Christopher L. Callas is a Member of Jackson Kelly PLLC in its Charleston office.  He has devoted nearly thirty years to an extensive public utility regulation practice.  Chris represents investor-owned electric, gas, water, and wastewater utilities before the Public Service Commission of West Virginia, guiding them through certificate applications, general rate cases, purchased power proceedings, utility acquisition cases, and complex securitization financings.  Chris helps these clients navigate the broad scope of economic and service regulation that utilities face, ensuring that engineers, accountants, and other technical experts tell their stories in ways that make sense to regulators and stakeholders.

Chris also leads Jackson Kelly’s energy project siting efforts, serving as lead counsel for the siting of gas combined cycle generating plants, wind and solar energy facilities, and multi-state high-voltage electric transmission projects.  He coordinates the firm’s environmental and tax work for the developers of these projects and has managed the regulatory and permitting aspects of billions of dollars in energy project financings.

Chris also has extensive legislative experience in the utility and energy space. He was the primary author of environmental securitization legislation enacted by the West Virginia Legislature in 2005, and then helped secure regulatory approvals under that legislation for the nation’s first issuance of securitization bonds for environmental control facilities.

Chris joined the firm in 1992 upon his graduation from Vanderbilt Law School.  He graduated summa cum laude from Washington & Lee University in 1989 with majors in History and French.  He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America© since 2003, and his community outreach efforts include serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the United Way of Central West Virginia and on the vestry of Hope Church in Charleston.