Dian Grueneich

San Francisco, CA — Partner, Environment and Energy Practice, Morrison & Foerster

Dian Grueneich is a highly respected energy regulatory lawyer with over 30 years of experience in the public and private sectors. She is one of the nation’s leading authorities on the nexus of energy law, environmental policy and energy regulation.

The former California Public Utilities Commissioner originated numerous ground-breaking clean energy policies during her tenure. She served as lead Commissioner for energy efficiency, demand response, and transmission issues. She is credited with shepherding the successful permitting of three major new transmission lines – representing more than $6 billion in energy infrastructure – through the state’s challenging project approval process. The lines are designed to bring a much-needed supply of additional renewable energy to California’s load centers.

Grueneich was responsible for developing the 2008 California Long-Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan, and oversaw a 40% expansion of energy efficiency funding in 2009 alone. She helped implement the state’s Greenhouse Gas emission control initiatives, and served as the Commissioner representative on Governor Schwarzenegger’s Climate Action Team.

Before her appointment to the CPUC, Grueneich worked on energy efficiency with the California Energy Commission, the San Francisco law firm Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe, and is the founder of her own consulting firm.