Nora Mead Brownell is the co-founder of ESPY Energy Solutions, LLC, a women-owned business providing innovative and highly-skilled consulting services.

Ms. Brownell served as the Chair of the Board of Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). She has also served on the boards of National Grid PLC, Tangent Energy, Spectra Energy Partners, New World Capital, TerViva Bioenergy, ONCOR, Comverge, Starwood Energy Fund, and the GridWise Architecture Council.

In addition, Ms. Brownell has lectured at the Vermont Law School’s Center for Energy and the Environment, the Michigan State University Institute of Public Utilities, the University of Idaho, the Wharton Energy Club, and others. Ms. Brownell serves on the Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Advisory Board.

In 2001, Ms. Brownell was nominated by President George W. Bush to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) where she served from the time of her confirmation in May 2001 until June 2006 when her term expired.

Prior to FERC, Ms. Brownell served as a member of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) from 1997 to 2001 and took an active role in the rollout of electric choice in Pennsylvania. In addition to her work establishing the framework for one of the nation’s most successful retail electric markets, she supported Pennsylvania’s pursuit of competition in local markets for telecommunications, deployment of advanced services, enhancement of services to rural areas, protection of consumers, and advancement of special services.

Ms. Brownell is a native of Erie, Pennsylvania and attended Syracuse University.