower Licensing,” Pratt’s Energy Law Report (Vol. 22-10), November-December 2022.
- Co-author, “Infrastructure Bill Provides Opportunities for Hydroelectric Industry,” Troutman Pepper, November 9, 2021.
- Co-author, “The Fourth Circuit Weighs in on the Interpretation of CWA Section 401,” Environmental Law and Policy Monitor, July 7, 2021.
- Co-author, “What a New Administration Means in the World of Water Quality,” The Water Report, February 15, 2021.
- Co-author, “Emerging Developments in Water Quality Certification for Federally Licensed or Permitted Facilities,” American Bar Association’s Natural Resources & Environment, July 27, 2020.
- Co-author, “EPA Proposes Sweeping Changes to Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Regulations,” Synergy Environmental Inc Environmental Consultants Newsletter, August 2019.
- Co-author, “Power Development at Non-Powered Dams,” The Water Report, May 15, 2019.
- Author, “Déjà Vu All Over Again: Re-Defining Waters of the United States Under the Clean Water Act,” The Water Project, January 15, 2019.
- Author, “Deep Carbonization and Hydropower,” Environmental Law Reporter, April 2018. (Note: Article excerpted from Michael B. Gerrard & John C. Dernbach, eds., Legal Pathways to Deep Decarbonization in the United States, 2019 from ELI Press.)
- Author, “Water Transfers & the CWA,” The Water Report, 2017.
- Author, “Opportunities for New FERC Policies Promoting Hydropower Development Under New Administration,” Irrigation Leader, Vol. 8 Issue 5, May 1, 2017.
- Author, “Hydropower Licensing Under the Federal Power Act: A Century of Resource Conflict Resolution in the Public Interest,” Natural Resources & Environment, ABA, 2016.
- Quoted, “Pumped Storage Is Having a Moment. Will It Shift Renewables?,” Energy Wire, April 15, 2022.
- Quoted, “FERC Hopes to Act Within Months to Ensure Markets Compensate Flexibility: Glick,” S&P Global Commodity Insights, April 6, 2022.
- Featured, “Chuck Sensiba on Troutman Pepper’s Expertise in Hydro Law,” HydroLeader, May 2021.
- Quoted, “3 Takeaways From The EPA’s New Water Permit Rule,” Law360, June 2, 2020.
- Featured, “Alumni Spotlight: Charles R. Sensiba,” The University of Utah, August 15, 2019.
- Quoted, “GRDA lays out proposed studies for relicense – Corps Hydrologist refers to lake operations as ‘nightmare,’” Miami News Record, June 12, 2018.
- Mentioned, “People on the Move,” American Bar Association, Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, Trend, May 1, 2018.
- Mentioned, “Transition Roundup: Changes at Kleinschmidt, Troutman Sanders and Van Ness Feldman,” Hydro Review, March 23, 2018.
- Mentioned, “Troutman Reels in Hydro Specialist,” Power Finance & Risk, March 22, 2018.
- Quoted, “Troutman Nabs Ex-Van Ness Feldman Hydropower Pro,” Law360, March 16, 2018.
- Mentioned, “People on the Move,” Washington Business Journal, March 15, 2018.