NYISO Announces Consumer Advisory Council Membership

RENSSELAER, NY (04/07/2011)(readMedia)-- The board of directors of the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) today announced the individuals selected to serve on the NYISO's recently created Consumer Advisory Council. Established by the NYISO board of directors earlier this year, the council will provide a forum for the exchange of information between the NYISO and electricity consumers, with a focus on information sharing, outreach and education.

"We are very fortunate to have assembled an experienced and diverse group of professionals," said NYISO President and CEO Stephen G. Whitley. "The members of the board and I look forward to working with the council on our continuing efforts to develop and implement comprehensive and pro-active consumer programs that provide both strategic and operational value to the NYISO and the consumers we serve. I want to thank the members for their willingness to serve, and I know the NYISO will benefit from their valuable input and guidance on consumer issues."

The council's primary focus will be to study the current activities being undertaken by the NYISO, become familiar with the NYISO's five-year strategic plan, learn about anticipated developments in the electric industry and provide the NYISO with its vision and recommendations as to how the NYISO can best serve New York's electricity consumers. In addition, the NYISO's president and CEO also may ask the council to provide input on specific initiatives and developments.

Listed below are the names and professional affiliations of the NYISO's Consumer Advisory Council.

* James R. Adams, director of utilities, Department of Energy & Sustainability, Cornell University

* Darrel J. Aubertine, commissioner, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets

* Peter A. Baynes, executive director, New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials

* J. David Brown, president and CEO, Capital District YMCA

* William B. Eimicke, founding director of the Picker Center for Executive Education, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University

* Joel Eisenberg, Oak Ridge National Laboratory program manager, office of weatherization and inter-governmental program at DOE

* Fredrick W. Erlich, CEO, Living Resources

* Frank Felder, Ph.D., associate research professor and director of the Center for Energy, Economic and Environmental Policy, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University

* Michael B. Gerrard, director of the Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law School

* Carl Imhoff, manager, electric infrastructure market sector, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

* Irene E. Leech, Ph.D., associate professor, consumer affairs, Virginia Tech, and president, Virgina Citizens Consumer Council

* Anastasia Song, CEO, The Haugland Group

* Gerald Stokes, associate director for global and regional solutions, Brookhaven National Laboratory

* Rebecca Wingenroth, senior account manager, Electric Power Research Institute

* Randy Wolken, president, Manufacturers Association of Central New York

The creation of the Consumer Advisory Council is another step in the NYISO's ongoing efforts to develop and implement a comprehensive, proactive consumer program. The NYISO is enhancing responsiveness, increasing transparency and improving accountability with creation of a full-time consumer liaison, deployment of a redesigned website providing expanded access to NYISO board meeting minutes, strategic and business plans and more active outreach efforts to stakeholders, regulators and policy makers.