Howard Golub

Howard Golub provides services to a wide range of clients in the energy industry, including utilities, large consumers, public agencies, independent power producers, and developers of technologies for the production of energy.

Howard’s work includes strategic planning, merger and acquisition, utility system creation, franchise agreements, energy project development, contract negotiation and formulation, contract restructuring and alternative dispute resolution. He makes appearances before a variety of federal and state agencies.

Howard focuses on clients’ objectives, primarily in the areas of developing new opportunities, improving their competitiveness and defending existing rights through an integrated regulatory-transactional approach. For example, he created a strategy that allowed one client to develop an independent and fully functioning electric distribution enterprise, taking less than six months from conception to operation — an unprecedented and cost-effective solution. Another client was facing financial ruin until Howard developed a regulatory strategy to cure several years of poor decisions by prior management. A third client was saved $350 million in utility charges.

The energy industry, particularly in California, has been in a state of change for some years and that process will continue — particularly in the areas of price structures, infrastructure development, integration of environmental mandates, transmission access, competition, energy efficiency, renewable energy development, rate design and development of new market entrants. These changes represent significant opportunity for astute market participants.

From 1986 to 1994 Howard was vice president and general counsel of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, one of the largest energy utility companies in the United States. He reported directly to the Board of Directors and to the chief executive officer and served on the company’s Management Committee consisting of the CEO and 10 other senior officers. As chief legal officer of the company, he had extensive experience with all aspects of energy law – regulation, legislation, commercial transactional and litigation. He was also PG&E’s lead environmental officer, responsible for environmental policy and for auditing environmental compliance. He formulated and implemented a proactive environmental program which increased competitiveness and earnings, was strongly endorsed by national environmental leaders, and personally awarded the nation’s highest environmental medal by the President of the United States.

Prior to entering private practice, Howard was an assistant district attorney for New York County (1968-1969) and an officer in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps of the U.S. Navy (1969-1973) where he tried numerous courts-martial and later served as a U.S. Military Judge. After leaving active duty, Howard remained in the Naval Reserves, rising to the rank of captain.
 
Howard is admitted to numerous federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court.