Phoenix, Ariz. – The Arizona Corporation Commission is pleased to welcome attorneys and members of the regulatory industry from across the country as host of the 45th National Conference of Regulatory Attorneys (NCRA), which is taking place May 3-6, 2026, in Scottsdale.  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). 

“It has been an honor to be the President of NCRA.  The sessions in Phoenix have been groundbreaking and forward looking,” said Van Flein.  “It was especially notable to have critical keynote speeches anchored by Commissioner Kevin Thompson and Commissioner Lea Márquez Peterson.  The Commission’s support of the NCRA has been enthusiastic and powerful.”

The American and global energy landscape is in the midst of a revolution, with regulatory attorneys and ALJ’s making critical decisions in uncharted legal territory. Artificial Intelligence and proliferation of data centers and large load users are rapidly restructuring energy generation, distribution, and economies.  American infrastructure is at a critical juncture; a tidal wave of new electricity sources, unprecedented energy demand, a flood of transmission and grid infrastructure projects trapped in a bottleneck for approvals are all happening concurrently.  Megawatts are being added faster than rules, and ALJ’s and regulatory attorneys are the architects of new policy, tariffs, and interpretations of utility law, while aligning the public’s interest with operational performance and objectivity.

During his opening remarks to the conference, Commissioner Thompson challenged the attendees to think about Arizona not just as a host, but as a case study.  "Arizona is proof that with the right legal framework, sound regulation, and disciplined infrastructure planning, scarcity can be transformed into opportunity. This is where energy, water, and the American Dream meet. But it did not happen by accident."  Thompson continued, "Arizona is a place where growth is real and scarcity is real. But it's also where the Commission has managed to develop an affordable and reliable grid that is safe, sustainable and nothing short of amazing." 

Approximately 100 regulatory attorneys and ALJ’s from across the country gather at this annual conference.  Panels on emerging regulatory issues involving data centers, water/wastewater utility acquisitions, ethical obligations, small modular reactors, and the high-profile exposure of these issues in the public arena are being offered. 

“I was honored to speak about the ‘future of energy and the AI paradox’ to regulatory attorneys from across the country at the conference,” said Commissioner Lea Márquez Peterson. “Our states are facing the same challenge of increasing energy demand while balancing the growth of large loads like data centers. Congratulations to our ACC General Counsel and NCRA President Tom Van Flein on a successful event! “

“The state of Arizona sits on the verge of a vast expansion in population and business growth,” said ACC Executive Director, Douglas Clark. “It is only fitting that the National Conference of Regulatory Attorneys would be hosted by the Arizona Corporation Commission's Office of General Counsel to discuss the critical issues associated with energy demand, affordability, and utility consolidation.”  

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