Christina Cress and Peter Ledford to Speak at NCSEA 2026 Clean Energy CLE

Christina Cress and Peter Ledford will serve as panelists at the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association’s (NCSEA) 2026 Clean Energy in North Carolina CLE, taking place on January 29, 2026, in Raleigh.

This full-day CLE will explore key legal and regulatory issues shaping North Carolina’s transition to a cleaner energy mix, bringing together attorneys, regulators, and industry stakeholders for timely analysis and discussion.

Christina Cress will participate in the panel “Defining ‘Least-Cost’ in the Modern Energy Context” (1:30–2:30 p.m.), which will examine how the long-standing “least-cost” standard in North Carolina electric planning is evolving amid carbon reduction goals, grid modernization, federal funding opportunities, and growing reliability concerns. The discussion will explore how the North Carolina Utilities Commission, state agencies, and stakeholders are interpreting this standard and the practical implications for integrated resource planning, rate cases, and project development.

Earlier in the day, Peter Ledford will speak on the panel “Performance-Based Ratemaking: Evaluating Progress” (11:20 a.m.–12:20 p.m.). This session will assess North Carolina’s early experience with multiyear, performance-based ratemaking and related performance incentive mechanisms adopted under House Bill 951. Panelists will analyze initial filings and performance metrics and consider how these regulatory tools may continue to evolve to promote innovation, cost control, and customer value.

The program offers 6.0 North Carolina CLE credit hours and is designed to provide attendees with practical, forward-looking insight into the legal and regulatory landscape surrounding clean energy in the year ahead.