Experience

Jason Johns is an associate in the Energy & Telecommunications group. He focuses his practice on federal energy regulation, reliability issues, transmission, and power purchase agreements. Jason is also registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and has assisted in authoring patents for various chemical processes.

Previously, Jason was an energy regulations consultant, Stoel Rives LLP, Portland, Oregon, 2007; research assistant, Andrew King-Ries, professor of criminal law, 2006-2007; legal intern, University of Montana Legal Counsel, 2006; and judicial extern, U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, 2005.

Before entering law school, Jason worked as a chemist in the pharmaceutical industry, where he focused on synthetic techniques and product development. In his work as a chemist, Jason was able to play an important role in a non-profit effort to develop a method of purifying a vaccine used to treat leishmaniasis—a disease that mostly affects developing countries.

Representative Work

• Routinely drafts transmission analyses that are incorporated into power purchase agreements for an international wind developer.
• Assisted a client in avoiding penalties before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Office of Enforcement.
• Performed a comprehensive internal audit of a cogeneration facility with respect to NERC and WECC reliability standards and helped institute improved employee training and compliance programs.
• Assisted a consortium of wind developers in confronting wind integration charges before the Bonneville Power Administration.
• Filed market-based rate authority, Qualifying Facility, section 203, and transmission rate schedule applications with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on behalf of wind, geothermal, solar and hydropower developers and operators.
• Represented a party in the California ISO interconnection queue reform docket at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and has provided counsel to parties involved in the Midwest ISO interconnection queue reform.

Professional Honors & Activities

• Member, Oregon State Bar Association
• Nathan Burkan Memorial Award

Presentations

• "FERC's Initiatives Supporting Renewable Energy," Renewable Energy Development and Transmission Expansion, August 2010
• Client presentation to international wind developer on TXU Portfolio Management v. FPL Energy Pecos Wind I litigation
• Client presentation to hydropower facility developer and operator on Federal Power Act requirements

Civic Activities

• Jason stays active by participating in events hosted by Renewable Northwest Project, National Regulatory Research Institute, and National Wind Coordinating Collaborative. Jason also coaches youth baseball during the summer.

Publications

• Author, "A Forgotten Copyright," American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, 2006
• Biannual Energy Regulations update for the American Bar Association Energy Bar
• Regulatory Chapter, Law of Wind; Regulatory and Transmissions-Related Issues Chapter, Law of Wind and Law of Solar Power. Published by Stoel Rives

Education

• University of Montana School of Law, J.D., 2007, with honors
  Technical Editor, Montana Law Review, 2006-2007
• University of California, B.S., 2002, chemistry

Admissions

• Oregon
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

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