Francesca Ciliberti-Ayres

Francesca advises interstate pipelines, intrastate pipelines, natural gas producers, marketers, and distribution companies on many aspects of natural gas, oil and environmental regulation. She represents clients in rate cases, complaints, certificate proceedings and confidential investigations before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) and state public utility commissions involving natural gas, oil and environmental matters.

Francesca previously worked at FERC in both its Office of Enforcement and in the Office of General Counsel, as well as for the El Paso Corporation. While in FERC’s Office of Enforcement, Division of Investigations she managed dozens of non-public investigations involving possible violations of the Federal Power Act, the Natural Gas Act and FERC regulations. In FERC’s Office of General Counsel she prepared draft orders and policy statements relating to the interstate transportation of natural gas and oil by pipeline.  Francesca also worked as an attorney for El Paso Corporation’s Western Pipeline Group, including El Paso Natural Gas Company, Mojave Pipeline Company, Colorado Interstate Gas Company, Wyoming Interstate Company and Cheyenne Plains Gas Pipeline. While at El Paso, she represented the aforementioned interstate natural gas pipelines on all aspects of complex FERC hearings, technical and settlement conferences, compliance inquiries, and rulemaking proceedings. She was also responsible for apprising her clients as to emerging climate change and greenhouse gas emissions developments.