DRA Energy Management
Deputy Director
Aaron Johnson
Program Managers
Scott Cauchois
Electricity Policy & Planning
Scott joined the CPUC in 1985, migrating over from the California Energy Commission and occasional consulting for the express purpose of developing a resource planning and production cost modeling capability within the Public Staff Division. He has been involved in all aspects of electricity industry regulation from the development of integrated resource planning to its termination as limited deregulation and markets developed, and currently, the hybrid structure incorporating both markets and IRP. He serves on the Western Electricity Coordinating Council board of directors and is involved in research activities involving transmission and energy markets. Scott holds a bachelor’s from U.C. Berkeley and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from U.C. Davis.
Linda Serizawa
Electricity Pricing and Customer Programs
Linda has been a program manager of DRA’s newly created Electricity Pricing and Customer Service Branch since January 2008. She is responsible for planning and coordinating all Branch activities, and guiding staff’s analytic and advocacy work on major regulatory policies and programs affecting energy consumers.
Program and Project Supervisors
Joseph Abhulimen
Electricity Policy & Planning
Joseph supervises staff working on a variety of energy issues, including transmission, renewable energy, energy cost recovery, and research and development in alternative energy resources. Joseph joined the CPUC in 1982 and has been a supervisor in DRA since 2001. Prior to his supervisory work in DRA, Joseph worked as a staff engineer on a variety of regulatory issues at the CPUC, both in advisory and advocacy capacities, on water, telecommunications, and energy issues. He coordinated numerous project teams on general rate cases for large water utilities; local competition and rate design for telecommunications utilities; and universal lifeline policy issues for low income customers. He holds a BS in civil and environmental engineering from Utah State University, an MS in civil engineering from San Jose State University and an MBA in project and construction management from Golden Gate University. He is a registered professional civil engineer in the State of California.
Dave Ashukian, PE
Electricity Policy & Planning
Dave Supervises the Procurement Section in the Electricity Planning and Policy Branch within the Division of Ratepayer Advocates. The Procurement Section’s primary focus is long term procurement, resource adequacy, green house gas and climate change policy, capacity markets, and procurement review groups. Prior to his current position with DRA, Dave served as manager of the California Energy Commission’s Electricity and Natural Gas Analysis Office, conducting independent, objective analyses of California’s electricity and natural gas systems operation, market economics, and procurement. Dave has also served as an Advisor to Commissioner Boyd, supervised transportation research and development, and has worked emission regulations for the California Air Resources Board. Dave is a Registered Professional Engineer and earned his Second Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Sacramento.
Chris Danforth
Electricity Pricing and Customer Programs
Chris supervises staff working on electric rate design, advanced metering infrastructure, AB 1X issues, and community choice aggregation. Chris joined the CPUC over 30 years ago and has worked on a wide range of issues including general rate cases, energy conservation, marginal costs, stranded costs, electric restructuring, direct access, and rate design. He is co-authoring the second CPUC Standard Practice Energy Conservation Analysis. He has hands-on experience with production cost simulation modeling and was involved with validating computer models used in ratemaking pursuant to Assembly Bill 475. Before Chris came to the CPUC, he worked for two consulting firms writing environmental impact reports. Chris has a B.A. in Mathematical and Computer Models in the Social Sciences (1972) and a B.S. in Information and Computer Science (1977), both from the University of California, Irvine, a M.A. in Geography (1975), with specialty in urban and environmental planning, from the University of Toronto, and a M.A. in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary.
Risa Hernandez
Electricity Pricing and Customer Programs
Risa supervises staff working on a variety of issues, including energy efficiency, demand response, solar and distributed generation, direct access, community choice aggregation, and programs assisting low income energy customers. Prior to supervisory work for DRA, Risa worked as a staff analyst on a variety of regulatory issues at the CPUC in both advisory and advocacy capacities. Some key projects that she has handled include improving the Life-Line telephone program of low income consumers, implementing the Consumer Protection Initiative, evaluating the status of telecommunications competition in California, handling telephone number allocation and conservation matters, as well as conducting price cap reviews and general rate case analyses. Risa has also held positions with the California Office of the Auditor General, Urban Media Communications, the Office of U.S. Congressman Charles Rangel, and the Children’s Defense Fund. She earned a master of public administration degree from the University of Washington and a bachelor of arts degree from Oberlin College.
DRA Energy Staff
CHRISTOPHER BLUNT
Regulatory Analyst
Chris received a B.S. in Accounting from California State University East Bay in 1979, with a minor in Computer Science. He started his career at the CPUC in 1980 as an auditor. Since then his career has covered the full breadth of regulation at the CPUC, including projects in the energy, telecommunications, water, and transportation industries. Chris has completed financial, economic and policy analyses and was recently the Project Coordinator on PG&E’s Automated Metering Infrastructure proceeding. Currently, Chris is working on the upgrade to that system.
