Lamont nominates Maryland woman to PURA

Marissa Paslick Gillett

Gov. Ned Lamont broke with tradition Thursday by going out of state to find a nominee for the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority: Marissa Paslick Gillett, a lawyer who once worked for the Maryland Public Service Commission and now is a vice president of an energy-storage trade group.

“PURA serves a critical function to protect the consumer’s right to safe, affordable, and reliable utility service, while also ensuring that the providers have a reasonable return on their investments,” Lamont said. “Marissa is going to bring to Connecticut an outsiders’ perspective that we can really utilize. It’s no secret that Connecticut has some of the highest energy rates in the country – we need to change that, and I hope that with her fresh set of eyes and the experience she has working on these issues she can help advance our policy goals of bringing cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable power to the people of our state.”

She will succeed Katie Dykes, who left PURA to become the commissioner of energy and environmental protection.

“In this new role, I will focus on delivering more affordable, sustainable, and reliable energy to all Connecticut residents and businesses,” Gillett said. “I look forward to working with the other PURA commissioners and staff to achieve the state’s energy and climate goals in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible. I thank Governor Lamont for the opportunity he has given me to serve the people of Connecticut, for his confidence in me, and for his leadership on energy issues in the state and in the region.”

Gillett is now the vice president for external affairs for the Energy Storage Association. She previous was a senior staffer at the Maryland Public Service Commission. She has a bioengineering degree from Clemson and a law degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Her nomination is subject to confirmation by the General Assembly.