Ritta Merza

Ritta Merza serves as the interim Legal and Policy Advisor to Commissioner Baker. Ritta is assigned to energy and water proceedings and legal matters. Previously, she served as the Legal and Policy Advisor to former CPUC Commissioner Genevieve Shiroma. Ritta joined the California Public Utilities Commission in 2021 where she worked in the Legal Division litigating rate case proceedings and transmission matters. Prior to joining the Commission, Ritta was a Policy and Program Manager at Los Angeles County’s Foothill Transit and managed the zero-emission bus program to support the California Air Resources Board’s Innovative Clean Transit mandate. Before moving to California, Ritta served as a legal and policy advisor for a Commissioner at the Illinois Commerce Commission. While there, she worked on issues involving transportation electrification, energy storage, renewable energy, and gas pipeline safety. Ritta obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Illinois in Chicago and attended law school at DePaul University College of Law.

Contact information: Ritta.Merza@cpuc.ca.gov, (213) 620-6454