TAARU CHAWLA
Regulatory Analyst
Taaru joined the CPUC in 2007. During the past 6 months, she has worked extensively on Southern California Edison’s advanced metering infrastructure filing with particular emphasis on information technology and avoided cost issues. Previously, she worked at California Capital FDC, a microfinance organization, serving multiple roles from program design and development, to market assessment and impact assessment. She has interned at the California Energy Commission as a graduate student, and has past work experience at Towers Perrin as well as internships at Merrill Lynch and Schlumberger. Taaru holds a Masters in Economics from UC Davis, and a Bachelor of Business, Finance and a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Texas at Austin. Outside of work, she enjoys creating works of mosaic art and reading.
CHERYL COX
Regulatory Analyst
Cheryl is DRA's project coordinator for the Commission's complex, multi-phased energy efficiency proceeding. As a policy analyst for DRA, she promotes ratepayers’ interests by overseeing the development, implementation, and accountability of energy efficiency programs across California. Cheryl further represents DRA in the Commission's stakeholder process to develop a 20-year strategic plan in order to seamlessly integrate energy programs for greater accessibility and cost-effectiveness for customers. Her advocacy in this role is to promote the development of a roadmap to change the culture of how Californian's more efficiently and conservatively consume energy. Cheryl has worked at the Commission for over six years as an analyst and a Commissioner advisor. Prior to joining the Commission, Cheryl held management positions in the high-tech and media industries. She has a degree in Political Science from the University of Southern California.
JOSIE EMELO
Office Technician
Josie joined the DRA as an office technician in February 2008. Before joining DRA, Josie worked for the California Attorney General's office for almost 23 years where she started as an Office Assistant and moved on to be an office technician and office service supervisor. She has received a Sustained Superior Accomplishment Award by the Department of Justice. Josie has two children and four grandchildren that live in Las Vegas. During her free time she likes to go ballroom dancing.
CLAIRE EUSTACE
Regulatory Analyst
Claire joined the CPUC in 2008. She reviews the Utility Retained Generation sections of the Energy Resource Recovery Account applications of PG&E, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric. Before working for the CPUC, Claire worked as an estate planning and probate lawyer for a small law firm in Oakland. She has a law degree from UC Davis, a master’s degree in environmental science and management from the Bren School at UC Santa Barbara, and a training certificate from the San Francisco School of Bartending (SFSOB). Between graduate school and law school she worked as an Energy Planner for Santa Barbara County. At Santa Barbara County, Claire performed environmental review and permit compliance of onshore facilities and pipelines that processed or transported offshore oil and gas. Before graduate school, Claire performed environmental microbiology research and received a degree in biology from Mills College. She grew up in Yakima, Washington. Claire is currently the vice president of the Board of Trustees of the First Unitarian Church of Oakland. In her free time Claire enjoys traveling, drawing, reading, dancing, mixing drinks, practicing policy governance, and collecting degrees.
TED GEILEN
Senior Utilities Engineer
Ted provides technical, business case, and public policy analysis on information and demand response technologies, including advance metering infrastructure (AMI). Ted has investigated and quantified regional communications and information technology systems, analyzing the many impacts of AMI on the state’s electrical grid. In addition, Ted has advocated strongly that consumers should have free, real-time access to their own energy consumption data. Ted is a Registered Professional Engineer and has a Master’s Degree in Engineering from The University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and a master’s degree in business administration from The University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business.
FARZAD GHAZZAGH
Senior Utilities Engineer
Farzad received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Control Engineering from the University of Texas at Permian Basin. He is also a Registered Professional Engineer in control systems. Farzad joined the Commission in 1978. He has more than 30 years of experience in the energy field, including expert witness testimony on utility energy costs, analyses of power plant performance and efficiency, conducting production cost model runs, and power procurement issues since industry deregulation.
SUDHEER GOKHALE
Senior Utilities Engineer
Sudheer joined DRA in 2006 and is currently working as DRA’s Project Manager on demand response (DR) programs. Previously Sudheer worked at PG&E in Generation Planning, Power Contracts, Customer Energy Efficiency, Gas Supply, Revenue Requirements, and Capital Accounting departments. In addition to PG&E, he has worked on hydroelectric design and the construction at the North Terminal at San Francisco airport. In his more daring days, he worked for almost two months on an offshore oil drilling platform off Dubai in the Arabian/Persian Gulf. Sudheer has bachelors degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering from India and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. Sudheer has California professional engineering (P.E.) licenses in both mechanical and electrical engineering.
DONNA HINES
Regulatory Analyst
Donna Hines is currently focusing on the audit of utility procurement and risk management practices. Donna joined the Commission in 2002. Since then, she has worked on the design and implementation of procurement and resource adequacy policy. Prior to working at the CPUC, Donna worked as a consultant to firms involved in project financing of energy and telecommunications ventures. Donna received her MBA from George Washington University and a B.S. in Foreign Languages from Georgetown University. She is active in several (professional) risk management organizations.
