Alison Silverstein is a consultant, strategist and writer on electric transmission and reliability, energy efficiency, smart grid, renewable energy and technology adoption issues. She serves as project manager for the North American Synchrophasor Initiative (a collaboration between U.S. Department of Energy and the electric industry) and advises private and governmental clients on advanced technology, regulatory and other issues.
Notable recent work includes organizing and writing DOE’s August 2017 “Staff Report on Grid Reliability and Markets”, and leading the independent expert panel whose report led to transformation of Bonneville Power Administration’s transmission planning process. She has contributed to the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative framework and renewables and reliability integration.
Silverstein served as Senior Energy Policy Advisor to Chairman Pat Wood, III, at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from July 2001 through July 2004, co-chairing the Electric Systems Investigation for the U.S.-Canada Joint Power System Outage Task Force and writing the reports on the 2003 Northeast blackout. She has also worked at the Public Utility Commission of Texas, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., ICF Inc., the Environmental Law Institute, and the U.S. Department of Interior. Silverstein serves on the Board of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy and the Board of the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. She is a member emeritus of the National Academy of Sciences Board on Energy & Environmental Systems and the GridWise Architecture Council. She lives with her family near Austin, Texas.