Speakers

Speaker Biographies

Dan Arvizu, Director, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Dan Arvizu is Director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the U.S. Department of Energy's primary laboratory for energy efficiency and renewable energy research and development. Prior to joining NREL, Dr. Arvizu was with CH2M HILL Companies, Ltd; Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico; and AT&T Bell Telephone Laboratories. In 2004, he was appointed by the President and confirmed by the full U.S. Senate to serve on the National Science Board, the governing board of the National Science Foundation. Dr. Arvizu has a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from New Mexico State University and a Master of Science and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University.

Lauren Azar, Commissioner, Public Service Commission of Wisconsin

Lauren Azar was appointed to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin by Governor Jim Doyle in March 2007 for a term that expires in March 2013. Aside from her duties with the Wisconsin Commission, Commissioner Azar currently serves as President of the Organization of MISO States. Commissioner Azar is also working as a principle organizer in the development of a State leadership role in the Eastern Interconnection-wide planning processes created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Commissioner Azar received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers College and a Master of Arts in Philosophy from Northwestern University. She also has a Master of Science in Water Resources Management and a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dan Bakal, Director of Electric Power Programs, Ceres

Dan Bakal joined Ceres in 2000, and has helped launch and advance two of the organization's signature efforts, The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), which develops sustainability reporting guidelines and the $8 trillion Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), whose members are addressing the risks and opportunities associated with climate change. Mr. Bakal oversees Ceres' electric power and coal research, shareholder engagement, and furthers the understanding of environmental risks, with a particular focus on climate risk. Since 2002, Mr. Bakal has worked with PSEG, Inc. and the Natural Resources Defense Council to publish four editions of the report, Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Generators. The report compares the air pollutant emissions of power industry and provides analysis of issues and trends facing the sector. Mr. Bakal holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Samuel F. Baldwin, Chief Technology Officer and Member, Board of Directors, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy

Dr. Sam Baldwin is a PhD. Physicist and currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer for and a Member of the Board of Directors of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In previous positions he has served with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), Princeton University, the U.S. Senate, and elsewhere. Dr. Baldwin is the author or co-author of nine books and monographs at OSTP, OTA, DOE, and elsewhere, and more than 30 papers and technical reports on energy technology and policy, physics, and other issues. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Peter Behr, Reporter, ClimateWire

Peter Behr is a reporter for ClimateWire covering electricity policy and nuclear power issues. He was the principal energy reporter for The Washington Post until 2004. A series on the Enron scandal that he co-authored was selected for the Best Business Crime Stories of the Year – 2002 anthology. Mr. Behr was a member of The Post staff for 24 years, serving as reporter, columnist and Assistant Managing Editor for Business news. Mr. Behr is a graduate of Colgate University and was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University and a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington.

Ron Binz, Chairman, Colorado Public Utilities Commission

Ron Binz was appointed as Chairman of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission by Governor Bill Ritter on January 23, 2007. Prior to his appointment, Chairman Binz was President of Public Policy Consulting, specializing in policy and regulatory issues in the telecommunications and energy industries. Chariman Binz also served until 2003 as President of the Competition Policy Institute (CPI), based in Washington, D.C. For eleven years, until 1995, Chairman Binz directed the Colorado Office of Consumer Counsel, the State's utility consumer advocate. He was previously President of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA) and chaired the group's Telecommunications Committee. He served as the Co-Chair of the North American Numbering Council which advises the Federal Communications Commission on telephone numbering policies. Chariman Binz is a member of the Harvard Electricity Policy Group and also served on the Network Reliability Council to the FCC. He is a director of several non-profit organizations. Chairman Binz received a B.A. in Philosophy from St. Louis University in 1971 and an M.A. in Mathematics from the University of Colorado in 1977. He also completed course work for a Master's degree in Economics from the University of Colorado.

Terry Boston, President and Chief Executive Officer, PJM Interconnection

Terry Boston is President and Chief Executive Officer of PJM Interconnection, which administers one of the largest energy markets and operates North America's largest electricity grid. Prior to joining PJM, Mr. Boston was the Executive Vice President of the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) Power System Operations. TVA is the Nation's largest electricity wholesaler and largest public power provider. Mr. Boston is Vice Chair of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation's (NERC) Transmission forum. He has served for six years on the NERC Engineering Committee and Transmission Task Force and three years on the NERC Board/Stakeholders Committee. He was one of eight industry experts selected to direct the NERC investigation of the August 2003 Northeast/Mid-west blackout. Mr. Boston holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Tennessee Technological University and a Master of Science in Engineering Administration from the University of Tennessee. He was chosen Tennessee Technological University's Engineer of Distinction in 1997.