TERESA HORTINELA
Regulatory Analyst
Teresa is a regulatory analyst since 1997 working on QF related economic and policy issues such as those on utilities’ standard offer contracts, contracts pricing, contract restructuring and contract settlement, Energy Resource Recovery Account (ERRA) and Restructuring Advice Letter Filing (RALF) process. She is also involved in the utilities’ Long Term Procurement Proceeding. Teresa holds a Master Degree in Applied Economics from San Francisco State University and a Bachelor Degree in Psychology.
LOUIS IRWIN
Regulatory Analyst
Since joining DRA in 1999, Louis has worked on a great variety of electricity policy issues ranging from distributed generation to congestion pricing. More recently he has worked on community choice aggregation, marginal costing for general rate cases and issues pertaining to the advanced metering infrastructure. Prior to joining the Commission, Louis worked as a consultant on a wide range of mining and energy issues. Louis has a master of arts in economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a master of public administration from the JFK School of Government in Cambridge. In his free time, Louis enjoys comedy writing, darkroom photography and the culinary arts.
REBECCA LEE
Regulatory Analyst
Rebecca provides quantitative and policy analysis on demand-side management topics of retail pricing, demand response, and advanced metering infrastructure. She has investigated dynamic pricing implementation issues as well as load impact methodologies to evaluate price-responsive demand response programs. Rebecca holds a bachelor of arts in economics from University of California, Irvine.
KATIE LIU
Regulatory Analyst
Katie is a regulatory analyst working on electricity procurement and resource adequacy issues related to the Planning Reserve Margin and Local Capacity Requirements. Her work involves assessing the cost versus the benefit of procurement policies on ratepayers. She is also assigned to contract administration of Qualifying Facilities in the ERRA (Electricity Resource Recovery Account) proceedings. Her past assignments include performing financial and economic analysis on Class A Water Utility General Rate Cases. Katie graduated from UCLA in 2005 with a duel degree in French and Economics.
SCOTT LOGAN
Regulatory Analyst
Scott Logan has been a member of the DRA staff for 22 years. His expertise includes electric generation planning and procurement, transmission planning and need assessment, energy efficiency and demand-side management, affiliate and holding company rules, and contract reasonableness. Mr. Logan received his B.A. in Economics from San Francisco State University.
ANTHONY MAZY
Utilities Engineer
Mr. Mazy joined DRA in 1991 and is currently reviewing utility non-PURPA power procurement contract administration efforts. In previous assignments, Mr. Mazy represented ratepayers in the development of both California and IEEE national technical standards for utility interconnection of customer-owned and -operated distributed generation and California standards for automated metering and data communications systems for Direct Access. In previous engagements, he has been a commercial and industrial electrical designer, energy consultant, and designer of strategic propulsion systems, and he supervised the design, acceptance testing, and installation of the first grid-connected Photovoltaic power station in Northern California. Mr. Mazy holds a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from California State University, Sacramento, is a registered Professional Engineer in California, and is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
BETH MOORE
Regulatory Analyst
Beth has been a member of DRA's greenhouse gas team since July 2007. She analyzes regulatory strategies under California's AB 32, "The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006." Prior to joining DRA, Beth worked as a consultant for ICF International in Washington, DC. She consulted on climate change issues for the US Environmental Protection Agency and other clients. Her work focused on the energy and transportation sectors. As a student, Beth held research positions at the Environmental Defense Fund of North Carolina, and Winslow Management in Boston, MA. Beth holds a master's degree in Environmental Management from Yale University, with a concentration in energy and environmental economics. She holds a B.A. from Duke University in Economics and Environmental Sciences. When she's not reading economic papers on climate change, she enjoys hiking, rock climbing, and traveling.
RAHMON MOMOH
Regulatory Analyst
Rahmon Momoh has been with the Commission since 1987. He has served as an expert witness on water, transportation, telecommunication and energy issues in Commission proceedings. Rahmon developed the monitoring reports for the New Regulated Framework of the Telecommunications industry. He worked on the development of incentives mechanisms for the deregulated energy industry. Currently, Rahmon is project coordinator for the emerging renewable resources proceedings, grid integration research considerations and SCE solar Photovoltaic application to install 250 MW in Southern California. He has a master’s degree in applied economics from San Francisco State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the San Jose State University. Rahmon is an avid soccer player and Arsenal soccer club fanatic fan.
