Commission Watch

California anticipates changes in energy policy under its new governor.

The recall of California Gov. Gray Davis in November 2003 almost immediately led to speculation concerning possible changes in California's energy policy. Since his election, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has assembled an Energy Working Group, co-chaired by Professor James L. Sweeney, professor of Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University, and Sean Randolph, president of the Bay Area Economic Forum, who has written extensively about the California energy crisis¹ and has been critical of some of Davis' decisions. This informal working group, which includes eight individuals and a liaison,² has formulated its recommendations for energy policy changes and has forwarded them to the governor's office.

The working group liaison, Dan Skopec-formerly staff director of the U.S. House Government Reform Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Natural Resources, and Regulatory Affairs³- has relocated from Washington to Sacramento and has become Gov. Schwarzenegger's deputy cabinet secretary for energy, resources, and environmental issues. Michael Chrisman, formerly regional manager for Southern California Edison Co., has been appointed secretary for resources.