Nancy Brockway, Principal, NBrockway & Associates

Nancy Brockway began her utilities career as a staff attorney at the Maine PUC, working on some of the first conservation and load management programs in the nation. She continued her work on demand-side management at the Massachusetts DPU, where she was General Counsel. Ms. Brockway spent nine years with the National Consumer Law Center as an advocate for low income residential consumers. While there, she worked on the design of demand side resource programs, and co-wrote a paper on stranded benefits for the National Council on Competition in the Electric Industry. In 1998 she was appointed to the New Hampshire PUC, which was then supervising the transition to competitive electric markets. While a Commissioner, Ms. Brockway helped introduce the first Pay As You Save ™ efficiency programs. After leaving the PUC, she served several years as Board Chair of PAYSAmerica, Inc., a non-profit organization promoting its innovative OTB financing program. In 2003, Ms. Brockway opened her utilities and energy consultancy. In 2008, during a brief service with the National Regulatory Research Institute, she wrote a comprehensive analysis of the pros and cons of advanced metering infrastructure for residential customers. Mr. Brockway has testified on smart grid issues in 8 dockets, and has spoken widely on the topic.

Christian G. Brosseau, Vice President – Wholesale Markets, Hydro-Québec Production

Mr. Brosseau has acquired strong expertise in corporate finance, specifically in mergers and acquisitions, financing, and negotiations. Mr. Brosseau joined Hydro-Québec in December 1998 as an Advisor – Project Development (Generation division). He was appointed Manager – Project Structuring in March 2001, and Director – Project Development in October 2002. He became Vice President – Wholesale Markets in September 2005. He is President of HQ Energy Marketing Inc., which holds interests of Hydro-Québec Production in the energy field and conducts energy transactions in Canada (outside Québec). He is also President of HQ Energy Services (U.S.) Inc., which conducts energy transactions in the United States. In 1997–1998, he was Senior Manager – Investment at Canadian Corporate Funding Limited. From 1991 to 1997, he was involved with corporate financing, as well as accounting, auditing and taxation at Price Waterhouse Coopers. Mr. Brosseau holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics (1987) from the Université de Montréal and a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (1991) from the École des hautes études commerciales. He is a member of the graduates' association of the École des hautes etudes commerciales and the Université de Montréal. He is also a member of the Canadian Ski Instructors' Alliance.

Garry Brown, Chairman, New York State Public Service Commission and Chair, NARUC Committee on Electricity

Garry Brown, Chairman of the New York State Public Service Commission (NY PSC), has nearly 30 years of public and private energy sector experience. He serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Regulatory Commissioners (NARUC) and is Chair of NARUC's Committee on Electricity. He serves on the Advisory Council to the Board of Directors of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and on the NARUC-FERC Smart Grid Collaborative. As NY PSC Chairman, Chairman Brown sits on the State Energy Planning Board. He is Chairman of the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment. He serves on the Board of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the New York State Environmental Board, and the Board of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Inc. Chairman Brown is a Member of the New York State Broadband Development and Deployment Council and the Governor's Economic Security Cabinet. Chairman Brown received his B.A. from State University College at Plattsburgh and his Master's of Public Administration from the Rockefeller School of Public Affairs at the State University of New York at Albany.

Gaétan Caron, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, National Energy Board

Gaétan Caron was designated Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the National Energy Board of Canada (the Board) in September 2007. He joined the Board in 1979 and held various positions, including Vice-Chair, and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Caron obtained his Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Rural Engineering from Laval University in 1979 and his Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Ottawa in 1987. Mr. Caron serves as Co-Vice Chair of the NARUC Committee on International Relations and serves on the NARUC Committee on Gas.

Paul Centolella, Commissioner, Ohio Public Utility Commission

Paul Centolella was appointed to the Ohio Public Utility Commission in 2007. He is Secretary of the Organization of PJM States and a Member of NARUC's Climate Change Task Force, the NARUC-FERC Smart Grid Collaborative and the NARUC-FERC Demand Response Collaborative, the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel Governing Board, and the EPRI Advisory Council. From 1992 to 2007, Commissioner Centolella was a Senior Economist with Science Applications International Corporation. From 1982 to 1992, he was the Senior Energy Policy Advisor and a Senior Utility Attorney for the Ohio Office of Consumers' Counsel. Commissioner Centolella received his Bachelor's degree with Honors in Economics from Oberlin College and his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.

David C. Coen, Commissioner, Vermont Public Service Board and President, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners

David Coen was elected President of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners in November 2009. President Coen provides general oversight of NARUC and serves as NARUC's primary voice before Congress, the courts, administrative agencies, and the general public. He was appointed to the Vermont Public Service Board in June 1995 and subsequently reappointed for two terms. At NARUC, President Coen has served on the Board of Directors, the Executive Committee, and the Consumer Affairs Committee. President Coen holds a Bachelor's Degree from Colgate University, and pursued graduate study at Trinity College, Hartford, Conn. Before joining the Vermont Public Service Board, he served on the Vermont Goals 2000 Commission, the Lake Champlain Management Conference, and the Governor's Blue Ribbon Commission on Educational and Municipal Financing Reform.

