Newly install underground utilities are marked with new asphalt after PG&E crews installed the utilities along Pearson Road on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022 in Paradise.
Paul Kitagaki Jr.
pkitagaki@sacbee.com
Gov. Gavin Newsom has tapped John Reynolds to become the new president of the California Public Utilities Commission to succeed Alice Busching Reynolds, who is stepping down later this month.
Alice Busching Reynolds (no relation to John), who has served as CPUC president since 2021, will join the California Independent System Operator Governing Board, Newsom said. The ISO manages California’s electrical grid and monitors electricity usage.
Busching Reynolds called her four-year tenure the “honor of a lifetime.”
“I want to express my gratitude to my fellow Commissioners and to Commission staff for their unparalleled expertise and commitment,” she said in a statement. “I look forward to continuing to carry out the vision of a safe, clean, reliable, affordable electricity system that benefits all Californians, and I leave knowing that the Commission is in good hands… As I transition to my new role, I remain proud of what we have accomplished and confident that the Commission will continue its important work with unwavering dedication to public service.”
After serving as an adviser to Newsom and former Gov. Jerry Brown, Busching Reynolds joined the CPUC as the agency grappled with power grid instability and was investigating PG&E for its role in some of the state’s largest wildfires. Last December, the CPUC voted to approve the lowest investor return rate the company had seen since 2006 as lawmakers questioned why ratepayers’ bills were so high as PG&E posted record profits.
If approved by the Senate, Buschin Reynolds’ new position at the ISO will come with a nearly $250,000 pay cut, as she will earn $50,000, according to Newsom’s office.
Newsom called Busching Reynolds one of his “most trusted” advisers on energy policy.
“Under her leadership, the CPUC brought online a record amount of clean energy, helping make California a global leader in cutting pollution, while advancing policies to lower costs for customers and more equitably distribute rates,” he said. “Alice understands that our energy system has to be clean, safe, reliable and affordable for Californians—and she has helped us deliver on all four while making the Golden State a beacon of innovation to the world.”
John Reynolds has served on the CPUC since 2022. He will assume the president position if approved by the Senate, and earn $256,451.
Reynolds said he was “honored” at his appointment.
“I look forward to continuing the state’s work to drive towards more affordable utility services while supporting safe and reliable infrastructure that delivers on our ambitious climate agenda,” he said in a statement.
In addition, Newsom tapped Christine Harada, who is currently undersecretary of the Government Operations Agency, to join the CPUC. Before joining the state in 2025, she served in President Joe Biden’s administration as a senior adviser in the Office of Management and Budget.
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Lia Russell covers California’s governor for The Sacramento Bee’s Capitol Bureau. Originally from San Francisco, Lia previously worked for The Baltimore Sun and the Bangor Daily News in Maine.