Maria Sotero has been with the California Public Utilities Commission since 2014, joining Energy Division as the lead analyst for energy research and development (R&D) programs and subsequently for climate change programs. From 2017 through 2021, she served as energy advisor to former Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves. She previously worked for the California Energy Commission’s Energy R&D Division and for the think tank New America Foundation. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies and Planning from the University of California, San Diego.