Thomas Jensen ’83

Thomas (Tom) Jensen provides litigation and regulatory counsel, legislative and executive branch advocacy to clients in the environment, energy, and natural resources sectors. With considerable experience in and deep knowledge of environmental and resources law, Tom delivers sophisticated counsel to clients involved with energy and water pipelines, electric transmission projects, transportation facilities, hydropower and other energy generation assets, and other capital-intensive infrastructure projects. Tom currently serves as lead outside regulatory and litigation counsel to a major interstate electric transmission project and a major interstate natural gas pipeline project, and also recently led the successful permitting and siting effort for a 500 kV interstate electric transmission project.

A nationally recognized practitioner of natural resources and environmental law, Tom advises clients throughout the business, government, and nonprofit sectors, reflecting his credentials in both the legal industry and the public sector. He served as the majority counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and was the associate director for natural resources on the White House Council on Environmental Quality. He has also written numerous pieces of legislation that have been enacted into federal law and has published and lectured widely in the field.

Developers of innovative, challenging energy projects and new environmental initiatives seek out Tom’s guidance for his insight into protected natural and cultural resources, public lands and marine areas, takings law, and the National Environmental Policy Act. A key player in helping clients develop and defend their project strategies, Tom leads teams involved in siting, property and right-of-way acquisition, federal, state, tribal, and local permitting, settlement negotiations, and litigation.

Tom speaks frequently on environmental issues, from protected species mitigation to siting strategy, water development, water quality, climate adaptation, and marine energy development. He also writes and speaks on the conservation of at-risk wildlife and western rangelands.