The University of Denver’s Water Law Review is delighted to welcome you to our 18th annual symposium. This year’s theme is Water & Energy Across the West. We look forward to welcoming an interdisciplinary group of experts to speak on four panels both topical and timely to today’s water and energy issues. The symposium consists of events over the course of two days and is approved for 7 general CLE credits. 
 

Panels

 

Thursday, April 2 

3 p.m. Student Panel: Water and Energy 101

This student-oriented presentation will provide an overview of water and energy law and a high-level understanding of the panel topics. Following the presentation, students will have the opportunity to network with attendees.

Speakers: 
Josh Boissevain, Senior Staff Attorney, Colorado Water Trust 
Zach Smith, Counsel, O’Melveny
Heather Tanana, Assistant Professor of Law, Sturm College of Law 
Sarah Porter, Director, Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University

 

4:15-6 p.m. Networking Reception 

Light refreshments, including alcoholic beverages, will be provided. Please note: if you attended past conferences, this mingle-and-munch previously occurred on Friday after the symposium. It is now being held on Thursday.

 

6 p.m. Author Talk: The Water Remembers

Speaker: Amy Bowers Cordalis
The Water Law Review staff are delighted to welcome Amy Bowers Cordalis for a presentation about her book, The Water Remembers. The Water Remembers is a moving multigenerational memoir of Indigenous resistance, environmental justice, and a family’s fight to preserve its legacy. 

Friday, April 3 

Breakfast, lunch, and break-time refreshments will be provided.  

8 a.m. Check In and Breakfast

Check in opens at 8 a.m. Breakfast will be served until 9 a.m. 
 

9 a.m. Keynote

Eli and Zachary are partners in art whose work examines sustainability and the human impacts of environmental degradation through painting, textile work, photography, videography, and sculpture. Eli created the artwork for this event. 

Speakers:
Eli Pillaert, Artist
Zachary Kanzler, Documentarian
 

9:35 a.m. Powering Sovereignty? Energy Development on Tribal Lands  

How do Tribal Nations choose to develop—or not to develop—energy resources on their lands? This panel will explore the historic, current, and future relationships between Tribal Nations (particularly in the American Southwest) with the energy industry and state and federal governments. 

Speakers:
Moderator: Krystalyn Kinsel, Special Counsel, Jenner & Block  
Salina Derichsweiler, Director of Development, New Mexico & Tribal Lands, SunShare
Affie Ellis, Shareholder, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Carletta Tilousi, Havasupai Tribe Anti-Uranium Committee Member, Havasupai Tribe
 

10:50 a.m. The AI Boom: Converging Water and Energy Demand in Data Centers 

As use of AI and digital technology grows, so does the water and energy demand for data centers to support this developing sector. This panel will dive deep into how data centers are developing in the West, their impact, and policy considerations for this burgeoning industry. 

Speakers:
Moderator: Gregor MacGregor, Teaching Professor, University of Colorado
Sarah Porter, Director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University 
Sarah Young, Assistant General Manager of Planning, Engineering and Technology, Aurora Water 
Bart Miller, Healthy Rivers Director, Western Resource Advocates 
Bri-Mathias Hodge, Professor of Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder 

 

12:15 p.m. Lunch


1:45 p.m. Fluid Assets: Colorado’s Transitions in Water & Energy  

This panel will consider how Colorado water used to generate energy is changing, particularly in the context of state energy transition goals and federal priorities. We’ll discuss how water used to cool retiring coal-fired power plants may be used in the future, technological advancements in geothermal and nuclear energy, and the future of water in Colorado’s energy sector. 

Speakers:
Moderator: Jason Turner, Deputy General Counsel, Colorado River Water Conservation District  
Jackie Brown, Water and Natural Resources Policy Advisor, Tri-State Generation and Transmission 
Anthony DeAugustino, Resource Planning Analyst, Xcel Energy
Mark Detsky, Shareholder, Dietze and Davis PC 
Kyle Frazer, Chief Operating Officer at Agilion Systems Inc., Chief Operating Officer at PowerSilo

 

3 p.m. Produce, Reuse, Recycle: The Landscape of Produced Water 

Produced water is increasingly seen as a water source, rather than a waste product. This panel will take a regional view of the rapid changes occurring in the field of produced water. We will examine recycling methods, the regulatory landscape, standards for different types of reuse, and more amid the historical backdrop of oil and gas development in western states. 

Speakers:
Moderator: Kevin Rein, Water Resources Engineer, Wilson Water Group
Hope Dalton, Director of the Colorado Produced Water Consortium, Colorado Department of Natural Resources
Mimi Larsen, Of Counsel, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schrek, LLP 
Zach Smith, Counsel, O’Melveny & Myers LLP

 

4 p.m. Closing Remarks 

Nikki Hernandez, Editor in Chief, Denver Water Law Review Volume 29 

 

Expectations

Recognizing that our panelists and attendees represent a variety of perspectives, the Water Law Review will prioritize civility, curiosity, and respectful discourse throughout the symposium. We expect those in attendance to engage kindly with one another. This is not an opportunity for “gotcha” moments; any behavior that serves to disrespect fellow attendees or panelists is unacceptable. In turn, the Symposium will provide an environment safe for those representing opposing viewpoints to have frank and productive conversations.  

Thank you for joining us! We look forward to seeing you in April. 

Sturm College of Law | Website | View More Events

Marisa Wesker & Eleanor Hasenbeck

Contact the organizers