Hillary Close advises on utility law. Her practice combines experience working with clients across utility industries and practical subject matter knowledge with innovative ideas in applying complex and ever-changing regulations to everyday decisions. Hillary is committed to adding value in everything she does, and dedicated to finding cost-conscious solutions for those she serves.
Hillary represents energy, water and wastewater utilities, local governments and other business entities, with a primary focus on utility regulatory matters before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC). She also works with municipalities on utility matters, annexations and reorganizations.
Hillary represents investor-owned and municipal utilities before the IURC and in court. She advises on general rate cases, periodic rate adjustment (tracker) proceedings, certificate of public convenience and necessity cases, preapprovals, financings, acquisitions, disputes, investigations, rulemakings and service area-related cases.
In addition, Hillary assists municipal clients with the annexation and reorganization processes. She has defended annexations in remonstrance actions, and represents municipal clients on related matters including utility services and rates.
Having begun her career as a corporate lawyer, Hillary gained experience in a variety of transactional areas, including securities law. She now counsels utility and non-utility clients in acquisitions and financing transactions, as well as other contract matters. She regularly advises utility clients with respect to service and supply agreements, and has also assisted with engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and other construction contracts.
Hillary has participated in the drafting and negotiation of power purchase agreements, including renewables such as wind and solar and related matters on behalf of utility purchasers and project developers. In addition, Hillary ably guides large industrial clients through agreements for utility services, including gas and electric.