Richard Cowart, Director of European Programs, Regulatory Assistance Project

Richard Cowart is the Director of European Programs for the Regulatory Assistance Project, a nonprofit institute that has advised governments in more than 18 nations and 40 US states on energy and environmental policy. He recently opened the RAP office in Brussels, working with the European Commission and EU Member States on power and climate issues. Mr. Coward served as Commissioner and Chair of the Vermont Public Service Board (PSB) for thirteen years (1986-1999). He also served as President of the New England Conference of Public Utility Commissioners, Chair of the NARUC Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment, and Chair of the National Council on Competition and the Electric Industry. Before his appointment to the Vermont PSB, Mr. Cowart was Assistant Professor and Director of the Program in Planning and Law at the University of California, Berkeley. Mr. Cowart received his B.A. from Davidson College, and the J.D. and Master of City Planning degree with honors from the University of California, Berkeley.

Benjamin G.S. Fowke, III, President and Chief Operating Officer, Xcel Energy

Ben Fowke is President and Chief Operating Officer of Xcel Energy, with responsibility for overall corporate operations as well as Xcel Energy's four operating companies that do business in eight states. He also is a Member of Xcel Energy's Board of Directors. Before assuming his current responsibilities, Mr. Fowke held a variety of executive positions at the company, including Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Energy Markets, where he was responsible for the financial operations of Xcel's commodities trading and marketing business unit. Prior to the 2000 merger of Northern States Power Company and New Century Energies to form Xcel Energy, Mr. Fowke was a Vice President in the NCE Retail business unit. Prior to Xcel Energy, Mr. Fowke served 10 years with FPL Group, Inc., where he held various management positions. He also has held positions outside the energy industry with DWG Corp. and KPMG. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Gas Association and the Minnesota Orchestra. Mr. Fowke received his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Accounting from Towson University.

Bob Gilligan, Vice President, Transmission and Distribution Business, GE Energy

Bob Gilligan is Vice President of GE Energy's transmission and distribution (T&D) business and an officer of the General Electric Company. GE Energy provides integrated smart grid solutions and reliable power delivery to electric utilities as well as the oil & gas and telecommunication sectors. Mr. Gilligan began his GE career in 1990 with GE Medical Systems (now GE Healthcare) where he held a series of assignments in service operations and global product management. In 1996, Mr. Gilligan joined GE Industrial Systems, where he held several leadership positions including General Manager of the automation technology solutions business. In 2004, Mr. Gilligan joined GE Energy as the General Manager and now serves as Vice President, Transmission and Distribution Business. In 2007, he received the GE Chairman's Award from Jeff Immelt for his leadership of the T&D business. Chairman's awards are designed to recognize and reward stellar accomplishments in three key areas: performance, initiatives and leadership. Mr. Gilligan holds an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Bucknell University.

Patricia Hoffman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Assistant Secretary Nominee for Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, US Department of Energy

Patricia Hoffman was named Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability at the United States Department of Energy in November 2007. On December 9, 2009, President Barak Obama nominated Ms. Hoffman to be Assistant Secretary for Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability. The focus of her responsibility is to provide leadership on a national level to modernize the electric grid, enhance the security and reliability of the energy infrastructure and facilitate recovery from disruptions to the energy supply both domestically and internationally. This is critical to meeting the Nation's growing demand for reliable electricity by overcoming the challenges of our Nation's aging electricity transmission and distribution system and addressing the vulnerabilities in our energy supply chain.

Prior to her current position, Ms. Hoffman served in a dual capacity as Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Research and Development (R&D) and Chief Operating Officer within Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability. During her tenure as the DAS for R&D, she developed the long-term research strategy and improved the management portfolio of research programs for modernizing and improving the resiliency of the electric grid.

Kathleen Hogan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy

Dr. Kathleen Hogan is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) at the U.S. Department of Energy, where she oversees a more than $900 million annual portfolio which includes energy efficiency policy, program, and research activities including industrial, buildings, and vehicle technologies, along with Federal energy management programs. Dr. Hogan has been recognized for her work with a Presidential Rank Award, induction into the Energy Efficiency Hall of Fame of the US Energy Association, and as a contributor to the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Dr. Hogan has a Ph.D. from the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Bucknell University.

