In April 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Patty Monahan to be one of the five commissioners on the California Energy Commission. She serves in the Energy Commission’s Science/Engineering position and is the lead commissioner on transportation, industrial decarbonization, hydrogen, and ports, and is second for the Disadvantaged Communities Advisory Group. She has dedicated her career toward advancing clean energy technologies and cutting harmful pollution, with a strong focus on equity and transportation.  

Before joining the Energy Commission, she served as the transportation program director at the Energy Foundation, where she guided campaigns across the United States that advanced electric transportation, more efficient vehicles, and cleaner transportation fuels. She worked for the Union of Concerned Scientists in several roles, including Director of the California office and Deputy Director of Clean Vehicles. She also worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and several energy-related consulting firms.

Commissioner Monahan received the 2019 Advocate Award from Plug-In America, the 2019 Public Sector Leadership award from Forth Mobility, and the 2022 California Clean Air Award from the Coalition for Clean Air. She currently serves on the advisory boards of the U.C. Institute for Transportation Studies, the International Counsel on Clean Transportation, and the World Resources Institute’s Electric School Bus Initiative. 

Commissioner Monahan received a Bachelor of Science degree from UC Berkeley and holds a Master’s degree in the Environment and Resources Program with a certificate in Energy Analysis and Policy from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.