About us
PPD consists of a small group of policy analysts charged with identifying and analyzing utility industry issues, internal and external procedures, and interagency relationships that would not ordinarily be addressed by the CPUC’s industry divisions in their course of operations. PPD provides Commissioners, the Executive Director, and the Management Team with independent analysis and advice focusing on CPUC practices, procedures, issues, and policies. PPD’s assignments are distinct from those of other divisions in that its projects are likely to be more comprehensive in scope, may cross division boundaries, and may involve other agencies.
PPD’s main mission is to provide proactive leadership on emerging policy issues of broad importance to the CPUC and support sound, long-term policy development through independent research and analysis in concert with other divisions and agencies. PPD is integral to the CPUC in identifying, designing, and communicating threshold policies and trends as they occur locally and globally, to ensure that every Californian has access to the most reliable and technologically advanced utility infrastructure in the world.
PPD is overseen by Marzia Zafar, Director, Marzia.zafar@cpuc.ca.gov.
Our Analysts
Nilgun Atamturk
Nilgun.atamturk@cpuc.ca.gov
Related Area
Economics & Policy Analysis
Education
M.S. in Agriculture and Resource Economics, UC Berkeley
M.S. in Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology
M.A. in Economics, York University, Canada
B.S. in Economics, Bilkent University, Turkey
Experience
Nilgun Atamturk is a senior policy analyst in PPD. Her interests include economic and policy matters pertaining to the electricity and natural gas industry. Before joining PPD, Ms. Atamturk worked at former Commissioner Dian M. Grueneich's Office as a policy advisor focusing on energy efficiency, electric resource planning, natural gas, as well as water issues. She started her career in 2001 in the Energy Division of the CPUC, where she worked on numerous proceedings involving integrated resource planning, electric procurement, and natural gas matters.
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Robert Kinosian
Robert.kinosian@cpuc.ca.gov
Related Area
Utility Regulation and Industry Structure; Resource Planning; Renewable Resources
Education
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley in 1983, graduating with honors, and is a licensed mechanical engineer in the State of California
Experience
Mr. Kinosian spent more than 20 years as an analyst for the Division of Ratepayer Advocates (DRA) at the CPUC, focusing on utility cost recovery processes, resource planning, nuclear, hydro, and renewable energy production. In 2001, he went to work for the President of the CPUC to assist with the energy crisis, and subsequently was an advisor to President Michael R. Peevey and Commissioner John A. Bohn.
In 2004, he returned to DRA, where he served as its policy advisor on energy, telecommunications, and water issues. In addition, he was vice president and board member of the Pacific Forest and Land Watershed Stewardship Council, a non-profit corporation. The Stewardship Council provides underserved youth with outdoor recreational and nature experiences, as well as acting to preserve over 140,000 acres of watershed lands surrounding rivers throughout Northern California.
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April Mulqueen
April.mulqueen@cpuc.ca.gov
Related Area
Legal and Policy Analysis
Education
J.D., Boston University School of Law
B.A., Harvard University
Experience
April Mulqueen is a senior policy analyst specializing in legal and policy analysis related to the communications industry. While employed with both the Massachusetts and California Commissions, Ms. Mulqueen has, inter alia: mediated disputes between communications providers; devised creative solutions to consumer protection crises; performed independent research and analysis; and conducted complex legal and technical analysis in the context of agency proceedings. Ms. Mulqueen is personally and professionally fascinated to observe communications technologies catching up with science fiction, and is particularly interested in the interplay between rapidly evolving communications technologies and comparatively static regulatory consumer protection paradigms.
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Kristin Ralff-Douglas
Kristin.ralffdouglas@cpuc.ca.gov
Related Area
Climate Change Issues and Customer Engagement Approaches
Education
B.A., Political Science, Colby College
Experience
Kristin Ralff-Douglas is a senior policy analyst at the CPUC working on market-based solutions to climate change, including the development of a state and regional cap and trade program. Prior to joining the CPUC, Ms. Ralff-Douglas focused primarily on green building issues. As the first managing director of the U.S. Green Building Council, she directed the development and launch of the LEED Green Building Rating System, a voluntary standard for buildings that is being widely adopted in both private and public sectors across the country. She also served as the editor and publisher of the national magazine Environmental Design + Construction to accelerate technical transfer of green building technologies and strategies within the building industry.
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Devla Singh
Devla.singh@cpuc.ca.gov
Related Area
Green Jobs, Energy Efficiency and Economic and Workforce Development
Education
M.A, University of San Francisco, Organizational Development and Human Resources
B.A, University of California at Davis
Experience
Devla Singh is a Policy Analyst with PPD. She is currently in charge of green jobs and energy efficiency EM&V, and also works on the Energy Efficiency Statewide Workforce, Education, and Training Program. Ms. Singh has extensive knowledge in sector strategies, economic and workforce development, as well as advising and project management.
Stephen St Marie
Stephen.StMarie@cpuc.ca.gov
Related Area
Economics, Regulation, and Policy Analysis
Education
Ph.D., Economics, The George Washington University
Relevant Fields: Industrial Organization, Public Finance
M.A, Economics, The George Washington University
B.A., Economics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Magna Cum Laude
Experience
Mr. St. Marie has served as a Policy and Planning Advisor to Commissioners Catherine J. K. Sandoval and John A. Bohn, and was Chief of Staff for Commissioner Bohn. In both offices he focused primarily on regulation of energy services and water service. He joined the CPUC in 2003 and served initially in the Energy Division.
Previously, Mr. St. Marie had a career as a consulting economist. He was associated with NERA and Navigant Consulting, and he also worked as an independent practitioner. Earlier he served as Manager of Marketing Statistics at the Aluminum Association, a trade association of Aluminum-related businesses. Mr. St. Marie began his career as an Economist at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics in Washington, DC.
Mr. St. Marie serves on the Research Program Advisory Committee of the Energy Institute at Haas, and on the Board of Directors of the Power Association of Northern California.
Chris Villarreal
Chris.villarreal@cpuc.ca.gov
Related Area
Grid Modernization, Market Structures, Privacy and Cyber-Security
Education
BA, History, Baylor University
Experience
Chris Villarreal is a Senior Regulatory Analyst in PPD. He joined the CPUC in 2006, and has been involved in a number of issues including demand response, dynamic pricing, energy storage, and Smart Grid. Since 2008, he has been actively involved in the CPUC's Smart Grid proceeding, including data access, cyber-security, and privacy issues. Prior to joining the CPUC, he was a paralegal in Washington, D.C., primarily focused on energy matters before FERC.
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Richard White
Richard.White@cpuc.ca.gov
Related Area
Energy-Water Nexus, Grid Planning and Optimization, Grid Reliability and Safety
Education
BA, Physics, Hampshire College
M.S., Engineering Economic Systems and Operations Research, Stanford University
Experience
Mr. White is a Senior Policy Analyst in PPD. His interests are in economic valuation, systems modeling, and policy development. Prior to joining the CPUC, Mr. White was a Mathematician at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab and Principal Research Associate at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.
Our Work