Jackalyne Pfannenstiel (September 7, 1947 – April 26, 2017) served as the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
from March 5, 2010.
until her resignation in July 2012.
Biography
Jackalyne Pfannenstiel was educated at
Clark University
Clark University is a private research university in Worcester, Massachusetts. Founded in 1887 with a large endowment from its namesake Jonas Gilman Clark, a prominent businessman, Clark was one of the first modern research universities in the ...
, receiving a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
in
Economics
Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analyzes ...
. She then attended the
University of Hartford
The University of Hartford (UHart) is a private university in West Hartford, Connecticut. Its main campus extends into neighboring Hartford and Bloomfield. The university attracts students from 48 states and 43 countries. The university and it ...
, receiving an
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...
in Economics.
After university, she worked as an economist at the
Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control. In 1978, she moved to
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, joining the
California Public Utilities Commission
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC or PUC) is a regulatory agency that regulates privately owned public utilities in the state of California, including electric power, telecommunications, natural gas and water companies. In addition ...
as a senior economist.
In 1980, she moved to the
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, initially working in utility rate setting and other regulatory matters. She became PG&E's Vice President of Strategic Planning in 1987. The next year, she participated in the process that led to the creation of California's regulations designed to promote
energy efficiency
Energy efficiency may refer to:
* Energy efficiency (physics), the ratio between the useful output and input of an energy conversion process
** Electrical efficiency, useful power output per electrical power consumed
** Mechanical efficiency, a ra ...
. She led PG&E into energy restructuring.
Pfannenstiel left PG&E in 2000, becoming an energy consultant, providing advice to companies working in the field of
wind power
Wind power or wind energy is mostly the use of wind turbines to generate electricity. Wind power is a popular, sustainable, renewable energy source that has a much smaller impact on the environment than burning fossil fuels. Historically ...
and to local housing authorities about energy use.
On April 20, 2004,
Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Pfannenstiel to a four-year term as a member of the
California Energy Commission
The California Energy Commission, formally the Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, is the primary energy policy and planning agency for California.
Created in 1974 and headquartered in Sacramento, the Commission'core respon ...
, a board with responsibility for power plant licensing, building and appliance efficiency standards, and energy policy development. She became Chair of the Commission in June 2006. Her term on the Commission expired in January 2009.
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
nominated Pfannenstiel as
. After
Senate confirmation
Advice and consent is an English phrase frequently used in enacting formulae of bills and in other legal or constitutional contexts. It describes either of two situations: where a weak executive branch of a government enacts something prev ...
, she assumed the office on March 5, 2010.
In 2013, Pfannenstiel co-founded Advanced Microgrid Systems (AMS) with Susan Kennedy, CEO AMS, former regulator on the California Public Utilities Commission, and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Chief of Staff. According to the company's website AMS uses energy storage, data analytics, and software control to operate a fleet of energy storage systems for large scale applications in electricity grid management. AMS is one of the early providers of utility scale energy storage, receiving a contract for 50 megawatt-hours of storage from utility Southern California Edison in July, 2015.
Death
Pfannenstiel died in Piedmont California on April 26, 2017 at the age of 69 from breast cancer.
See also
*
United States Secretary of the Navy
The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense.
By law, the se ...
References
External links
Biography at the U.S. Navy website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pfannenstiel, Jackalyne
1947 births
2017 deaths
University of Hartford alumni
Clark University alumni
Obama administration personnel
Female United States Navy civilians