Lisa P. Jackson, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Lisa Jackson serves as Administrator of EPA and leads EPA's efforts to protect the health and environment for all Americans. She and a staff of more than 17,000 professionals are working across the Nation to usher in a green economy, address health threats from toxins and pollution, and renew public trust in EPA's work. As Administrator, Ms. Jackson has pledged to focus on core issues of protecting air and water quality, preventing exposure to toxic contamination in communities, and reducing greenhouse gases. She has promised that all of EPA's efforts will follow the best science, adhere to the rule of law, and be implemented with unparalleled transparency. Ms. Jackson is the first African-American to serve as EPA Administrator. She has made it a priority to focus on vulnerable groups including children, the elderly, and low-income communities that are particularly susceptible to environmental and health threats. In addressing these and other issues, she has promised all stakeholders a place at the decision-making table. Before becoming EPA's Administrator, Ms. Jackson served as Chief of Staff to New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine and Commissioner of the state's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Prior to joining DEP, she worked for 16 years as an employee of the U.S. EPA. Administrator Jackson is a summa cum laude graduate of Tulane University and earned a Master's degree in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University. She was born in Pennsylvania and grew up a proud resident of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Kristina M. Johnson, Under Secretary of Energy, U.S. Department of Energy

Kristina Johnson is currently the Under Secretary of Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. Prior to her appointment as Under Secretary, Dr. Johnson was Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at The Johns Hopkins University. She received her B.S., M.S. (with distinction) and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. After a NATO post-doctoral fellowship at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, she joined the University of Colorado-Boulder's faculty in 1985 as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to full Professor in 1994. From 1994 to 1999 Dr. Johnson directed the NSF/ERC for Optoelectronics Computing Systems Center at the University of Colorado and Colorado State University, and then served as Dean of the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University from 1999 to 2007. Her awards include the Dennis Gabor Prize for creativity and innovation in modern optics (1993); State of Colorado and North Carolina Technology Transfer Awards (1997, 2001); induction into the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame (2003); the Society of Women Engineers Lifetime Achievement Award (2004); and in May of 2008, the John Fritz Medal, widely considered the highest award in the engineering profession. A fellow of the Optical Society of America, IEEE, SPIE and a Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Johnson was a director of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering and has served on the Board of Directors of Mineral Technologies Inc., Boston Scientific Corporation, AES Corporation and Nortel Networks.

Mark Johnson, Director, Industry and Innovations Programs, Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management Systems Center

Professor Mark Johnson serves as the Director of the Industry and Innovation Programs for the Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management (FREEDM) Systems Center, a National Science Foundation Gen-III Engineering Research Center targeting the convergence of power electronics, storage, renewable resource integration and information technology for electric power systems. He is an Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering as well as Director of Engineering for the Technology, Entrepreneurship and Commercialization (TEC) Program at NC State University. Professor Johnson's work focuses on the intersection between semiconductor materials; renewable energy, communications and photonics technologies; entrepreneurship; tech-transfer and public-private partnership formation.

Robert P. Johnston, President and Chief Executive Officer, MEAG Power

Bob Johnston is the President and Chief Executive Officer for MEAG Power. He is also Chairman of the Large Public Power Council, an organization comprised of the 24 largest public power utilities in the United States. In addition, Mr. Johnston is Chairman of Georgia Allies, a collaborative marketing partnership that promotes the State's business development. Mr. Johnston has over 25 years of experience in the electric utility industry. At MEAG Power, he has held management positions including Manager, Engineering; Vice President, Engineering and Operations; and Executive Vice President, Operations. Additionally, Mr. Johnston was past Chairman and is presently serves on the Board of Directors for The Energy Authority located in Jacksonville, Florida. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, American Public Power Association, and Colectric Partners, Inc. Mr. Johnston received his Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1978 and his Professional Engineering license in 1983. His professional memberships include the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Power Engineering Society and Industry Applications Society.

Tom King, President, National Grid USA

Tom King joined National Grid as Executive Director, Electricity Distribution & Generation, and as President of National Grid USA in July 2007. Mr. King was President of PG&E Corporation and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pacific Gas and Electric Company from 2003-2007. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President of PG&E Corporation and as President of PG&E National Energy Group having joined PG&E Gas Transmission as President in 1998. Mr. King serves as a Board Member for Jobs for Massachusetts, the Alliance to Save Energy, the Business Council of New York State, and the Edison Electric Institute, as well as serving on the Board of Trustees for the New England Aquarium and serving as Co-Chair of the National Utilities Diversity Council. Mr. King received his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Louisiana State University and is a graduate of the University of Michigan's Executive Management Program. Mr. King also successfully completed the Nuclear Reactor Technology Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Joseph T. Kelliher, Executive Vice President, Federal Regulatory Affairs, FPL Group, Inc.

Joe Kelliher is Executive Vice President, Federal Regulatory Affairs for FPL Group, Inc. In this role, he is responsible for managing federal regulatory matters for FPL Group and its principal subsidiaries, NextEra Energy Resources and Florida Power & Light Company. Mr. Kelliher served as Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from 2005 to 2009. Mr. Kelliher has spent his entire professional career working on energy policy matters, serving in a variety of roles in both the public and private sectors, including Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of Energy, and Majority Counsel to the House Commerce Committee, as well as positions with private corporations, trade associations, and law firms. Mr. Kelliher earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service, and a Juris Doctorate degree, magna cum laude, from The American University Washington College of Law.

