Carrie Tournillon

• Project Development

• Utilities Regulation

Carrie Tournillon practices at the intersection of utilities regulation and energy law, including oil, natural gas and pipeline-related issues. Carrie is known and valued for providing smart solutions to businesses seeking to achieve their commercial objectives through government. Listed among Chambers’ Band 1 Louisiana Energy & Natural Resources: Utilities lawyers, Carrie currently serves as a Councilmember and Past Chair of the Public Utilities Section of the Louisiana Bar Association and member of the Board of Directors of the Energy Bar Association – Louisiana Chapter.

Carrie brings decades of proven skill in achieving successful client outcomes to her Texas and Louisiana-focused administrative, public utility, and energy law practice. She ably guides clients through their most important energy projects – all with a focus on ensuring compliance with complex federal and state regulatory law.

Carrie represents industrial manufacturing, refining, and related energy industry constituents before the Louisiana Public Service Commission, Louisiana Pilotage Fee Commission, and Council of the City of New Orleans. She has assisted private equity in acquiring natural gas distribution systems in Louisiana and Mississippi, including through transaction diligence, regulatory approval, and closing processes, and with the stand up of the new natural gas public utilities. Carrie also navigates business clients through utilities-focused regulatory matters involving the LPSC, CNO, Public Utility Commission of Texas, the Railroad Commission of Texas, the State Office of Administrative Hearings, and district courts.

Carrie also assists local distribution natural gas utilities, water and sewerage utilities, liquids intrastate pipeline companies, and telecommunications companies with complex regulatory matters, and has proven, time and again, her ability to resolve even the most difficult contract disputes and regulatory issues.

Prior to joining Kean Miller, Carrie practiced in Texas, serving as a Staff Attorney for the PUCT before entering private practice with a law firm specializing in representing clients in utility regulatory matters before the PUCT and RRC. At the PUCT, she represented the commission on a wide variety of electric and telecommunication proceedings, rulemaking proceedings, and ERCOT protocol enforcement cases. Carrie also worked on the PUCT’s Emergency Management Response Team during Hurricane Ike. This direct experience working inside the commission exposed Carrie to the many facets of utilities regulation. Since entering private practice, Carrie has continued to expand her expertise across the full spectrum of regulatory considerations and effective problem-solving.

Because Carrie is fluent in the agency decision-making process, she knows how to serve as a catalyst for realizing her client’s end game. Her unique perspective, undeniable know-how, and immediate accessibility to the right government professionals are a value-add and benefit to those she serves. There is no substitute for this type of hands-on experience – one of the many reasons clients consistently turn to Carrie to realize their most ambitious goals.

• Member, Louisiana State Bar Association (Councilmember and Past Chair, Public Utility Law Section)

• Member, Texas State Bar Association (Public Utilities, Administrative Law Sections)

• Board Member, Energy Bar Association (Louisiana Chapter)

• Member, Louisiana Manufacturers (Political Actions Committee)

• Member, Women's Energy Network

• Representation of the Louisiana Energy Users Group, an association of industrial manufacturing, refining, and/or related business operations located in Louisiana that collectively purchase more than 9 billion kWh/year of electricity from Entergy Louisiana, in electric energy rulemaking and policy matters before the LPSC.

• Representation of private equity firm in acquisition of natural gas local distribution systems in Louisiana and Mississippi through transaction diligence, regulatory approval processes, and transaction closing, including assistance in the standing up of the new natural gas public utilities.

• Representation of the Louisiana Chemical Association and Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association in pilotage fee matters before the LPFC and in district and appellate court.

• Representation of water/wastewater and natural gas public utilities regarding their rate applications and state utility regulatory issues.

• Representation of container board manufacturing companies before the LPSC in electric utility regulatory matters involving Cleco Power LLC.

• Representation of an industrial manufacturing company before the City Council of New Orleans in electric utility regulatory matters involving Entergy New Orleans, LLC.

• Representation of a telecommunications company in multi-state complaint proceedings pursuant to Interconnection Agreements and the Telecommunication Act.

• Representation of liquids intrastate pipeline companies on rate proceedings and regulatory issues before the LPSC.

• Representation of a major oil refining company in disputes over electric rates.

• Representation of clients in applications for Eligible Telecommunications Carrier designations, compliance filings, and tariff revisions.

• Representation of clients seeking permit authorization from the LPSC to transport oilfield wastes.

• Representation of clients in transmission routing cases.

• Representation of clients in proceedings relating to applications by electric, gas, and pipeline companies for rate increases.

• Representation of a variety of clients in pole attachment fee matters.

• Representation of a variety of clients in regulatory agency rulemaking proceedings.