Long Bio | Raymond L. Gifford counsels communications, electric and gas utilities, and information technology companies on state and federal aspects of regulation, administrative law, and competition policy. He is an expert in public utilities law, and the law and economics of regulation of network industries. Mr. Gifford’s law and policy work focuses on the convergence of broadband communications and energy, as well as environmental policy as it applies to the electric industry. He represents clients in state and federal courts and agencies, and serves as an expert witness on utility regulation and its history. He is also a Executive Fellow at the Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology and Entrepreneurship, and Co-Directs the Institute for Regulatory Law & Economics at University of Colorado Law School.
Mr. Gifford served as Chairman of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission from 1999-2003. Following that, he served as President of The Progress & Freedom Foundation, a Washington DC-based think-tank that studied the digital revolution as it relates to regulation of network industries. He entered the regulatory law world as First Assistant Attorney General in the Colorado Attorney General’s Office. He clerked for the Honorable Richard P. Matsch of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. Mr. Gifford has authored a number of articles on communications law, public utility regulation and competition policy in network industries. He is a graduate of University of Chicago Law School and St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland. He is an elected member of the American Law Institute
Executive Fellow and Chairman, Advisory Board, University of Colorado’s Silicon Flatirons Program for Law, Technology and Entrepreneurship
Co-Director, Institute for Regulatory Law and Economics
Adjunct Faculty, University of Colorado Law School
Elected Member, American Law Institute
Colorado Super Lawyers (2015-2019)
Named to The Best Lawyers in America © in Communications Law, 2013-2017; 2019
Best Lawyers®, Denver Communications, "Lawyer of the Year" 2013 and 2020
Former Chairman, Federalist Society’s Telecommunications Practice Group
Featured in Legal 500 US 2011, Telecoms & Broadcast Regulatory
Recipient, Colorado Super Lawyer 2015-2017
Ray Gifford • Matt Larson - release New White Paper: ‘Around Market,’ ‘In Market,’ and FERC at a Crossroads - May 2018
Raymond L. Gifford • Robin J. Lunt • Matthew S. Larson with Power Research Group - The Breakdown of the Merchant Generation Business, a study released by the Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP law firm and the Power Research Group.
Raymond L. Gifford • Matthew S. Larson,State Actions in Organized Markets, Continued Use of 'Around Market' Solutions to 'Fix' Markets and the Natural Gas Conundrum - February 2017
Raymond L. Gifford • Matthew S. Larson,State Actions in Organized Markets, States Strive to 'Fix' Markets and Retain Base Load Generation - September 2016
Ray Gifford has authored an article, How to Keep the Lights on in Organized Markets, in Utility Dive on the issue of baseload power exiting wholesale power markets and the impact this has on the electric grid. - July 13, 2016
Utility Dive Op-Ed – Utility Regulators Face Unfriendly and Unfair Fire – February 16, 2016
Co-Author, "The Final Clean Power Plan" (American Coal, November 2015).
Raymond L. Gifford • Gregory E. Sopkin • Matthew S. Larson, "The Clean Power Plan: Carbon Trading, State Legislation and the Political Economy Issue" October 2015
Raymond L. Gifford • Gregory E. Sopkin • Matthew S. Larson
"The New Building Block 3 and the Final Rule August 15, 2015."
Raymond L. Gifford • Gregory E. Sopkin • Matthew S. Larson
EPA's CO2 Rules and the Common Elements Approach April 28, 2015
Raymond L. Gifford • Gregory E. Sopkin • Matthew S. Larson
State Implementation of CO2 Rules: Institutional and Practical Issues with State and Multi-State Implementation and Enforcement November 2014
Raymond L. Gifford • Gregory E. Sopkin • Matthew S. Larson
EPA's CO2 Rules and the Cooperative and Municipal Question
Regulatory Issues Implicated by the Proposed Rule
October 2014
Raymond L. Gifford • Gregory E. Sopkin • Matthew S. Larson
EPA's CO2 Rules and the State Institutional Problem September 2014
Raymond L. Gifford • Gregory E. Sopkin • Matthew S. Larson
EPA's CO2 Rule and 18 States' Resolutions and Legislation EPA's Proposed CO2 Rule Collides with Flexibility Asserted by States
Raymond L. Gifford • Gregory E. Sopkin • Matthew S. Larson
State Implementation of CO2 Rules Institutional and Practical Issues with State and Multi-State Implementation and Enforcement