Catherine (Cathy) McCarthy
Partner; Chair, Power & Renewables Regulatory Department at Bracewell
Washington, D.C.
Top-ranked FERC-side power regulatory counsel; essential advisor on every transmission and large-scale renewable transaction with regulatory complexity.
Background
Chair of Bracewell's Power & Renewables Regulatory Department and Chair-Elect of the ABA's Infrastructure and Regulated Industries Section. 20+ years representing asset owners, developers, and investors in FERC and state regulatory matters. Ranked Band 1 by Chambers in Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation) and a Legal 500 Hall of Famer. Joined Bracewell in 2012 from Dewey & LeBoeuf; previously held positions at FERC. JD Georgetown, BA Yale.
Notable deals
- 2024
- 2024
Call-prep brief
Background
Cathy leads Bracewell's power regulatory practice from D.C. She's the lawyer transmission owners and renewable developers call when FERC compliance, transmission-incentive policy, or generator-interconnection process gets contested.
What she cares about
- FERC Order 1920 (transmission planning) and Order 2023 (interconnection reform) implementation.
- Energy-transition transactions where regulatory uncertainty drives deal-shape choices.
- State PUC coordination with FERC, especially in PJM and MISO.
Sensitivities
- Lawyer first. Won't share client-specific intelligence.
- ABA leadership role means she's also a public-policy voice; expect measured commentary on hot-button items.
Questions to ask
- Where is Order 1920 implementation furthest along, and which RTOs are most likely to drag?
- How are transmission-incentive policies actually translating into IRR uplift for developers under current FERC posture?
- Which adjacencies (grid-enhancing technologies, storage, interconnection optimization) is she seeing get bankable in 2026?
Outreach draft
Linked companies
Sources
- Page titlePrimarybracewell.com/people/catherine-p-mccarthy
- Name + firmOtherlegal500.com/firms/50140-bracewell-llp/c-united-states/lawyers/515350-catherine-mccarthy