Lauren A. Stenger

As an Associate Attorney with Calfee’s Columbus office, Lauren focuses her practice on Energy and Utilities Law, Public Law, and Government Relations and Legislation matters. Lauren has significant experience serving as outside counsel to investor-owned utilities, competitive retail suppliers, renewable developers, data center operators, telecommunication providers, independent power producers, and private equity firms on complex regulatory, transactional, and litigation matters before state and federal regulatory commissions.

Lauren brings deep experience across the full lifecycle of energy projects and utility regulation, combining her transactional practice with significant regulatory litigation and policy experience. She is frequently engaged on large-scale renewable development, power purchase agreements, interconnection and transmission matters, contested utility proceedings (rate cases, customer complaints, facility needs and siting determinations), and change of control and ownership cases.

Lauren currently serves as the President of the Women’s Energy Network (Ohio Chapter), a global organization of professionals dedicated to fostering career and leadership development for women in the energy industry.

Prior to joining Calfee in 2025, Lauren practiced at AmLaw 100 and AmLaw 200 firms and served as in-house regulatory counsel for a Fortune 500 utility company with more than 3.7 million customers. Lauren began her legal career at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) as an Administrative Law Judge and later served as Chief Aide to current PUCO Chair Jenifer French, advising on utility policy, major rate proceedings, and commission decision-making.

Honors & Recognitions

• Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, Administrative/Regulatory Law; Energy Law (2026)

Education

J.D., Capital University Law School, 2018

B.A., American Studies, Miami University, 2015

Experience

• Developed and negotiated a 3.77-gigawatt renewable PPA portfolio for a Fortune 200 investor-owned utility operating across PJM, MISO, and SPP, leading the drafting and negotiation of PPAs, interconnection agreements, and related commercial arrangements for wind, solar, and battery storage projects.
• Served as local regulatory counsel to one of the nation’s largest competitive electricity generators on multi-billion-dollar renewable energy acquisitions, including transactions converting legacy coal assets into renewable generation; led regulatory diligence and coordinated local, state, and federal compliance.
• Advised utilities, renewable developers, and data center clients on interconnection and transmission matters within PJM and MISO, including queue strategy, system impact studies, network upgrade cost allocation, and compliance with FERC and regional transmission tariffs.
• Served as lead counsel for a Fortune 200 investor-owned utility’s Ohio subsidiary in a contested PUCO proceeding seeking approval to abandon service, handling testimony, witness preparation, discovery, cross-examination, and briefing; the matter is currently on appeal before the Ohio Supreme Court.
• Represented electric and gas utilities in rate cases, electric security plan proceedings, and customer complaint matters before the PUCO, achieving a 100% settlement success rate in negotiated complaint resolutions.
• Drafted and negotiated wholesale, virtual, and retail power purchase agreements for wind, solar, and battery energy storage assets, addressing tax credit structures, curtailment, change-in-law provisions, and operational risk allocation.
• Negotiated and managed utility commercial contracts with vendors, aligning operational objectives with regulatory requirements, including Davis-Bacon, Inflation Reduction Act, and federal energy grant compliance.
• Litigated a Kentucky administrative proceeding involving a fiber network dispute, securing a favorable outcome that protected a $400 million telecommunications asset.
• Drafted testimony and proposed orders for clean energy project approvals totaling more than 600 MW before the Indiana Regulatory Utility Commission, with all petitions approved.
• Represented internet service providers in private equity and infrastructure transactions, including a $150 million investment, ensuring state and federal regulatory compliance.
• Negotiated electric and gas capacity arrangements for the ninth-largest school district in Ohio, securing affordable and reliable service.

Professional & Community

• Women’s Energy Network (Ohio Chapter), President and Board Member
• Columbus Bar Association, Member
• Ohio State Bar Association, Member
• Women Lawyers of Franklin County, Member
• The ALS Association, Member

Presentations & Articles

• Presenter, “Navigating the Patchwork: Regulatory Barriers and Pathways for VPPs Across the U.S.,” Virtual Power Plants USA 2025 Conference, Houston, Texas, September 29, 2025