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Ronald Rencher is a shareholder in the firm's Environmental, Energy and Natural Resources department.  Representing a large municipal utility in its role as operator of a major power project, Mr. Rencher works extensively with coal issues, including mine acquisition, operation, and coal transportation; other transactions, including the acquisition of major equipment; litigation, including the defense of stray voltage litigation, water issues, and contract litigation arising from power sales agreements; and the negotiation and preparation of documents for the construction and operation of additional electric generation transmission facilities.

In addition, Mr. Rencher has been heavily involved in power project development and construction and in the operation of municipal, cooperative and investor owned utilities and private corporations.  He has represented electric utilities in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas and Louisiana in the acquisition of coal and coal transportation services, and has assisted electric utility cooperatives with financial restructurings both in and out of bankruptcy court.  He also handles permitting and regulatory issues with respect to clean air, water, solid and hazardous waste, and has represented clients before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the public utility commissions of several western states.  

Additionally, Mr. Rencher represents non-utility business and corporate clients before the Utah legislature, state agencies, federal and state courts, and arbitrators and mediators, and has represented clients in white collar criminal antitrust and grand jury investigations.  

His previous professional experience includes serving as president of a subsidiary of the Bechtel Power Corporation (1986-88), where he was in charge of the development of a large coal-fired independent power project with General Electric, Combustion Engineering, Public Service Company of New Mexico and the Navajo Nation; and as General Manager (1983-86) and General Counsel (1981-83) of the Intermountain Power Agency, during construction of a large, coal-fired generation station and AC and DC transmission systems.  He was the United States Attorney for the District of Utah (1977-81), and a member of the Utah House of Representatives (1971-76), where he served as Speaker (1975-76) and as a Minority Whip (1973-74).  He was trained and appointed as a mediator by the U.S. District Court Utah (ATR pilot program).

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