Maria Faconti

Practice Areas

Maria Faconti is a partner in the firm’s Austin office. She is a member of the Power practice group. Having worked as a staff attorney at the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), Maria has in-depth knowledge of how to navigate the complex regulatory requirements. She represents a variety of market participants, including generators and retail electric providers, before the PUCT, Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), and the Texas Reliability Entity. Maria focuses her practice on a broad scope of regulatory issues, including commercial and settlement disputes, market structure, rates, market power, compliance and enforcement, development-related matters, policy questions, registration and certification questions, and transmission system access. Maria also assists clients in responding to Public Information Act requests.

Maria assists clients in obtaining regulatory permits, power purchase agreements, interconnection agreements, and shared utility agreements within ERCOT, Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), and Southwest Power Pool (SPP). She also works on energy development and acquisition matters for a wide range of resource types including conventional, wind, solar, storage and bio-fuel, advising clients on all aspects of energy infrastructure development, acquisition, and financing deals.

Additionally, Maria regularly assists generators, data miners, crypto miners, and other industrial customers structure private use networks and other behind the meter arrangements, including all required related documents, including, but not limited to, power purchase agreements and shared facility agreements.

Publications

“Reactive Power Compensation for Renewable Energy Facilities: Opportunity Amidst Change,” Oil, Gas & Energy Resources Law Section Report, January 2023

“Texas Power Report Falls Short On Winter Risks, Other Issues,” Law360, 7 December 2022

“Lessons From FERC New England Capacity Market Settlement,” Law360, 29 July 2022

Foreign Direct Investment in the U.S. and the Defense Production Act - A Look at Rails Corporation v. Terna Energy USA Holding Corporation, 10 TEX J. OIL, GAS, & ENERGY L. 509.

How Texas Overcame California as a Renewable State: A Look at the Texan Renewable Energy Success, 14 Vt J. Envtl. L. 411

Education