MPUC Appoints New Energy Programs Director
Former Lawmaker John Brautigam to Steer Efficiency Maine
February 26, 2009
Maine Public Utilities Commission
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUSTA, Maine – The Maine Public Utilities Commission is pleased to announce the appointment of former Representative John Brautigam of Falmouth to be Director of the Energy Programs Division.
“Maine and the nation are entering an era of remarkable activity toward improved energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources,” said Sharon M. Reishus, who chairs the Commission. “Mr. Brautigam’s enthusiasm and expertise in energy issues will help the state continue to lead in providing cost-effective energy programs.”
The Division includes the State Energy Program, which administers federal renewable energy grants, and Efficiency Maine, which is a statewide effort to help Mainers and Maine businesses reduce energy costs and improve Maine’s environment.
Chairman Reishus noted that Brautigam has a distinguished career in public service, policy and law, and as a former member of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Utilities and Energy, he is deeply versed in the field.
Brautigam said he was ready to hit the ground running. “Efficiency Maine has already delivered programs that will save Mainers more than $300 million in avoided electricity costs, while the State Energy Program continues to foster alternative energy solutions for Maine,” Brautigam said. “We can build on that foundation to significantly increase these programs’ contributions to Maine’s energy security and economic well-being.”
As a lawmaker Brautigam introduced on Governor John Baldacci’s behalf a bill which created a state incentive for the installation of solar energy systems by Maine residents and business – a program which has proven highly popular. He also introduced legislation which required the Commission to examine the costs and benefits of Maine’s continued participation in the regional energy grid.
Brautigam, 48, is a graduate of the Stanford University Law School, where he edited the Stanford Law Review. He has served in private practice, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Maine. A complete resume is available on request.