Doug Larson, Executive Director, Western Interstate Energy Board

Doug Larson is the Executive Director of the Western Interstate Energy Board, an association of 11 western states and three western Canadian provinces. Members of the Board are appointed by Governor or Premier. The Board serves as the energy arm of the Western Governors' Association. Mr. Larson provides staff support to the new Western Interconnection state-Provincial Steering Committee, the Western Interconnection Regional Advisory Body established by Western Governors under Section 215 of the Federal Power Act, and the Committee on Regional Electric Power Cooperation, which includes the regulatory, planning and facility siting agencies from the states and provinces in the Western Interconnection.

Ronald L. Litzinger, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Edison Mission Group

Ron Litzinger is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Edison Mission Group (EMG), which manages the competitive power generation business of Edison International. Headquartered in Irvine, California, EMG companies own, operate or lease more than 40 power generating facilities in 14 states, including a fleet of coal-fired plants in the PJM market, 27 wind energy projects in nine states, and a fleet of cogeneration facilities in California. Mr. Litzinger has held a range of executive positions during a 23-year career with Edison International in the areas of business development, operations, strategic planning, and transmission and distribution. Mr. Litzinger has a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Washington and a Master's degree in Management from the University of Redlands.

Arun Majumdar, Director, Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy

Dr. Arun Majumdar became the first Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) in October 2009. ARPA-E is the Nation's only agency devoted to transformational energy research and development. Prior to joining ARPA-E, Dr. Majumdar was the Associate Laboratory Director for Energy and Environment at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. At LBNL and UC Berkeley, Dr. Majumdar helped shape several strategic initiatives in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and energy storage. He also testified before Congress on how to reduce energy consumption in buildings. Dr. Majumdar has also served on the Advisory Committee of the National Science Foundation's engineering directorate, was a Member of the Advisory Council to the materials sciences and engineering division of the Department of Energy's Basic Energy Sciences, and was an advisor on nanotechnology to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Additionally, Dr. Majumdar – also an entrepreneur – has served as an advisor to startup companies and venture capital firms in the Silicon Valley. Dr. Majumdar received his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay in 1985 and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1989.

Peter Mandelstam, Founder and President, Bluewater Wind

Peter Mandelstam is Founder and President of Bluewater Wind, with offices in Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Maryland, and the Great Lakes. In the wind business since 1997, Mr. Mandelstam developed Montana's first wind farm in Judith Gap, under WPS Arcadia LLC. Mr. Mandelstam served on the Board of the American Wind Energy Association for eight years and co-founding and chairing Wind Power New York (now ACENY.org) which obtained a 3,400 MW RPS in New York. Since 2006, Mr. Mandelstam has chaired AWEA's Offshore Group with more than 100 companies, coordinating most recently the response to the draft MMS regulations. A graduate of Harvard, he began his career as a project manager for the City of New York, building and preserving affordable housing. Mr. Mandelstam was a founder and Executive Director of the non-profit Solar Technology Institute, which worked under the Pan-American Health Organization, a division of WHO doing solar-powered medical vaccine refrigerators and other health systems in Latin America. He is a certified solar installer.

Arshad Mansoor, Vice President, Power Delivery & Utilization, Electric Power Research Institute

Dr. Arshad Mansoor is Vice President of the Power Delivery & Utilization sector at the Electric Power Research Institute. He leads the research, development, demonstration, and application of transmission and distribution and energy utilization technologies. Prior to joining EPRI, he was Vice President of the former wholly-owned EPRI subsidiary, EPRI Solutions, and prior to that he served as Vice President and Director of Engineering with the EPRI Power Electronics Application Center. Dr. Mansoor received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and Master of Science (1992) and Doctorate (1994) in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas in Austin. He holds two U.S. patents in the area of intelligent universal transformers. Dr. Mansoor is a senior Member of the Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineering (IEEE), has published numerous papers in journals and conference proceedings and has served as a panelist and featured speaker in various industry forums.

William McCollum, Chief Operating Officer, Tennessee Valley Authority

Bill McCollum was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 2007. He is responsible for the management of TVA's power production, transmission, power trading, and resource management programs. Mr. McCollum came to TVA from Duke Power. While at Duke Power, Mr. McCollum was in charge of 14 fossil plants in four states, five gas-fired plants and 32 hydroelectric plants that have a combined capacity of 21,000MW. In addition, he was also responsible for Engineering and Technical Services, Procurement, Regulated Bulk Power Marketing and New Generation Construction. Mr. McCollum joined Duke Power in 1974 and held numerous management positions, becoming Group Executive and Chief Regulated Generation Officer in 2006. A native of Rossville, Georgia, Mr. McCollum graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree and a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering. He received a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Christopher G. Miller, President, Piedmont Environmental Council

Chris Miller has served as Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) President since January 1, 1996. He is an attorney with expertise in environmental and transportation policy. Mr. Miller is responsible for overall management and strategic planning for PEC, including the land conservation program, energy policy, land use policy, smart growth and transportation policies. Mr. Miller initially worked for PEC as coordinator of the successful campaign that challenged Disney America's development proposal. In recent years, he has also become a leading advocate for a less transmission-dominated approach to energy planning. Mr. Miller received his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and B.A. with Honors in Environmental Studies from Williams College.

