State Senate Confirms Patty Monahan as California Energy Commissioner
The California State Senate has confirmed Commissioner Patty Monahan to the California Energy Commission (CEC).
The Governor appoints, with Senate confirmation, five commissioners to staggered five-year terms. The commissioners must come from and represent specific areas of expertise: law, environment, economics, science and engineering, and the public at large.
Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Monahan in March 2019 to fill the remainder of the science and engineering position vacated when former Chair Robert B. Weisenmiller retired. In January 2020, Newsom reappointed her to a five-year term for the science and engineering spot, which is the position that the Senate voted on February 24.
As the state's primary energy policy and planning agency, the CEC plays a critical role in creating the energy system of the future - one that is clean, is modern, and ensures the fifth largest economy in the world continues to thrive.
Before joining the CEC, Monahan was the transportation program director at the Energy Foundation, where she funded campaigns across the United States to advance electric transportation and cleaner, more efficient vehicles.
She also worked in a variety of positions with the Union of Concerned Scientists and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9, which covers the Pacific Southwest. Monahan also worked at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory International Studies Program.
Monahan’s primary goal as a commissioner is advancing clean, safe, affordable energy. Her priorities include: advancing energy equity, supporting the state’s emerging electric vehicle manufacturing industry, diversifying the state’s suite of transportation fuels beyond oil, accelerating the deployment of electric vehicle infrastructure statewide, and interagency coordination on transportation policy and planning.
Her confirmation hearing can be found here. Follow @patty_cec on Twitter.
Information about the CEC commissioners is available, including high-resolution photos.
