The State Energy Plan Advisory Committee was created as part of Senate Bill 3, which state lawmakers adopted in response to February’s power crisis.
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Gov. Greg Abbott this week has announced four appointments to a new energy advisory panel that will issue market reform recommendations for the Texas Legislature.
The panel — the State Energy Plan Advisory Committee — was created as part of Senate Bill 3, which state lawmakers adopted this year in response to February’s power crisis. Under SB 3, the committee must prepare a comprehensive state energy plan by September 2022, and that in turn could set the stage for additional market reform legislation during the 2023 regular session.
According to the governor’s office, the new appointees are Daniel Hall of Oncor, Castlen Moore Kennedy of the Apache Corporation, Phil Wilson of the Lower Colorado River Authority, and Joel Mickey, a power consultant. Eventually the committee will have 12 members, with the lieutenant governor and House speaker also making four appointments each.
The New Appointees
The governor’s office did not set term lengths for the four new appointees, but rather said that they will serve at the governor’s pleasure. The governor’s office provided the following information about each of the new appointees:
Daniel Hall, a resident of Hurst, is the Vice President of Measurement and Billing for Oncor and served in various roles there since 2009. Previously, Mr. Hall worked for Alcatel-Lucent and TXU Business Services. Hall received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Technology from Texas A&M University.
Castlen Moore Kennedy
Castlen Moore Kennedy, of Houston, is Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs for the Apache Corporation, and served in various roles at Apache since 2006. Previously, Ms. Kennedy worked for the U.S. Department of Energy. She is a board member of the Texas Oil & Gas Association. Additionally, Ms. Kennedy is an advisory board member of The University of Texas at Austin School of Natural Science, UT Austin Jackson School Energy and Earth Resources Program, and the UT Austin Kay Bailey Hutchison Energy Center. Kennedy received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, Master of Arts in Energy and Earth Resources, and a Master of Public Affairs from UT Austin.
Joel Mickey, of Georgetown, is an energy and power industry consultant. Previously, he worked for ERCOT, Altra Energy and Houston Lighting & Power. Mr. Mickey is a board member for Oklahoma University’s College of Computer and Electrical Engineering Steering Committee, and a former board member of the North American Energy Standards Board. Mr. Mickey received a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Political Science from Houston Baptist University.
Phil Wilson
Phil Wilson, of Austin, is the General Manager for the Lower Colorado River Authority. Previously, he served as the Acting Executive Commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Executive Director for the Texas Department of Transportation, and as a corporate officer for Luminant. Additionally. he was appointed as Texas Secretary of State in 2007, and he served as chair of the Governor’s Competitiveness Council. He is a member of the Austin Area Research Organization, board member of the Large Public Power Council, and former board chair of the Austin Chamber of Commerce. Wilson received a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from Hardin-Simmons University and a Master of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University.