Cherise Gaffney Elected General Counsel for Northwest Hydroelectric Association

Seattle, WA — The law firm of Stoel Rives LLP is pleased to announce that partner Cherise M. Gaffney has been elected by the board of the Northwest Hydroelectric Association (NWHA) as its General Counsel. Gaffney will serve a three-year term.

The NWHA was formed in 1981 to serve as a regional advocate for the hydropower industry and promote the Northwest’s waterpower as a clean, efficient energy source while also protecting the fisheries and environmental quality of the region. Members of the association include independent developers and energy producers; public and private utilities; manufacturers and distributors; local, state and regional governments including water and irrigation districts; consultants: engineers, financiers, environmental scientist, attorneys and other consulting firms; Native Americans; and contractors.

Gaffney is a member of Stoel Rives’ Environment, Land Use and Natural Resources practice group and advises clients on federal natural resources law in complex permitting and compliance matters, including the development and relicensing of hydropower dams and the licensing of wave and tidal energy projects. She has a long history of working closely with the hydropower industry to advance key regulatory and legislative policy initiatives. Representative clients include developers and owners of hydropower dams, oil and gas facilities, and wave and tidal energy projects.