Gillett is currently vice president of external relations with the Energy Storage Association, a national trade association representing the energy storage industry. From 2011 to 2018, she worked at the Maryland Public Service Commission, an independent agency within the Maryland state government that regulates public utilities, where she most recently served as the senior advisor to the chairman. Her duties included a number of matters on energy issues in the state, such as advising the agency’s chairman and other commissioners on technical, legal and policy matters related to offshore wind procurement, statewide energy efficiency programs, advanced metering infrastructure, grid reliability issues and electric vehicles. She represented the commission on these topics by testifying before the Maryland General Assembly and by leading stakeholder engagement initiatives as part of the state’s grid modernization proceeding.

Gillett will serve the remainder of the term that was most recently held by Katie Dykes, who left her position at PURA earlier this year to become commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

“PURA serves a critical function to protect the consumer’s right to safe, affordable, and reliable utility service, while also ensuring that the providers have a reasonable return on their investments,” Governor Lamont said. “Marissa is going to bring to Connecticut an outsiders’ perspective that we can really utilize. It’s no secret that Connecticut has some of the highest energy rates in the country – we need to change that, and I hope that with her fresh set of eyes and the experience she has working on these issues she can help advance our policy goals of bringing cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable power to the people of our state.”

“In this new role, I will focus on delivering more affordable, sustainable, and reliable energy to all Connecticut residents and businesses,” Gillett said. “I look forward to working with the other PURA commissioners and staff to achieve the state’s energy and climate goals in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible. I thank Governor Lamont for the opportunity he has given me to serve the people of Connecticut, for his confidence in me, and for his leadership on energy issues in the state and in the region.”

PURA, which is administratively held within DEEP, is governed by three commissioners, all of whom are appointed by the governor with the legislature’s advice and consent and serve four-year terms, with one commissioner serving as chairperson and another as vice chairperson. The two other commissioner positions are currently held by John W. Betkoski, III, who serves as vice chairman, and Michael Caron. The three commissioners will need to elect a new chairperson, as that role was most recently held by Dykes.

Gillett received a bachelor of science in bioengineering from Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina, and a juris doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law in Baltimore, Maryland.

She will begin serving as a commissioner-designate on April 26. Her nomination will be sent to the General Assembly for its advice and consent.