Willie L. Phillips is an attorney in Holland & Knight’s Washington, D.C., office and a member of the Public Policy & Regulation Group. Mr. Phillips focuses his practice on regulatory matters in the energy industry.
Mr. Phillips is a nationally recognized regulatory leader with 20 years of experience managing complex federal and state issues, building consensus and integrating legal and technical information to shape public policy and modernize the energy grid.
As the former chair and commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Mr. Phillips led the approval of reforms that accelerated the interconnection of energy generation projects to the electric grid, revamping long-term and regional transmission planning, and advancing grid reliability against extreme weather as well as cyber and physical security threats. In addition to his substantial experience with matters involving electric transmission, Mr. Phillips was responsible for regulating the interstate electric, natural gas and oil pipeline industries in the U.S.
Prior to his role with FERC, Mr. Phillips served as the chairman and commissioner for the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia (DCPSC) and previously served as assistant general counsel for the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC).
