Michael R. Peevey was appointed President of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) by Governor Gray Davis on December 31, 2002, having been originally appointed to the CPUC by Governor Davis in March 2002. In December 2008 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger reappointed Mr. Peevey to the CPUC for another six-year term.
As President of the CPUC, Mr. Peevey is committed to protecting the public interest by promoting consumer needs, while challenging utilities to embrace new technologies and provide safe, high-quality services.
Mr. Peevey is committed to maximizing energy efficiency and demand response opportunities and ensuring that California’s environment is protected. He is a strong supporter of renewable energy and renewable procurement requirements for utilities, and is a leader in implementing California’s Solar and Greenhouse Gas Initiatives. He serves as Chairman of the California Clean Energy Fund, an independent nonprofit corporation working to advance clean energy using tools from finance, public policy, and technological innovation; and also serves as Chairman of the California Emerging Technology Fund, which provides leadership statewide to close the “Digital Divide”.
Mr. Peevey has made it a priority to work closely with sister agencies, such as the California Department of Water Resources, the Independent System Operator, the California Energy Commission, and the Air Resources Board-- agencies in which the CPUC has overlapping or complementary responsibilities, to assure that California has adequate energy resources and transmission facilities to support its growing population and improving economy.
From 1995 until 2000, Mr. Peevey was President of NewEnergy Inc. Prior to that, Mr. Peevey was President of Edison International and Southern California Edison Company, and a senior executive there beginning in 1984. Mr. Peevey has served on the boards of numerous corporations and non-profit organizations.
Mr. Peevey has received many awards recognizing his leadership in developing energy policy and promoting recognition of California's diverse population, including a "Distinguished Citizen Award" from the Commonwealth Club of California for achievements in green and sustainable energy in 2007; the Pat Brown Legacy Award in 2003; named "Man of the Year" by the Power Association of Northern California; recognized with the Climate Action Champion Award by the California Climate Action Registry in 2004; and leadership recognition from American Council for Energy Efficiency (2005), the Utility Minority Access Program (2006), and the California Solar Energy Industries Association (2006).
Mr. Peevey holds Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in economics from the University of California, Berkeley. He is married to Carol J. Liu, who served three terms representing the 44th Assembly District (La Canada Flintridge) in the California legislature and in November 2008 was elected to the California Senate to represent the 21st Senate District. They have three children.