October 29, 2021
Jan Schori, California ISO Board of Governors
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This presentation will provide a personal overview of key energy issues in California, with some lessons learned as a result of 40 years of practical experience in the industry, and a few newcomer insights into the California Independent System Operators’ (ISO) objectives with a focus on today’s energy mandate–reliability and fighting climate change through transformation of our energy supply to renewable sources of power. The ISO manages the flow of electricity across the high-voltage, long-distance power lines for the grid serving 80 percent of California and a small part of Nevada. It also operates competitive wholesale power markets designed to promote a broad range of resources at lower prices.
Jan Schori was appointed to the California Independent System Operator (ISO) Board of Governors by Governor Gavin Newsom in February, 2021. After completing her legal education at UC Davis’ Martin Luther King School of Law, Jan began her professional career with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) as an attorney in 1979. Jan spent 15 years on the legal team at SMUD and held the role of General Counsel and Secretary for six years. In 1994, Jan was promoted to general manager and chief executive officer and held that role for more than 14 years, making Jan the longest serving CEO in SMUD’s history. During her tenure as CEO, SMUD earned a reputation for its renewable energy commitment and strong energy efficiency programs, and was ranked first in the country for commercial customer satisfaction by JD Power & Associates. After retirement from SMUD, Jan was elected in 2009 to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) board as an independent trustee and served in this role for 12 years. She also chaired Valley Vision and served on the boards of CalCEF Ventures and CalCEF Innovations. She continues to serve on the Climate Action Reserve (CAR) Board of Directors as a board and executive committee member and Audit Committee chair.
