Brian T. Cragg

Clients turn to Brian Cragg when they need advice on energy regulatory and transactional matters, including meeting regulatory requirements for the development or purchase of generation, energy storage, and transmission projects, evaluating the risk of energy-related investments, and navigating the interconnection, transmission, and new resource processes of the California Independent System Operator.

Brian also represents clients before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the California Energy Commission (CEC), and other state and federal regulatory agencies. He performs risk analyses for development, purchase, or financing of renewable energy and energy storage facilities; he helps seek CPUC approval for the construction of large transmission facilities; he analyzes potential microgrid installation at manufacturing complexes; and he provided regulatory guidance for an energy company that progressed from start up to Series C financing.

In addition to these services, he advises clients on the risks and opportunities presented by emerging energy storage technologies, regulatory responses to the challenges presented by climate change, including the cap-and-trade approach to greenhouse gas emissions developed by the Air Resources Board, and the requirements for selling Renewables Portfolio Standard energy and Resource Adequacy capacity.

Before entering private practice, Brian was an Assistant Chief Administrative Law Judge at the CPUC, where he supervised a group of administrative law judges handling energy-related cases. During his 18 years at the CPUC, he was involved in many of the Commission’s major cases on topics ranging from rate cases and mergers to cost reviews of nuclear power plants and the introduction of competition into the electric utility and telecommunications industries.

Prior to joining Downey Brand, Brian was a partner at San Francisco-based Goodin, MacBride, Squeri & Day from 1998 until 2021.

Professional, Community And Pro Bono Involvement

• Energy Bar Association, Member
• Power Association of Northern California, Member
• Conference of California Public Utility Counsel, Board of Directors, 2008-2012; President, 2012

Honors & Rankings

• Individual recognition for Energy: State Regulatory & Litigation – California, Chambers USA, 2019-2023
• Best Lawyers 2024 “Lawyer of the Year” for Energy Regulation Law in San Francisco
• Best Lawyers 2024 “Lawyer of the Year” for Administrative/Regulatory Law in San Francisco
• Best Lawyers 2022 “Lawyer of the Year” for Administrative/Regulatory Law in San Francisco
• Best Lawyers 2020 “Lawyer of the Year” for Utilities Law in San Francisco
• Best Lawyers in America, Administrative/Regulatory Law, Energy Law, Energy Regulatory Law, Utilities Law, 2016-2025