EDGAR QUIROZ
Regulatory Analyst
Edgar has more than 30 years of diverse building and energy experience. He joined the CPUC in 1983 and has contributed to plant efficiency standards, advance metering infrastructure, distributed generation, energy resource planning and computer modeling. Prior to his CPUC experience, Edgar was employed with the California Energy Commission (CEC) in Sacramento where he was part of the initial Title 24 Energy Standards process, providing technical analysis and input into the residential and non residential California energy code. He was also a renewable energy development contract manager to several co-sponsored CEC projects. Edgar has a BS degree in architecture/environmental design from University of California, Berkeley. His other interests include domestic and international travel, photography and all forms of water transport especially sailing and kayaking.
DAVE PECK
Regulatory Analyst
Dave joined the Electricity Planning and Policy Branch within DRA in 2007. Dave provides technical, business case, and public policy analysis on the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) proceeding, including transmission access to renewables. In previous assignments, Dave advocated for cost-effective and reliable demand response (DR) programs. Prior to his current position with DRA, Dave worked in the semiconductor and semiconductor capital equipment industries in a variety of roles including program manager, project manager, and system engineer. Dave received a Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in Computer Sciences and Industrial Engineering from University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences from Arizona State University. Dave also holds a NABCEP Entry Level Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Certification.
TOM ROBERTS
Regulatory Analyst
Tom Roberts works on demand side management programs such as energy efficiency (EE) and the California Solar Initiative. He serves as the lead analyst on the EE shareholder incentive mechanism in R.06-04-010 and the avoided cost proceeding (R.04-04-025) and has contributed to the long term procurement Proceeding. Prior to joining the CPUC he worked as an air quality consultation engineer, senior engineer and project manager at Boeing, and as a consultant to a solar PV company. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Cal Poly and an MBA from the Claremont Graduate School.
ANIANA M. SCHWANKL
Management Services Technician
Annie as she is called, came here in the United States through a scholarship grant from her employer (one of the American Companies based in the Philippines) headquartered in Washington, D.C. She moved to California in 1980 and worked with the steamship company from 1981-1990 as a Customer Service Representative before joining the Department of Industrial Relations as Secretary to the Research Manager of the Division of Workers Compensation in 1993. In 1998 she joined the Office of Ratepayer Advocates (now DRA) as an Office Technician under the supervision of Scott Cauchois and was upgraded to Management Service Technician in 2002. She enjoyed working with DRA until probably her sunset years if given the privilege of sentient quality.
DON SCHULTZ
Senior Analyst
Don’s primary focus for DRA is in the area of distributed generation, including the California Solar Initiative (CSI) and the Self-generation Incentive Program (SGIP). Don has worked for State Government since 1980—with 6 years at the California Energy Commission and then, since 1986, at the CPUC with DRA and its predecessors. Until recently years, Don’s work at DRA has been in the area of energy efficiency programs and other demand-side activities of the investor owned utilities. Don has a Ph.D. from the Political Science Department at UC Santa Barbara (1976), with specialties in international relations, comparative government, and American government. Don also has a master’s degree from the University of Miami (Ohio) in political science, and a bachelor’s degree from Manchester College (Indiana) in history.
YULIYA SHMIDT
Regulatory Analyst
Yuliya joined DRA in June 2008 to work on demand response issues. Previously, she worked for several Bay Area non-profits in environmental advocacy and policy. She has a bachelor’s in Environmental Studies and Philosophy from UC Santa Cruz and a master’s in Environmental Science from Yale University. In her free time, Yuliya enjoys traveling internationally, particularly in Latin America.
DON SMITH
Regulatory Analyst
Don Smith has Worked as PURA for DRA since Feb. 1999. Don has been called a “pony-tailed, whiskey drinkin’ neo-Marxist.” Don was one of California’s renewable energy pioneers, and still is a leading authority in the field. Don works on renewable energy for DRA, primarily in the Renewable Portfolio Standards proceedings. He works on analysis of the value to utilities of intermittent resources, procurement of all kinds of renewable energy projects and also advises DRA on climate change initiative policies and objectives. Don has written 27 papers for technical journals on renewable energy. He worked for Pacific Gas and Electric Company's Renewable Research & Demonstration Department for 10 years before joining DRA. Don has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, and a Ph.D. in European History.
CHRISTINE TAM
Regulatory Analyst
Christine Tam is a senior regulatory analyst currently focusing on climate change and greenhouse gas regulatory issues at the CPUC and the California Air Resources Board. Previously, Christine coordinated DRA’s participation in the energy efficiency proceeedings at the CPUC. Christine joined DRA in September 2002. Prior to joining DRA, she worked in the energy and telecommunications industry as a management consultant and in the software industry as a product manager. Christine received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering & Operations Research from University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Science degree in Engineering Economics Systems from Stanford University.
MICHAEL YEO
Senior Utilities Engineer
Michael is working on the Energy Resource Recovery Account applications and the Talega-Escondido/Valley Serrano 500kV Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity application. Michael is a California-Registered Professional Engineer.