Description
Policymakers and utilities face hotter summers and colder winters, rising arrears, and funding volatility that strain traditional assistance models. Counsel must navigate disparate state programs, medical need and reconnection provisions, and emerging requirements to quantify health and equity impacts as part of the regulatory recordkeeping.
The panel will discuss the federal landscape, including LIHEAP pressures and Title VI enforcement policies, as well as leading state regulatory approaches. Common challenges, including due process notice, fee structures, data gaps, and preemption concerns, will be covered so counsel can advise clients during funding gaps or rapid regulatory change.
Listen as our panel examines the intersection of public health, utility regulation, and compliance advisory strategies, helping clients maintain service, manage risk, and document equitable outcomes.
Presented By
Ms. Wheelock, Esq. is the Executive Director and General Counsel of the Public Utility Law Project. She began her career working for the New York Public Interest Research Group ("NYPIRG") where she fought for the rights of consumers across the state. Ms. Wheelock went on to work for three different members of the New York State Assembly in both Albany and New York City focusing on a wide variety of issue areas including legislation to promote affordable housing, public access to insurance, nonprofit reform, and environmental protection. In 2023, Ms. Wheelock became a Trustee of the NYS Power Authority. Ms. Wheelock received her Bachelors Degree in Political Science from Binghamton University and received her Juris Doctorate and Masters in Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School.
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This 90-minute webinar is eligible in most states for 1.5 CLE credits.
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Date + Time
- event
Thursday, November 13, 2025
- schedule
1:00 p.m. ET./10:00 a.m. PT
I. Introduction
II. Temperature, health, and energy insecurity: the data
III. Regulatory landscapes
A. Federal: LIHEAP and Title VI
B. State protections
IV. Utility regulatory levers that advance equity (PIPP, arrearage management, etc.)
V. Operational challenges and solutions for climate emergencies
VI. Litigation and statute updates
VII. Practitioner takeaways
The panel will review these and other important issues:
- The federal and state framework for energy assistance, shutoff protection, including LIHEAP
- Leading tools and programs, and when using each is appropriate
- Affordability solutions (PIPP, tiered discount, arrearage management)
- Data and public health evidence informing best practices in energy equity
- Planning for climate emergencies and operations
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1:00 p.m. ET./10:00 a.m. PT