Attorney Spotlight: Omar Bustami on Powering the West
Attorney Spotlight: Omar Bustami
Omar is an Associate in the firm’s Washington, DC office. He represents energy generation companies, project developers, industrial users of energy, businesses, manufacturers, and municipal utilities in a broad range of litigation and regulatory investigations and proceedings involving the power sector. He also advises clients in telecommunication matters involving cell phone antennae and energy-related issues.
Q: Your practice has a broad range, spanning energy regulatory work and commercial contract support. How do these sides of your work fit together, and why does that combination matter for clients operating in the energy space?
A: At a fundamental level, it’s about helping clients achieve their business objectives. In energy, regulatory frameworks and commercial realities are closely connected. That plays out across a range of contexts — whether we’re working with generators bringing new resources online, large load customers like data centers securing reliable supply, or other infrastructure providers who are increasingly engaged in energy procurement and strategy. Each of those situations typically involves a mix of regulatory requirements and negotiated commercial arrangements. Our role is to bridge those pieces, translating regulatory frameworks into practical, commercially workable solutions.
Q: The West Coast power market has distinct dynamics based on a strong regulatory landscape and a patchwork of state-level policies. What are the key challenges you help clients navigate?
A: One of the defining dynamics on the West Coast is balancing steady load growth — including from data centers — with strong, state-level policy goals around reliability and clean energy. Those mandates provide important direction for the market, but they also shape how procurement, planning, and project development move forward. California isn’t seeing the same pace of large-scale data center development as other regions, but there is still meaningful demand alongside siting, permitting, and grid constraints.
Regulators are actively planning for that growth through coordinated efforts across agencies. For clients, the challenge is largely understanding how those policy goals and planning processes translate into project timelines, particularly when it comes to interconnection, transmission availability, and procurement requirements.
Q: Data centers are driving new demand for power, and developers need to secure reliable supply. How are you advising clients on this?
A: At a high level, it starts with aligning reliability, cost, and sustainability goals. In practice, the conversation has shifted to deliverability — how and when power can actually be secured. That affects everything from site selection to contracting. We help clients address those issues from a legal and commercial perspective, so projects are structured in a way that aligns with both regulatory requirements and practical development considerations.
Q: What is a fun fact about yourself outside of your legal work?
A: Outside of work, I participate in community theater and recently played Vince, the DJ, in Grease! and the Master of Justice in Something Rotten. I’m also proud to be a new father.
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