New appointments for PUC, Energy Commish

Gov. Jerry Brown appointed a new chairperson of the California Energy Commission, one of four appointments the governor made to the CEC and the state Public Utilities Commission.

To the PUC, the Democratic governor named veteran ratepayer advocate and attorney Michael Florio and Catherine Sandoval, a law professor at Santa Clara University and a telecommunications expert. 

Brown did not fill a third vacancy on the five-member PUC, an opening made vacant by his earlier decision to move Commissioner Nancy Ryan to the agency’s executive staff.

There also was no indication of whether Brown would select a new president of the PUC. John Geesman, a former Energy Commission executive, has been viewed as a leading for an appointment to the PUC.

At the Energy Commission, Brown named Commissioner Bob Weisenmiller as the new chair effective Feb. 6, filling the position currently held by Karen Douglas. The governor also appointed Carla Peterman, a renewable energy expert from UC Berkeley, to the commission.

The appointments, which require Senate confirmation, were announced by Brown’s office. Biographical sketches of the commissioners are available here.

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Eds: Updates earlier with action by governor’s office.