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Christine M.T. Pirik

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    Overview

    Since joining Dickinson Wright in 2016, Chris has built the premier state energy permitting practice in Ohio and has permitted more megawatts than anyone before the Ohio Power Siting Board and local jurisdictions. The siting docket is replete with her successes.  Chris has many exciting active projects in development, including natural gas combined cycle plants, natural gas pipelines, transmission lines, substations, energy storage projects, behind the meter projects, large and small scale solar projects, distributed generation solar projects, and wind projects.  Chris permitted the largest solar project east of the Mississippi, which is combined with energy storage and agrivoltaics, and the first-of-its-kind offshore wind project in the Great Lakes. She takes projects from the whiteboard through permitting and diligence, through any Ohio Supreme Court litigation, and provides support through the life of the projects for on-going compliance.  She maintains close relationships with the regulator, and is at the forefront of legislative changes that affect the ability to site energy infrastructure in Ohio.

    Chris also represents clients before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, including retail electric and gas government aggregators, utility coalitions and associations for energy and telecommunications, and data centers, in rate cases, certification applications, rulemaking proceedings, and other matters.   Chris has valuable experience regarding environmental, tax, and real estate matters as relates to energy projects and frequently assists clients with due diligence for their transactions.

    Prior to joining Dickinson Wright, Chris devoted over 31 years to public service to the state of Ohio.  Her tenure included 18 years of executive management experience over telecommunications, natural gas, electric, and transportation, including 7 years as Chief of Staff, and 9 years as Deputy Legal Director for the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and the Ohio Power Siting Board.

    Experience

    Chris has overseen numerous high-profile cases involving energy infrastructure, regulatory matters, and utility proceedings in Ohio, including:

    • 21-902-GE-BRO Ohio Power Siting Board Rules Effective 5/30/25
    • 23-145-EL-BGN Prairie Flyer Standalone Battery Energy Storage 85 MW
    • 22-549-EL-BGN Oak Run Solar 800 MW / BESS 300 MW / Agrivoltaics
    • 16-1871-EL-BGN Icebreaker Offshore Wind 20.7 MW
    • 17-773-EL-BGN Hardin Solar I 150 MW
    • 18-1360-EL-BGN Hardin Solar II 170 MW
    • 20-1678-EL-BGN Hardin Solar III 300 MW
    • 20-1679-EL-BGN Pleasant Prairie 250 MW
    • 17-774-EL-BGN Vinton Solar 125 MW
    • 19-393-EL-BLN Vinton Transmission Line
    • 18-91-El-BGN Timber Road Wind IV 125 MW
    • 18-1607-EL-BGN Emerson Creek Wind 297 MW
    • 20-931-EL-BGN Fox Squirrel Solar 577 MW
    • 20-417-EL-BGN Grover Hill Wind 150 MW
    • 20-1362-EL-BGN Clearview Solar 144 MW
    • 20-1529-EL-BGN Wheatsborough Solar 125 MW
    • 20-1677-EL-BGN Cadence Solar 275 MW
    • 20-1680-EL-BGN Yellow Wood Solar 300 MW
    • 21-4-EL-BGN Tymochtee Solar 125 MW
    • 21-36-EL-BGN Marion Solar 100 MW
    • 21-164-EL-BGN Harvey Solar 350 MW
    • 22-94-EL-BGN Springwater Solar 155 MW / BESS 75 MW
    • 22-269-EL-BTX Grover Hill Transmission Line
    • 19-1073-EL-BTX Emerson Creek Transmission Line
    • 21-1003-EL-BLN Cadence Transmission Line
    • 21-1231-EL-BGN Fountain Point Solar 280 MW
    • 22-122-EL-BLN Pleasant Prairie Transmission Line
    • 23-713-EL-BGN Mink Solar 140 MW
    • 19-1880-EL-BGN Atlanta Farms Solar 200 MW
    • 19-1881-EL-BGN Madison Fields Solar 180 MW
    • 21-277-EL-BGN Border Basin Solar 120 MW
    • 22-507-GA-AIR Duke Energy Ohio
    • 23-798-EL-AEC City of Akron and Ohio Edison Company
    • 23-23-EL-SSO Ohio Power Company
    • 21-887-EL-AIR Duke Energy Ohio
    • 24-508-EL-ATA Ohio Power Company

    During her tenure as Chief of Staff at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and the Ohio Power Siting Board, Chris managed 400 employees, overseeing the legal, technical, and business functions of the agencies.

    In addition, as Deputy Legal Director, Chris supervised administrative law judges and presided over applications filed before the PUCO/OPSB, including cases involving: requests for increases in distribution and generation rates; electric security plans and market rate offers; natural gas and telecommunications alternative regulation filings; certificates to provide competitive retail natural gas, competitive retail electric, and competitive telecommunications services; and rulemaking proceedings for all utilities. She also:

    • Presided over and supervised cases for the construction of renewable energy projects, natural gas fired generation facilities, electric transmission lines and substations, and natural gas pipelines.
    • Served as lead attorney on the reorganization of the Ohio Power Siting Board’s administrative rules concerning applications for the construction of major gas, electric, and wind facilities.
    • Presided over rates cases, and electric security plan and market rate offer cases filed by FirstEnergy and Duke Energy Ohio. Acted as lead attorney on the Duke Energy Ohio cases, including the utility’s rate case where Duke requested recovery of the remediation costs for its manufactured gas plant, rider cases, and gas and electric SmartGrid cases.
    • Presided over cases involving Columbia Gas of Ohio, Dominion East Ohio Gas, and Vectren Energy Delivery involving the restructuring of the utilities’ distribution rate structures to a straight fixed variable rate design.

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