Warren F. "Pete" Miller, Jr., Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy

Dr. Pete Miller was nominated by President Barack Obama as the Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy in June of 2009, and confirmed by the Senate in August. Before becoming Assistant Secretary, Dr. Miller was a Research Professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Associate Director of the Nuclear Security Science and Policy Institute at Texas A&M University. Dr. Miller is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy. He served in Vietnam where he earned a U.S. Army Bronze Star and a Commendation Medal. After his military service he received a PhD in Nuclear Engineering from Northwestern University. After two years as an assistant professor there, he began his career at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Over the course of his 27-year career at LANL, Dr. Miller held a variety of leadership positions, including Associate Laboratory Director for Energy Programs, as well as for Physics and Mathematics. As Associate Lab Director, he supervised the work of 2000 scientists. He also served as Senior Research Advisor, with the responsibility of deciding which research projects to pursue, recruiting the talent to pursue them, and providing the facilities to enable success. Dr. Miller was elected as a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society in 1982, and to membership in the National Academy of Engineering in 1996.

Richard E. Morgan, Commissioner, District of Columbia Public Service Commission

Commissioner Rick Morgan began a second four-year term on the District of Columbia Public Service Commission (PSC) in July 2007. Commissioner Morgan serves as Chairman of the Task Force on Climate Policy of NARUC. He is a member of NARUC's Energy Resources and Environment Committee, the NARUC-FERC Smart Grid Collaborative, and he serves on NARUC's Board of Directors. Before joining the PSC, Commissioner Morgan spent 12 years with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where he focused on climate policy and emissions trading. Previously, Commissioner Morgan spent five years on the staff of the PSC, where he helped to develop policies on energy conservation and resource planning. During his 40 years in the field of energy policy and utilities, Commissioner Morgan has authored numerous publications on electric power.

Steven Nadel, Executive Director, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy

Steven Nadel is the Executive Director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), a non-profit research organization that works on programs and policies to advance energy-efficient technologies and services. Mr. Nadel has been at ACEEE for 20 years serving as Deputy Director and Director of ACEEE's Utilities and Buildings programs prior to his promotion to Executive Director in 2001. He has worked in the energy efficiency field for 30 years and has over 100 publications on energy-efficiency subjects. Mr. Nadel has testified nine times before Congress on energy efficiency subjects and also testified before multiple state legislatures. He was a major contributor to national energy legislation passed by Congress in 1987, 1992, 2005, 2007, and 2009. Mr. Nadel has a M.S. in Energy Management from the New York Institute of Technology, and a M.A. in Environmental Studies and B.A. in Government from Wesleyan University in Connecticut.

Erin O'Connell-Diaz, Commissioner, Illinois Commerce Commission and Co-Vice Chair NARUC Committee on Electricity

Commissioner Erin O'Connell-Diaz serves as Commissioner of the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). Prior to her appointment with the ICC, Commissioner O'Connell-Diaz served as Illinois Assistant Attorney General – General Law Division (1983-1991), Illinois Commerce Commission Administrative Law Judge (1991-2003), and Assistant Director-Administrative Law Division. Commissioner O-Connell-Diaz was appointed to the ICC in 2003 and re-appointed to second term in 2008. She currently serves as Vice-Chair of NARUC's Electricity Committee and is a member of the NARUC Committees on Water, International Relations and Critical Infrastructure. She serves on the Board of the Bull Valley Association, and is Past Chair of the Chicago Bar Association's Public Utility Law Division. She sits on the Board of Trustees of Regina Dominican High School and is a lifetime member of the Naval Reserve Association. Commissioner O-Connell-Diaz received a B.S. cum laude in History-Government at St. Mary's College of Notre Dame and a Juris Doctorate from Loyola University School of Law.

Patrick Oshie, Commissioner, Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission

Patrick Oshie was appointed to the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission by Governor Gary Locke in 2001 and reappointed by Governor Christine Gregoire in 2006. Prior to his Commission appointment, he was a partner in his Yakima law firm, specializing in federal Indian and environmental law and representing the Yakama Nation in the development and construction of the Yakima/Klickitat Fisheries Project. Commissioner Oshie served as an assistant city attorney for the City of Seattle, and he also served as an Assistant Attorney General in Utah, where he represented the Division of Public Utilities and the Committee for Consumer Services before the Utah Public Service Commission on natural gas, electricity and other utility matters. While in Utah, he was an adjunct professor of law at the University of Utah's College of Law in 1986. Commissioner Oshie is a member of the Energy Resources and the Environment Committee of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and serves as Chair of the committee. Commissioner Oshie received his law degree from the University of Washington in 1980.

