Audrey Zibelman, one of the chief architect’s of New York’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV), is stepping down as chairman of the Public Service Commission, to head the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).
Audrey Zibelman, NY PSC chair
AEMO, which operates Australia’s largest gas and electricity markets and power systems, announced today that Zibelman will become its CEO as of March 20, 2017.
Zibelman is widely viewed as a force behind REV, New York’s industry-changing move to form a distributed electric grid, one that fosters markets for microgrids, energy storage, solar and other distributed energy resources.
She will be joining Melbourne-based AEMO as Australia undergoes its own grid reforms and increasingly incorporates distributed energy into its electric supply. AEMO operates the National Electricity Market (NEM), the interconnected power system in Australia’s eastern and southeastern seaboard, and the Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM) and power system in Western Australia.
Zibelman has previous experience in wholesale market and grid oversight. She served was executive vice president and chief operating officer of PJM, which operates the power grid and wholesale power market in 14 eastern U.S. states.
Before joining the New York PSC in 2013, she founded energy software company, Viridity Energy, and served as its president and CEO. She also has held legal and executive positions at Xcel Energy, served as general counsel to the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission, and was special assistant attorney General in the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.
“Audrey’s vast experience in creating and managing new wholesale electricity markets, and transforming existing energy markets and large power systems will further strengthen the work that AEMO has undertaken to support Australia’s energy industry transformation,” said AEMO chair Anthony (Tony) Marxsen. “Audrey has the vision to lead, guide and support our organization and the broader Australian energy industry as we transition our energy markets and reform power systems planning and management.”
Zibelman replaces Karen Olesnicky who has served as acting CEO since the death of AEMO’s founding CEO, Matt Zema in July 2016.
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