Jessica C. Friedman

Partner

202.298.1895

jcf@vnf.com

Assistant

1050 Thomas Jefferson Street NW
Seventh Floor
Washington, DC 20007

Jessica Friedman represents generation developers, independent power producers, merchant transmission developers, private equity funds and institutional investors in electric assets, and power marketers in transactional and federal regulatory matters involving the energy industry.

Jessica assists clients with federal energy regulatory issues related to the development, ownership, and operation of renewable and conventional electric generation facilities. She frequently provides counsel on complex generator interconnection issues, transmission service matters, and participation in organized capacity and wholesale energy markets operated by regional transmission organizations. Jessica also regularly represents clients in general compliance matters related to the qualifying facility status, exempt wholesale generator status, and market-based rate authority of power projects, as well as in compliance audits and investigations before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Jessica’s practice includes advising clients on contractual agreements for the purchase and sale of electric power and related products. In addition, Jessica regularly assists clients with federal regulatory due diligence and obtaining FERC approvals related to the purchase and sale of electric assets and energy project financing arrangements.

Jessica also counsels merchant transmission developers on strategic development decisions related to equity ownership structures and capacity allocation arrangements. She advises clients regarding negotiated rate authority and incentive-based rate treatment, and provides counsel on transmission service agreements and open access tariff requirements.

Jessica previously served as an Assistant County Attorney in Fairfax County, a suburb of Washington DC, where she acquired significant civil litigation experience while handling child abuse and neglect cases.

Jessica serves as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee.

American University, Washington College of Law

J.D., summa cum laude, 2000

George Mason University

B.S., 1992

Legal 500

Energy - Regulatory 2014

Chambers USA

Energy: Electricity (Regulatory and Litigation), 2018

District of Columbia Bar

Virginia State Bar

Energy Bar Association

Fairfax County, Virginia - Attorney’s Office

Assistant County Attorney, 2001-2003

Fairfax County, Virginia - Department of Family Services

Family and Child Social Worker, 1992-1997
  • Represents major renewable energy developers in complex negotiations with transmission owners and RTOs over generator interconnection service matters, including interconnection study process and timing issues, network upgrade cost allocation, transmission credits, capacity injection rights, development milestones, and phased development of a single interconnection queue position.
  • Represents a developer of offshore wind projects in generator interconnection and transmission service matters (including issues related to development of a new FERC-jurisdictional undersea transmission cable), power purchase negotiations, RTO membership and participation, and federal energy regulatory compliance.
  • Provides special federal regulatory counsel in connection with numerous mergers, acquisitions, sales, and energy project financings: (i) represented an independent power producer in a $1.4 billion sale of a portfolio of 20 renewable generation projects to a private equity fund; (ii) represented a global investment firm in a $2.6 billion divestiture of a major wind developer to a foreign utility company; (iii) represented an independent power producer with a portfolio of qualifying facilities, exempt wholesale generators, and a power marketer in an upstream acquisition by a global investment firm and a subsequent phased divestiture of its projects to a private equity fund; (iv) represented a private equity fund in its acquisition and subsequent disposition of a portfolio of 16 qualifying facilities and exempt wholesale generators with market-based rate authority; (v) represented a major wind energy developer in multiple tax equity transactions, each involving the transfer of certain upstream ownership interests in operating wind projects.
  • Counsels a merchant transmission developer of multiple high voltage direct current transmission lines designed to connect thousands of megawatts of renewable resources to load centers on negotiated rate authority, allocation of capacity pursuant to an open solicitation and bilateral agreements, and alternative tariff structures.