As part of a large bundle of new appointments late Friday, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger filled three of the five seats on the oversight board of the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) and reappointed one of the five members of the California Energy Commission (CEC). All of the selections require confirmation by the California Senate.

For a second time, Schwarzenegger appointed B. Timoithy Gage, 54, a former state finance department director, to the CAISO Board of Governors, along with two newcomers: Linda Capauano, 55, a senior vice president of design and engineering services for Solectron Corp, and Thomas Page, 73, a former CEO of Enova and its chief utility, San Diego Gas & Electric Co., prior to engineering a merger with Southern California Gas Co.’s parent company that resulted in the 1998 creation of Sempra Energy.

On the CEC, the governor renamed James Boyd, 67, to the five-member commission where he has served since 2002, and currently serves as vice chairman. Previously, Boyd has served as deputy secretary of the California Resources Agency (1999-2002) and executive director of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for 15 years (1981-1996).

The three new CAISO board members join Elizabeth Lowe and Chairman Mason Willrich, a former Pacific Gas and Electric Co. executive and former senior executive with other power industry organizations. Their terms expire the end of this year.

Capuano brings substantial experience from the private sector, including a decade with Honeywell International in the technology strategy and marketing/business integration areas. In contrast, Gage bring equally strong experience in state government fiscal matters where he has served in the legislature or finance department since the late 1970s.

Page retired as CEO and SDG&E and its holding company in mid-1998 when the merger creating San Diego-based Sempra Energy was made final. Page worked for Gulf States Utilities from 1973 to 1978 as a senior executive and board member, before going to SDG&E to head up that utility, which at the time was struggling under high rates and poor regulatory relations.

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