Natural Gas Fired Generation in the US: Looking at the Road Ahead

Sponsored by White and Case LLP

The Guarini Center held a discussion with leading industry experts on the outlook for natural gas fired generation in the year ahead. Panelists examined legal, regulatory and market factors impacting the industry and the role of natural gas in the clean energy economy.

Monday, April 4, 6:30-8:00pm

NYU School of Law
Lipton Hall, D’Agostino Hall
110 West 3rd Street
New York, NY 10012

The event is off the record and not available to press.

Speakers:

• Scott Beicke, Managing Director, Morgan Stanley
• Catherine Callaway, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Dynegy Inc.
• Thad Miller, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, Calpine Corp.
• Robert Mancini (’84), Managing Director & Co-Head of CPP-II, The Carlyle Group
• Michael Shenberg (’85), Partner, White and Case LLP

2 credits of CLE were available in the Areas of Professional Practice category. The credit was both transitional and non-transitional. 

Speakers’ Biographies:

Scott Beicke is a Managing Director in the Investment Banking Division of Morgan Stanley and part of the Firm’s Global Power & Utility Group. He is based in New York and focuses on M&A. Over the last few years, Scott has worked on announced M&A transactions totally ~40 GW of generation capacity, including Engie’s 10 GW sale and the spin-merger that created Talen Energy. He joined the Firm in 2004 as an Associate in the Global Capital Markets Division, serving in roles within the Credit Advisory Group and the Project & Structured Finance Group. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Scott worked as a fixed-income credit analyst at Standard & Poor’s in the Utilities & Energy Group. Scott earned a B.A. in economics from Cornell University and an M.B.A. (with high honors) from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

Catherine Callaway has held the position of Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Dynegy Inc. since September 2011. Ms. Callaway leads Dynegy’s Legal, Ethics and Compliance, NERC and Contract Administration functions. Dynegy generates reliable, environmentally responsible and affordable energy from its power stations located in the Midwest, Northeast and West Coast. Dynegy’s fuel-diverse fleet of power stations can generate 13,000 megawatts – about half from coal and half from natural gas plants – enough to power about 10 million homes. Through its retail electricity providers, Homefield Energy and Dynegy Energy Services, Dynegy serves residential, municipal, business and industrial customers in Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Dynegy will double in size following the consummation of pending transactions with Duke and Energy Capital Partners. Ms. Callaway has been advising energy companies on legal matters for almost 25 years. Prior to joining Dynegy, she was General Counsel of Reliant Energy and the Gulf Coast Region of NRG Energy and prior to that she held various legal positions with Calpine Corporation, Reliant Resources, Coastal Power and Chevron. Ms. Callaway earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College and her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Texas.

Robert (“Bob”) Mancini is a Managing Director and Co‐Head of CPP II. Mr. Mancini serves as Chairman of the Board of Cogentrix. Mr. Mancini is based in New York.

Prior to joining Carlyle, Mr. Mancini was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs & Co., where he spent nearly twenty years. Most recently Mr. Mancini led the firm’s on‐balance sheet power asset business through Goldman’s wholly owned subsidiary, Cogentrix Energy LLC, where he was CEO. Mr. Mancini was instrumental in Goldman’s entry into the power asset business in 2003. Prior to 2003 Mr. Mancini was a member of the legal department where he eventually became the Deputy General Counsel of the Securities Division. Prior to joining Goldman, Mr. Mancini spent ten years in private practice as a lawyer with Debevoise and Plimpton, where he established that firm’s derivatives practice.

Mr. Mancini received his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1984, where he was a member of the Law Review, and received his B.A. degree from Binghamton University in 1980, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Thad Miller has been Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Calpine Corporation, the largest US independent power generator based on production, where he has lead the Legal, Governmental & Regulatory Affairs, Internal Audit, Compliance, Corporate Communications and Insurance groups since 2008.  Prior to that he held various positions, including Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of Texas Genco LLC, an IPP;  an energy advisor to TPG, a private equity firm;  Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of Orion Power Holdings, Inc., an IPP;  Vice President of Goldman Sachs & Co.; and a partner with two New York law firms. Mr. Miller earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and his Juris Doctor degree from St. John’s School of Law. In addition, Mr. Miller was an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1973-76.

Michael Shenberg is a partner in the Firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group in the New York office. A recognized leader in his field, he focuses on energy M&A, capital markets and financing transactions for the Firm. Mr. Shenberg has represented financial and strategic investors in numerous transactions involving the purchase or sale of energy assets, including large portfolios, single-asset deals and joint ventures. Additionally, he advises on financings including restructurings, and corporate and commercial matters for energy company clients.