Ellen Ginsberg is NEI’s senior vice president, general counsel and secretary.
She has held those positions since 2005, previously serving as NEI’s deputy general counsel.
Ginsberg is responsible for legal matters affecting the commercial nuclear energy industry. She represents NEI in proceedings before federal regulatory agencies, including the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Department of Energy. She also works with state attorneys general on generic legal, regulatory and policy issues.
Ginsberg directs and manages NEI’s litigation on behalf of its members. NEI frequently participates as a party or amicus curiae in matters before the U.S. Supreme Court, federal Courts of Appeals, and state courts. Under her leadership, NEI and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners successfully advocated to the D.C. Circuit that it should order DOE to discontinue its collection of the fee for the used fuel disposal program that DOE had unilaterally terminated. Succeeding in this action will save electricity consumers $750 million dollars per year in fees. She also directed NEI’s participation in the In re Aiken County lawsuit, which was successful in obtaining an order from the D.C. Circuit mandating that the NRC resume its review of the Yucca Mountain license application.
Prior to joining NEI, Ginsberg practiced with the Washington, D.C., law firm of Swidler & Berlin. While there, she was heavily involved in litigation of prudence matters before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and advised nuclear utilities to reduce the risk of prudence disallowances.
From 1984 to 1986, Ginsberg served as a law clerk to the NRC’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel. In that position, she had substantial responsibility for evaluating pleadings and testimony submitted in licensing proceedings and for generating initial drafts of decisions issued by licensing boards.
Ginsberg is a 1980 magna cum laude graduate of Tufts University and was awarded a bachelor’s degree with special honors in history. She received her law degree from American University. She also has successfully completed the Reactor Technology Program for Utility Executives at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Ginsberg is a member of the New York state and District of Columbia bars as well as the American Bar Association and Energy Bar Association. From 1991 to 1992, she served as chairman of the Younger Lawyers Division of the Federal Bar Association.