Jason Keyes

Partner

Jason focuses on regulatory matters related to interconnection of distributed generation. He has participated in interconnection and net metering rulemakings at public utilities commissions in twenty states, and he regularly addresses the issue of whether third-party ownership is permitted in a state. In addition, he assists clients with broader regulatory issues and contracts related to renewable energy project development.

Prior to his legal career, Jason managed government contracts and business development for eight years at JX Crystals Inc., a pioneer in the field of high-concentration solar energy systems. In the early 1990s, he was a corporate planning analyst at Washington state’s largest utility, Puget Power (now Puget Sound Energy), where he managed the electric vehicle program and helped develop the utility’s integrated resource plan and demand forecast.

Practice Areas

Admissions

State Bar of Washington

Representative Work

Addressed California regulatory issues regarding the Renewable Auction Mechanism and SB 32 (feed-in tariff) for a leading solar project developer.
Testified before House and Senate Energy Committees in Illinois and Washington state.
Developed structures to utilize available incentives for community solar projects in Washington state.
Developed engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) agreements for utility-scale wind and solar projects in the United States and Canada.
On behalf of a leading U.S.-based renewable energy nonprofit, participated in:
- Net metering workshops and rulemakings in 15 states;
- Interconnection workshops and rulemakings in nine states; and
- Third-party ownership workshops and rulemakings in five states.

Education

J.D., Seattle University School of Law
- summa cum laude
M.A., Economics, University of Washington
B.A., English, Dartmouth College

Professional Honors and Activities

Secretary, Board of Directors of the American Solar Energy Society, 2007 – 2012
President, Board of Directors of Solar Washington, 2008 – 2010
Member, Energy Bar Association

Presentations

“Regulations Supporting Solar,” ASES National Conference, Raleigh, NC, May 2011.
“Washington State’s Distributed Generation Laws,” Washington House Technology Energy and Communications Committee, Olympia, WA, April 2011.
“Utility Interconnection Issues,” Future Energy Conference, Seattle, WA, November 2010.
“Successful U.S. State Policies for Supporting Renewable and Distributed Generation,” 4th International Conference on Integration of Renewable and Distributed Energy Resources, Albuquerque, NM, December 2010.
“Interconnecting and Net Metering Solar Energy Facilities,” U.S. Department of Energy Solar Boot Camp, Denver, CO, June 2010.
Oregon Solar Power Conference (Seminar Group), Portland, OR, May 2010.
“Rate Impacts of Interconnecting, Net Metering and Financing Distributed Generation,” Legal Seminars International Energy Conference, Las Vegas, NV, February 2010.
“Who Will Be the New Regulator for Net Metering, Interconnection & Third Party Ownership,” Solar Power International, Anaheim, CA, October 2009.
“Five ‘Hot’ Topics in Solar Energy,” National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, Washington, DC, February 2009.

Publications

A Regulator’s Guidebook: Calculating the Benefits and Costs of Distributed Solar Generation, with Karl Rábago, October 2013. Available at www.irecusa.com.
A Generalized Approach to Assessing the Rate Impacts of Net Energy Metering, Solar America Board for Codes and Standards report, with Joseph Wiedman, January 2012. Available at www.solarabcs.org/rateimpact.
Comparison of the Four Leading Small Generator Interconnection Procedures, Solar America Board for Codes and Standards report, with Kevin Fox, October 2008. Available at www.solarabcs.org/interconnection.
Solar Energy With No Money Down, Jason Keyes et. al., Solar Today feature article, October 2010. Available at http://www.solartoday-digital.org/solartoday/20100809#pg44.
Net Metering and Interconnection Procedures Incorporating Best Practices, Jason Keyes et. al., Proceedings of Solar 2009 conference, American Solar Energy Society, May 2009.
Model Interconnection Procedures (lead drafter), November 2009. Available at www.irecusa.org.