Melissa Oellerich New

Melissa is an energy regulatory attorney whose practice centers on advising and representing utilities in complex state regulatory proceedings before state public service commissions. She has extensive experience leading and supporting base rate cases, including grid investment and modernization cost recovery, depreciation and dismantlement issues, prudence reviews, and nuclear plant development and construction monitoring proceedings. Melissa also counsels clients on cost of capital determinations and is a member of the Society of Utility and Regulatory Financial Analysts and a Certified Rate of Return Analyst.

Melissa has experience assisting utilities in designing and implementing new alternative regulatory frameworks. She has coordinated multijurisdictional rate cases and supported the development of performance-based regulation, including work on the first performance-based regulation cases in North Carolina. She has advised clients in multiple jurisdictions on trade secret matters, utility mergers, integrated resource planning issues, and franchise/territorial matters. Melissa has also assisted water companies with rate issues and disputes.

Melissa has 25 years of experience in the electric utility industry. Before joining the firm, she worked for 10 years at a major Southeast utility in various roles in the internal audit, corporate secretary, corporate accounting, resource planning, transmission planning, and regulatory accounting business functions. Drawing on this in-house industry and regulatory experience, Melissa provides clients with practical, business-oriented counsel on their most significant regulatory challenges.

• Counseled and prepared numerous client witnesses for participation in state regulatory proceedings including numerous base rate cases, territorial disputes, plant investment prudence reviews, and merger proceedings.
• Assisted in obtaining state regulatory approval of a natural gas/electric utility merger involving several state jurisdictions.
• Helped obtain verification and approval of costs in nuclear construction monitoring proceedings and approval of new cost forecasts.
• Assisted in drafting and executing distributed generation power purchase agreements and amendments and in connection with contract administration and enforcement matters for one of the largest voluntary renewable programs in the U.S.

• Best Lawyers in America®: Ones to Watch: Energy Law (2022-2025)