Phoenix, Ariz. – The Arizona Corporation Commission is pleased to host the 45th National Conference of Regulatory Attorneys (NCRA) in Scottsdale, May 3-6, 2026.  The ACC’s General Counsel, Thomas Van Flein has served as the head of ACC’s Office of General Counsel since March 2024 and currently serves as the president of NCRA. This year’s conference is entitled “Professional Growth in the Valley of the Sun” and provides educational and networking opportunities specifically tailored to government utility regulatory attorneys and alumni.  Organizers include the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and the NARUC Subcommittee on Law in coordination with the NARUC Staff Subcommittee on Administrative Law Judges (ALJs). 

This year marks a pivotal time in the global energy landscape, with regulatory attorneys and ALJ’s making critical decisions that affect energy capacity and resilience for future generations. Artificial Intelligence and electrification are rapidly reshaping this energy transition.  American infrastructure is at a critical juncture; regulated utilities and state and federal regulators are navigating unprecedented energy demand, new transmission and grid infrastructure projects are in a bottleneck for approvals, and a tidal wave of new electricity sources are all happening concurrently.

Every year, approximately 50 - 100 regulatory attorneys and ALJ’s from across the country gather at this annual conference.  Several panels addressing regulatory issues involving energy production, distribution, and transmission will be offered.  Among this year’s session topics - Data Centers and Government, Small Modular Reactors Challenges, and Navigating Water/Wastewater Utility Acquisitions.   As part of the conference, continuing legal education seminars will be presented as well as panels on current political and economic issues impacting the regulatory environment. 

The NCRA annual conference is open to all utility regulatory attorneys having statutory responsibility for working with or appearing before State or Federal regulatory agencies. 

REGISTER BY APRIL 3, 2026: https://azcc.gov/news/ncra-conference

For more information and a registration form, please contact Thomas Van Flein at tvanflein@azcc.gov or Elizabeth “Betsy” Barnes at ebarnes@pa.gov.