Wood announces Staff

This release came out at FERC late last night.

NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: FOR IMMEDIATE REL=
EASE
Hedley Burrell=09=09=09=09=09=09September 18, 2001
(202) 208-0680=20
=20
FERC CHAIRMAN WOOD NAMES PERSONAL STAFF

Chairman Pat Wood, III of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission today na=
med four top aides who will serve in his office and help him and his fellow=
commissioners shape the direction of the Commission.

"I am delighted to have found people of this caliber," Chairman Wood declar=
ed. "I know that they will bring short- and long-term insights to our poli=
cy making that will be invaluable as we tackle the challenging energy issue=
s that face our country. With these outstanding individuals in place, we =
are off to a good start and I am confident that this team will help us brin=
g the benefits of fair and genuine competition to the nation's energy custo=
mers."

Named to the Chairman's staff were advisors Lawrence D. Crocker, III, Rober=
t E. Gramlich, Alison Silverstein and Andrew K. Soto.

Mr. Crocker has more than 11 years' experience in the regulatory arena, inc=
luding major responsibilities in administrative law, utility regulation, an=
d government operations. Since 1999, he had served as senior attorney-adv=
isor for the Office of General Counsel of the Public Service Commission of =
the District of Columbia. He served as managing attorney for the D.C. Comm=
ission's electric industry restructuring program and represented the Commis=
sion before federal agencies and in the courts. Concurrently, on a consul=
ting basis, he served as hearing officer for the Council of the City of New=
Orleans. He presided over the Council's gas deregulation proceedings, cu=
stomer protection and utility mergers. He also served as presiding office=
r in regulatory hearings and conducted pre-hearing conferences. Earlier, h=
e was general counsel for the D.C. Public Schools and acting general counse=
l for the D.C. Public Service Commission. In 1989 and 1990, he served as h=
earing officer/staff attorney at the Massachusetts Department of Public Uti=
lities. He is a graduate of Howard University School of Law and has a bach=
elor of arts degree from Washington & Lee University.

Mr. Gramlich served as market and policy analyst at FERC, PJM, and the PG&E=
National Energy Group. He was Senior Economist in the PJM Market Monitor=
ing Unit, where he monitored the competitiveness and efficiency of power ma=
rkets. In the FERC Office of Economic Policy, he advised on market power, =
market rules, and Regional Transmission Organization policies. He has als=
o held positions at the California Public Utilities Commission, Lawrence Be=
rkeley National Laboratory, and the World Resources Institute. He has a M=
aster of Public Policy degree from the University of California at Berkeley=
and a B.A. in economics from Colby College.

Ms. Silverstein has experience in the central issues involved in energy ind=
ustry operations and restructuring. She was advisor to Chairman Wood for =
the past six years when he headed the Public Utility Commission of Texas an=
d was active in the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioner=
s. During this period, the Texas Commission presided over the transformat=
ion of the state's electric industry into a sound competitive wholesale mar=
ket as well as moving Texas' telecommunications industry to retail competit=
ion. She advised the Chairman on most facets of wholesale and retail mar=
ket design. From 1984 to 1994, she held a number of positions with Pacific=
Gas & Electric Co. in San Francisco, including supervisor of information a=
nd communications services and senior communication planner. She also se=
rved as an operations research analyst with the U.S. Department of the Inte=
rior in the 1970s. Ms. Silverstein holds a master of business administrati=
on degree from Stanford University, an MSE in systems analysis and economic=
s from The Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor of arts degree in econom=
ics from The Johns Hopkins University.=09=09=09

Mr. Soto joined FERC in 1998 and had served as appellate litigation attorne=
y in the Office of the Solicitor, representing the Commission in complex li=
tigation before U.S. Courts of Appeals and other federal courts. He previ=
ously had his own energy industry law practice in Portland, Oregon. Earlie=
r, from 1994 to 1997, he was with Ball Janik, LLP in Portland. He was gen=
eral counsel to Energy Services, Inc., on retainer from Ball Janik, for muc=
h of 1997 and earlier was an associate representing power marketers and the=
industrial customers of the Bonneville Power Administration. As an associ=
ate with Newman & Holtzinger, P.C., in Washington, D.C., from 1989 to 1994,=
he represented energy companies before FERC and other federal agencies and=
courts. From 1987 to 1989, he served as a law clerk in the Office of Adm=
inistrative Law Judges at the U.S. Department of Labor. He graduated from =
Villanova University School of Law and has a bachelor of arts degree from F=
ranklin & Marshall College.

R-01-39 (30)