John Podesta, President and Chief Executive Officer, Center for American Progress

John Podesta is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for American Progress (Center). Under his leadership, the Center has become a notable leader in the development of and advocacy for progressive policy. Prior to founding the Center in 2003, Mr. Podesta served as White House Chief of Staff to President William J. Clinton. Most recently, Mr. Podesta served as Co-Chair of President Obama's transition team. Additionally, he has held numerous positions on Capitol Hill. Mr. Podesta is a graduate of Knox College and the Georgetown University Law Center, where he is currently a Visiting Professor of Law. He also authored The Power of Progress: How America's Progressives Can (Once Again) Save Our Economy, Our Climate and Our Country.

Anne Pramaggiore, President and Chief Operating Officer, ComEd

Anne Pramaggiore is President and Chief Operating Officer of ComEd and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company, which delivers electric service to customers throughout Northern Illinois. ComEd has 5,900 employees and revenues of approximately $6.1 billion. Prior to her current position, Ms. Pramaggiore served as Executive Vice President of Customer Operations, Regulatory, and External Affairs for ComEd. In that role, Ms. Pramaggiore oversaw distribution and transmission rate making, customer operations, and state regulatory affairs and strategy. Additional responsibilities included the administration of environmental stewardship activities designed to promote customer satisfaction. Ms. Pramaggiore was promoted to her current position in May 2009. She is the first female to hold the post of President and the highest-ranking woman at ComEd. Ms. Pramaggiore has a Bachelor's degree in Communications and Theater from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio and is a 1989 graduate of DePaul University School of Law and served as Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review.

Carl Pope, Executive Director, Sierra Club

Carl Pope was appointed Executive Director of the Sierra Club in 1992. A veteran leader in the environmental movement, Mr. Pope has been with the Sierra Club for nearly thirty years. In that time he has served as Associate Conservation Director, Political Director and Conservation Director. In addition to his work with the Sierra Club, Mr. Pope has had a distinguished record of environmental activism and leadership. He has served on the Boards of the California League of Conservation Voters, Public Voice, National Clean Air Coalition, California Common Cause, Public Interest Economics, Inc., and Zero Population Growth. Mr. Pope was also Executive Director of the California League of Conservation Voters and the Political Director of Zero Population Growth. Mr. Pope is co-author — along with Paul Rauber — of Strategic Ignorance: Why the Bush Administration Is Recklessly Destroying a Century of Environmental Progress, which the New York Review of Books called "a splendidly fierce book." Mr. Pope's other books include Sahib, an American Misadventure in India (1971) and Hazardous Waste in America (1981). Mr. Pope graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College in 1967.

John Savage, Commissioner, Oregon Public Utility Commission

John Savage was appointed to the Oregon Public Utility Commission (Commission) in September, 2003, after serving as Director of the Commission's regulatory staff. Before joining the Commission, Commissioner Savage was Director of the Oregon Department of Energy for eight years and oversaw the development of Oregon's energy plan; administered energy conservation programs; and sited new energy facilities. Commissioner Savage currently serves as Chair of the Western Interconnection Regional Advisory Body, which advises FERC, NERC, and WECC on reliability standards; the Electricity Committee of the Western Conference of Public Service Commissioners; and the Committee on Regional Electric Power Cooperation. Commissioner Savage serves on the Board of the Oregon Energy Trust.

William Schulze, Kenneth Robinson Professor of Applied Economics and Public Policy, Department of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University

William Schulze is the Kenneth L, Robinson Chair of Applied Economics and Public Policy at Cornell University where he directs the Laboratory for Experimental Economics and Decision Research in the Department of Applied Economics and Management and is co-director of the Center for Behavioral Economics and Decision Research in the Johnson Graduate School of Management. His areas of research include behavioral, experimental, and environmental economics. Professor Schulze's recent research has focused on testing electric power markets, environmental mechanism design, as well as the voluntary provision of public goods and is supported by the NSF, USEPA, DOE, and private industry.

Phil Sharp, President, Resources for the Future

Phil Sharp is President of Resources for the Future. His career in public service includes ten terms as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana and a lengthy tenure on the faculty of the John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Institute of Politics at Harvard University. Currently, Mr. Sharp serves on the Board of Directors of the Duke Energy Corporation and as Vice Chair on the Board of the Energy Foundation. He is the congressional chair for the National Commission on Energy Policy and was appointed to The National Academies' Committee on America's Climate Choices and was recently appointed to the blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future. He is also a member of the Cummins Science and Technology Advisory Council, the MIT Energy Initiative External Advisory Board, and the International Advisory Board of the Harvard Environmental Economics Program. In addition, he chairs the External Advisory Committees for both the MIT Nuclear Fuel Cycle Study and the MIT Future of Solar Energy Study. Mr. Sharp received his Ph.D. in Government from Georgetown University.

