Melissa Brandt

In 2024, Melissa founded a new business, Brandt Energy Strategies, where she provides expert consulting services to clients on clean energy regulatory and legislative policy and strategy matters.  Previously, she led involvement in California and federal legislative matters that impacted Ava Community Energy (formerly known as East Bay Community Energy). She oversaw Ava’s participation in state regulatory proceedings on strategic issues that affected the local government agency. Melissa has over fifteen years of experience in the energy industry. Prior to joining Ava, Melissa managed a regulatory team at Pacific Gas & Electric Co. She previously led greenhouse gas commercial strategy and cap-and-trade procurement efforts and negotiated long-term electric power purchase agreements, as well as first-of-their-kind carbon offset agreements. She began her career in the federal government as a Presidential Management Fellow at the Bureau of Land Management and the State Department, and as a budget analyst at the Office of Management and Budget. Melissa holds a B.A. in Environmental Sciences with honors from U.C. Berkeley, a Juris Doctor from Columbia University, and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She is a member of the State Bar of California.