Nora Mead Brownell is the co-founder of Espy Energy Solutions, LLC, an energy consulting firm and a former Commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is the United States federal agency with jurisdiction over interstate electricity sales, wholesale electric rates, hydroelectric licensing, natural gas pricing, and oil pipeline rates...

 (FERC) from 2001–2006 under the administration of President George W. Bush

George W. Bush

George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

. She is also the former President of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC).

Career

In 1987, Brownell served as the Deputy Executive Assistant to Pennsylvania Governor Richard Thornburgh. Her career in energy began when she served as a Commissioner of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) from 1997 to 2001. On April 30, 2001 President George W. Bush nominated Brownell to serve as a Commissioner for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Her nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 a month later on May 25. She served until July 21, 2006. Following the conclusion of her term as a Commissioner with FERC, Brownell helped found the energy consulting firm, ESPY Energy Solutions, based in Alexandria, Virginia.

Brownell also serves as a Board Member for many corporations including ONCOR, Comverge Inc., Spectra Energy Partners, and Times Publishing Company. In addition, she has lectured at the University of Vermont

University of Vermont

The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...

 Law School, Michigan State University

Michigan State University

Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...

, and the University of Idaho

University of Idaho

The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...

Personal life

Brownell is a native of Erie, Pennsylvania

Erie, Pennsylvania

Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...

 and attended Syracuse University

Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...

.