Elizabeth Shuler, Secretary-Treasurer, AFL-CIO

Liz Shuler holds the second-highest position in the American labor movement, Secretary-Treasurer of the 11.5 million member AFL-CIO. One of her highest priorities is renewing the labor movement's appeal to millions of younger workers. Before her election as Secretary-Treasurer last September, Ms. Shuler served the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) in a wide variety of positions: helping workers organize with the IBEW, conducting membership education and training courses, building a chain of political activists in a five-state region, lobbying the legislature in her home state of Oregon, and, as executive assistant to the IBEW president, overseeing 11 of the union's departments.

Nick Sinai, Energy and Environment Director, Federal Communications Commission

Mr. Sinai serves as the Energy and Environment Director of the Federal Communications Commission's Omnibus Broadband Initiative. Mr. Sinai leads a team exploring how broadband and advanced communications can help the nation achieve its goals of energy independence and energy efficiency. Mr. Sinai is a former venture capitalist and entrepreneur. Most recently, he served in executive and advisory roles with two Boston area clean energy technology companies, and served as a senior advisor to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. Mr. Sinai played a key role in building the clean energy practice at Polaris Venture Partners, and subsequently served as a Principal of Tenaya Capital. He also has private equity experience at Madison Dearborn Partners. Earlier in his career, he was a senior management consultant with Cambridge Strategic Management Group, where he led teams working with large communications and media companies. He earned an M.B.A from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and an A.B. from Harvard University.

Marc Spitzer, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Marc Spitzer was nominated by President George W. Bush to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and confirmed by the U.S. Senate for a term expiring June 30, 2011. Commissioner Spitzer was elected in 2000 to the Arizona Corporation Commission and in 2002 was elected Chairman by his colleagues. He received recognition for his leadership of the Arizona Commission from 2003-2005. In 1992, after many associations with civic, philanthropic and political causes, he was elected to the Arizona State Senate for District 18. Commissioner Spitzer served in the Legislature as Chair of the Judiciary and Finance Committees and was elected by his peers to the position of Senate Majority Leader in 1996. As an attorney since 1982, Commissioner Spitzer represented taxpayers in proceedings involving the Internal Revenue Service. He was first certified as a Specialist in tax law by the Arizona Bar in 1987. After graduation from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Commissioner Spitzer attended the University of Michigan, School of Law.

Susan Tierney, Managing Principal, Analysis Group

Dr. Susan Tierney, a Managing Principal at Analysis Group, is an expert on economics, regulation and policy in the electric and gas industries. Her work has involved market analysis, transmission policy, energy facility siting, utility ratemaking, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and climate policy. Dr. Tierney's previous positions include Assistant Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Energy, Massachusetts Secretary of Environmental Affairs, Commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, and Executive Director of the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Council. Dr. Tierney Co-Chaired the U.S. Department of Energy Agency Review Team for President Barak Obama's Transition Team. Currently, she Co-Chairs the National Commission on Energy Policy, is Chair of the Board of the Energy Foundation, Chairs the Advisory Council of the NREL, and is a Director of the World Resources Institute, Clean Air Task Force, Clean Air – Cool Planet, Evergreen Solar, and Ze-gen. Dr. Tierney's Ph.D. is from Cornell University.

Gordon van Welie, President and Chief Executive Officer, ISO New England Inc.

Gordon van Welie is President and Chief Executive Officer of ISO New England Inc. (ISO NE), having previously served as the ISO NE's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Recently Mr. van Welie has directed ISO NE initiatives to analyze renewable power integration and pursue smart grid technology applications. He also serves as a Member of the ISO NE's Board of Directors and is a prior Chair of the ISO/RTO Council. He joined ISO NE from Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution LLC, where he served as Vice President and General Manager of the Power Systems Control Division and was responsible for delivering and supporting power system automation and information technology solutions for electric companies. Before moving to Siemens, Mr. van Welie held the position of Chief Engineer at ESKOM, South Africa's electric utility based in Johannesburg. Mr. van Welie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Jon Wellinghoff, Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Jon Wellinghoff was named Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) by President Barack Obama on March 19, 2009. Chairman Wellinghoff has been a Member of the Commission since 2006. The U.S. Senate reconfirmed him to a full, five-year term in December 2007. Before joining FERC, he was in private practice and focused exclusively on client matters related to renewable energy, energy efficiency and distributed generation. His experience also includes two terms as the State of Nevada's first Consumer Advocate for Customers of Public Utilities. Chairman Wellinghoff serves as Co-Chair of the NARUC-FERC Demand Response Collaborative and is a Member of NARUC's Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment. Chairman Wellinghoff received his B.S. from the University of Nevada, Reno, an M.A.T. from Howard University, and a J.D. from Antoich School of Law.