Former Energy Secretary Granholm Joins Boards Of U.S. Utility Giant

Former U.S. Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm, will join the boards of U.S. utilities Edison International and Southern California Edison, effective April 1, the two companies have said.

Edison International is one of the biggest electric utility holding groups in the United States. Edison International is the parent company of Southern California Edison Company, a utility delivering electricity to 15 million people across Southern, Central, and Coastal California.

Edison International is also the parent company of Trio (formerly Edison Energy), a portfolio of non-regulated competitive businesses providing integrated sustainability and energy advisory services to large commercial, industrial, and institutional organizations in North America and Europe.

Granholm, who was President Joe Biden’s Secretary of Energy, “brings extensive experience advancing reliable, resilient, clean energy solutions and deploying zero-carbon technologies from her recent service as U.S. secretary of energy and prior experience as governor of Michigan,” Edison International said in a statement.

“Jennifer’s experience as a leader familiar with cybersecurity, physical security and clean energy resources ? and known for working in partnership with utilities and other industries ? will allow her to make important contributions to Edison International, including SCE and Trio,” said Peter J. Taylor, Edison International board chair.

As U.S. Energy Secretary, Granholm and the department she led were overseeing billions of dollars of grants and support to U.S. companies, including utilities, to upgrade power system infrastructure.

These came from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which the Biden Administration passed to boost clean energy rollout in America.

Southern California Edison was part of a consortium, which was awarded last August a $600 million federal grant to upgrade 100 miles of electric transmission lines with grid enhancing technologies to improve reliability and deliver clean, affordable electricity faster.

The Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership (GRIP) grant was awarded to a consortium that includes the California Energy Commission, the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Independent System Operator, Pacific Gas & Electric Company, and Southern California Edison.

Source: Oilprice.com