GENE ELROD is based in Washington, D.C., and co-heads Sidley’s global Energy practice. He concentrates primarily on federal and state regulation of the production, transmission and distribution of natural gas, crude oil, petroleum products, and electric energy. Gene also has worked on domestic and international transactions involving oil, natural gas and other natural resources.
Over the course of more than 35 years, Gene has represented a wide range of clients in such matters, including oil and gas producers, pipelines, local distribution and storage companies, electric utilities, and large end-users of natural gas and electric power. He has tried cases for these clients at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, in state courts and before state regulatory commissions, and before Canada’s National Energy Board, and has briefed and argued cases in both federal and state appellate courts. Representative clients over this period have included such companies as ExxonMobil, Barrett Resources, Shell, Idaho Power, Plantation Pipe Line, Michigan Consolidated Gas Company, ANR Storage Company, and Kimberly-Clark Corporation.
Current significant matters include:
Representing ExxonMobil Pipeline Company as trial and settlement counsel in proceedings before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Regulatory Commission of Alaska regarding rates for transportation of crude oil over the Trans Alaska Pipeline System (“TAPS”), including challenges to the prudence of $700 million of investments in new TAPS facilities.
Representing Exxon Mobil Corporation in litigation before the FERC regarding the TAPS Quality Bank, which makes monetary adjustments among TAPS shippers for differences in the qualities of crude oil they tender to the pipeline.
Gene is consistently ranked among the nation’s top energy regulatory and litigation lawyers by Chambers USA, Legal 500 United States, The Best Lawyers in America (in Energy Law and Oil & Gas Law), and Who’s Who Legal. In Chambers USA, where he has been consistently ranked in Band 1 for Oil & Gas (Regulatory & Litigation), he is praised as “smart and dedicated” and “a careful and thoughtful lawyer with impeccable judgment.” Legal 500 lists Gene as a Leading Lawyer, where clients say he is “A rare breed of lawyer,” “an exceptional talent” and has “…extensive knowledge of the energy industry and applicable regulatory law and combines that with strong understanding of the business issues, and excellent legal drafting skills.’” Gene was named the Best Lawyers’ 2014 “Lawyer of the Year” for Oil & Gas Law, and the 2015 “Lawyer of the Year” for Energy Law, in Washington, D.C., an accolade awarded annually to only a single lawyer in each practice area and geographic region. He currently serves on the Energy Law Advisory Board for The George Washington University Law School, and on Law360’s Energy Editorial Advisory Board.
Among his pro bono activities, Gene serves as counsel to two international non-profits: the African Agribusiness Knowledge Centers, a Ghana-based organization that works with commercial-scale agricultural enterprises in Africa to establish programs and facilities to support the training of youth, women and farming professionals in sustainable African agribusiness and entrepreneurship; and KTK-BELT, which partners with schools and community institutions in creating a land trust to conserve vital habitats, teach biodiversity, promote sustainable design, and develop sustainable agricultural livelihoods in eastern Nepal and greater Asia.
Prior to joining the firm in 1977, Gene served on the staff of the Federal Power Commission (predecessor of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) as a trial attorney for gas pipeline and electric utility rate matters (1974-76) and worked for a brief period at the Federal Energy Administration (predecessor of the Department of Energy) on crude oil pricing and allocation matters.
