Cheryl A. LaFleur

Hon. Cheryl A. LaFleur

Acting FERC Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Acting Chairman Cheryl A. LaFleur was first nominated by President Barack Obama to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2010 and was confirmed for a second term by the Senate in 2014. On January 23, 2017 she was appointed Acting Chairman by President Donald Trump. She was previously appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as Acting Chairman of the Commission from November 2013 to July 2014 and as Chairman from July 2014 until April 2015.

Acting Chairman LaFleur is honored to be a member of the Commission at a time when the nation is making substantial changes in its energy supply and infrastructure to meet environmental challenges and improve reliability and security. Since she joined the Commission, her priorities have included reliability and grid security, promoting regional transmission planning, and supporting a clean and diverse power supply. She is a member of the NARUC Committees on Electricity and Critical Infrastructure and was co-chair of the FERC/NARUC Forum on Reliability and the Environment. She is a frequent speaker on energy issues. 

Prior to joining the Commission in 2010, Acting Chairman LaFleur had more than 20 years’ experience as a leader in the electric and natural gas industry. She served as executive vice president and acting CEO of National Grid USA, responsible for the delivery of electricity to 3.4 million customers in the Northeast. Her previous positions at National Grid USA and its predecessor New England Electric System included chief operating officer, president of the New England distribution companies and general counsel. She led major efforts to improve reliability and employee safety. Earlier in her career, she was responsible for leading award-winning conservation and demand response programs for customers.

Acting Chairman LaFleur has been a nonprofit board member and leader, including as a trustee of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, United Way of Central Massachusetts, and several other organizations. She is also active in a number of women’s energy organizations.

Acting Chairman LaFleur was named Woman of the Year by the Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment in 2015. In 2014, the Northeast Energy and Commerce Association presented her with its Vanguard Award for her long-time leadership in the development of competitive power markets. She received a Bipartisan Congressional Award in 2013 for her work on grid reliability. She has also been honored by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and the YWCA of Central Massachusetts, among others. 

Acting Chairman LaFleur began her career as an attorney at Ropes and Gray in Boston. She has a J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review, and an A.B. from Princeton University. A native of Massachusetts, she is married to William Kuncik, a retired attorney, and they are the parents of two grown children.



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Click to play: State ‘Around Market’ Action and FERC: The End of Competitive Wholesale Electric Markets?

State ‘Around Market’ Action and FERC: The End of Competitive Wholesale Electric Markets?

Telecommunications & Electronic Media and Environmental Law & Property Rights Practice Groups

For the past two decades, the U.S. has experimented with “market”-based competitive wholesale electric markets. ...

State ‘Around Market’ Action and FERC: The End of Competitive Wholesale Electric Markets?

Telecommunications & Electronic Media and Environmental Law & Property Rights Practice Groups

For the past two decades, the U.S. has experimented with “market”-based competitive wholesale electric markets. ...