AIRE has been a fan of Nancy LaPlaca, J.D., ever since she relocated to North Carolina in 2014. Now, AIRE’s extremely gratified to be working together with her as she brings great energy and passion, as well as deep knowledge and experience of utilities policy into our practice.

Nancy has three decades of experience in public policy, strategic planning and management. Nancy’s experience in electric and gas utility issues include integrated resource planning, rate design and rate cases, rule making, transmission, energy imbalance markets, renewable energy, net metering; natural gas, nuclear and coal power plants; and water utility regulation. Nancy served as Policy Advisor to Arizona Utilities Commissioner Paul Newman from 2009 to 2013; and worked as a public interest intervener, researcher and expert witness in Colorado (2006-2009) and North Carolina (2014 to present), where she promoted clean energy including solar, wind, energy efficiency, and the monetization of externalities. From 2006 to 2009, she helped to defeat a half dozen proposed U.S. “clean” coal plants that included carbon capture and sequestration. Most recently, Nancy created and taught two classes at Appalachian State University in the Sustainable Development Department. Both courses centered on the energy transformation necessary to address climate change, and policies that help and hurt clean energy. Nancy has a Juris Doctorate and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drawing and Printmaking from Arizona State University, and lives in Boone NC.

Lots of work to be done if we’re to have a successful energy transition from dirty, centralized, and undemocratic energy in the next decade! Nancy is certainly at that forefront.