Nancy Ryan was appointed to the California Public Utilities Commission in January 2010. She is an economist with expertise in energy markets, climate change policy, and the public health and ecological impacts of energy production. Since February 2009, she has served as the CPUC’s Deputy Executive Director for Policy. She joined the CPUC in January 2006 as President Peevey’s Chief Energy Advisor and served as his Chief of Staff from April 2007 to February 2009. While at the CPUC Commissioner Ryan has played a key role in developing policies in the areas of climate change, electricity market design, and renewable energy. In the course of these efforts she has helped to build and enhance the CPUC’s working relationships with its sister energy agencies and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, as well as the Legislature and Governor’s office.

Prior to joining the CPUC, Commissioner Ryan was Senior Economist and Deputy California Director at Environmental Defense Fund, where she led policy initiatives focusing on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles and power plants, curbing air pollution from diesel engines, and restoring rivers and watersheds. Prior to joining Environmental Defense in 2001, Commissioner Ryan worked as a consultant for a diverse set of clients in the energy field, including conservation groups, state government, electric utilities, and the Electric Power Research Institute. From 1996 to 2007, Commissioner Ryan also taught a graduate-level course on applied Cost Benefit Analysis at University of California, Berkeley’s Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy.

Commissioner Ryan, 49, received her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley and a B.A. in Economics from Yale. Ryan is a Democrat and resides in Berkeley with her partner Carrie Portis and their 2-year old daughter, Frances.