After nearly two years as general counsel of the Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Andrea Stover has returned to Baker Botts, the firm announced on Tuesday.
Stover had always been intrigued with going in-house and she jumped at the opportunity to be at the nation’s largest distribution cooperative during a such a consequential time for the industry. But she said Baker Botts, where she practiced for almost eight years prior to taking the PEC GC job, feels like home.
“It was a hard decision to make. I really loved my time at PEC and I’m very appreciative of all of the people. We accomplished a lot of good, setting them up for success in the future,” she said.
“There’s not a better place to be for this [energy regulatory] work than Baker Botts.”
Two major efforts Stover helped the PEC executive team with included shoring up its power supply capabilities to serve increased energy loads and navigating the ongoing filings related to the new transmission control center in Leander, which allowed the co-op to assume direct operational control of its transmission assets from the Lower Colorado River Authority. Stover worked closely with Chief Compliance Officer Christian Powell, who begins his tenure as CEO on Aug. 4.
“I’m appreciative of the perspective it gave me,” Stover said. “I have a better understanding of the challenges legal departments face that aren’t always visible to outside counsel. I also got to see firsthand what good, and bad, client service looks like.”
Baker Botts Managing Partner Danny David said Stover’s understanding from both sides comes “right as data center growth pushes power and permitting to their limits.”
Texas Global Projects Chair Jim Barkley said Stover “knows the Texas electric market as well as anyone I have worked with. That matters as data center demand pressures ERCOT and PUCT processes.”
Stover, who previously co-chaired the firm’s Energy Regulatory practice group, will represent electric utilities, cooperatives, generators, and retail electric providers in regulatory, transactional, and litigation matters. She is the fourth addition across the firm’s energy practice in Texas over the last nine months, joining Regina Pearson, Anna Irion, and Cody Carper.