Bowles Rice attorneys provide a broad range of legal services concerning public utility service. Our clients include:

  • Public Service Districts and Municipalities
  • Investor owned water, sewer and natural gas utilities
  • Natural gas transporters and producers
  • Industrial electric and gas consumers
  • Windmills and exempt wholesale electric generators
  • Telecommunications carriers and cable TV providers
  • Developers seeking utility services
  • Motor carriers and landfills

Bowles Rice assists public utilities, industrial consumers, and those in public utility-related fields to obtain their desired objectives. For public utilities, Bowles Rice provides the full range of services to assist in all phases of operating these most important enterprises – obtaining funding for projects, approving rate increases, addressing employee matters, resolving real property and construction issues, and closing on bonds.

Our lawyers have the depth of experience to offer creative options to difficult problems and to push back effectively when regulatory opposition emerges. Bowles Rice works to obtain flexible and affordable solutions for industrial customers of public utilities and for developers seeking public utility services.

Our Team includes a former staff counsel to the West Virginia Public Service Commission and a former environmental counsel to the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources. Our attorneys have significant experience in representing gas-related cases before the Public Service Commission. One of our attorneys helped write the rules under which utilities are required to transport gas to end users, and the rules under which pipelines are regulated by the PSC. 

Bowles Rice provides clients with a full range of legal services, including:

  • Presentation:  Legal and Regulatory Risks of Water and Sewer Utilities, by James V. Kelsh
    Charleston, West Virginia, January 21, 2015
  • Presentation:  Advanced Pooling and Unitization in West Virginia, by George A. Patterson, III
    Continuing Legal Education
    June 1, 2012
  • Presentation:  Surface Owner Issues, by George A. Patterson, III
    American Association of Professional Landmen
    Parkersburg, West Virginia, November 2008
  • Presentation:  Surface Owner Issues, by George A. Patterson, III
    Appalachian Producers Seminar
    September 2008
  • Presentation:  Royalty Litigation After Tawney, by George A. Patterson, III
    Appalachian Producers Seminar
    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 2006
  • Presentation:  Conflicts in Operations: SMCRA and Coal, Oil & Gas, and Timber Operations, by George A. Patterson, III
    Oil and Gas View; 31st Kentucky Mineral Law Conference
    Lexington, Kentucky, 2006
  • Presentation:  A Proper Oil and Gas Loan, by George A. Patterson, III
    West Virginia Bankers Association and Independent Oil and Gas Association seminar
    2006
  • Presentation:  Coal Bed Methane Ownership, by George A. Patterson, III
    Appalachian Producers Seminar
    Lexington, Kentucky, 2004
  • Presentation:  Gas Purchase Contracts After Enron: The Producer View, by George A. Patterson, III
    Appalachian Producers Seminar
    Charleston, West Virginia, 2003
  • Presentation:  Oil and Gas Operations: Areas of Mutual Interest, by George A. Patterson, III
    The 23rd Annual Institute Energy and Mineral Law Foundation
    Baltimore, Maryland, 2002
  • Presentation:  Operating in the Appalachian Basin Under the Model Form Operating Agreement, by George A. Patterson, III
    Appalachian Producers Seminar
    Charleston, West Virginia, December 1997

Articles & Alerts

  • "Weak Financial Capacity Common For Sewer and Water Utilities," by James V. Kelsh
    Mountain State Water Line, Fall 2007
  • "Storm Water Utilities Face Novel Challenges," by James V. Kelsh
    Mountain State Water Line, Spring 2007
  • "PSC Approves New Financial Tools," by James V. Kelsh
    Mountain State Water Line, Spring 2006
  • "Municipal Utilities Losing Rate Autonomy," by James V. Kelsh
    Mountain State Water Line, Summer 2003
  • "PSDs Regain Flexibility in Paying for Engineering Services," by James V. Kelsh
    Mountain State Water Line, Fall 2002
  • "PSC Revises Procedural Rules," by James V. Kelsh
    Mountain State Water Line, Summer 2002
  • "Conflicting Rights and Interests Among Oil and Gas Lessees, Surface Owners and Other Interest Holders," by George A. Patterson, III
    West Virginia, 23 Energy & Min. L. Inst. Ch. 9, page 289
    2002
  • "Double Jeopardy for Utilities," by James V. Kelsh
    Mountain State Water Line, Winter 2001
  • "Is a Gas Purchase Agreement Subject to UCC Section 2-306?," by George A. Patterson, III
    E. Min. L. Inst. Ch. 18
    1997
  • Successfully obtained legislation establishing a special electric rate option for industrial customers, and West Virginia Public Service Commission approval of two special rates for industrial clients under that legislation
  • Successfully obtained scores of certificates of convenience and necessity for water, sewer, motor carrier and natural gas clients
  • Successfully represented many telecommunications carriers in obtaining approval of changes in corporate control and secured financings
  • Advise natural gas producers and transporters regarding how business needs to be conducted in order to avoid being deemed a public utility
  • Successfully obtained West Virginia Public Service Commission approval of the first impact fee for a public service district
  • Closed on scores of financings to enable public utility projects to be constructed
  • Prepared several employee handbooks for public service districts
  • Obtained Public Service Commission siting authority for windmills and other exempt wholesale generators
  • Appear regularly on behalf of water and sewer utilities for funding requests to the West Virginia Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council
  • Obtain Public Service Commission approval of rate increases for dozens of clients
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