Doll heads California Power Authority

As the chief executive officer of the California Consumer Power & Conservation Financing Authority, Laura Doll (LBJ Class of 1978) oversees the activities of a new state agency that was created in response to the energy crisis of 2001. The California Power Authority, as it is informally called, ensures that the state has sufficient power reserves, encourages energy efficiency and conservation, and promotes the use of renewable energy resources.

Doll, who was hired last October, reports to a five-member board of directors appointed by the governor. The agency has the authority to issue revenue bonds up to $5 billion to finance energy projects and programs.

"One of our first tasks as an agency was to produce an Energy Resource Investment Plan for the governor and legislature," said Doll. "It was the kind of thing every LBJ grad is well-trained to produce--a distillation of massive amounts of technical and policy information which then went through an intense public and stakeholder review."

Before taking her current position, Doll was the director of customer service in Austin for San Marcos-based Grande Communications. Previously, she had worked for two energy consulting firms in Austin, Navigant Consulting and Planergy. From 1981 to 1995, she served as chief administrative officer for Austin Energy, a municipally owned electric utility.

Doll described her new job as "challenging," and said she was enjoying the "rare opportunity to participate in a state agency start-up." Another treat for her has been the presence of other LBJ School graduates who are in Sacramento.

"The best surprise was a reunion with my former classmate, Dan Rabovsky (LBJ Class of 1978), who is widely respected in his position with the California Assembly and who is an expert on a wide range of budget and policy issues," she remarked. "He already has helped me better understand and navigate the wild California energy political scene. It is a real treat to work with him more than 20 years after we graduated together."

Contents • Record Home • Publications • LBJ School

May 13, 2002

comments to: lbjwmast@uts.cc.utexas.edu