Joseph Kelliher

Executive Vice President, NextEra Energy

Joseph T Kelliher is executive vice president of federal regulatory affairs for NextEra Energy, Inc. In this role, he is responsible for managing federal regulatory matters for NextEra Energy and its principal subsidiaries, NextEra Energy Resources and Florida Power & Light Company. He has held this position since May 2009. Previously, Mr Kelliher served as chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) from 2005 to 2009. Among the highlights of his chairmanship was efficient implementation of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the largest expansion in FERC regulatory authority since the 1930s. This law gave FERC a new mission to assure reliability of the interstate power grid, granted the agency strong enforcement authority for the first time and expanded FERC authority in other areas. Chairman Kelliher pursued a series of reforms to promote competitive wholesale power and natural gas markets, improve FERC economic regulation and strengthen the US energy infrastructure. Mr Kelliher has spent his entire professional career working on energy policy matters, serving in a variety of roles in both the public and private sectors. These include senior policy adviser to the US Secretary of Energy, majority counsel to the US House Commerce Committee and positions with private corporations, trade associations and law firms. Mr Kelliher earned a bachelor of science degree from Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service, and a juris doctor degree, magna cum laude, from the American University Washington College of Law.