Our Advisory Board

A Professional Engineer with over 45 years of experience. David combines a strong business, engineering and accounting background, experience in utility regulation and thorough knowledge of energy policy with an in-depth understanding of how a utility commission operates and the issues and challenges it faces. David was a Commissioner with the BCUC for almost 13 years, first appointed in December, 2010, and appointed Chair and CEO in 2015.

At the BCUC, David participated in numerous decisions on a wide variety of utility applications. In addition, he initiated, and often participated in, a number of Inquiries into key areas of energy policy, including: the regulation of EV charging infrastructure; the regulation of the emerging hydrogen for fuel industry in BC; the definition of Renewable Natural Gas and how it can be delivered; and the jurisdiction of municipalities in the regulation of municipal corporations that own and operate energy infrastructure.

In his time at the BC Utilities Commission, David demonstrated excellent leadership and earned the confidence of Commissioners, staff and stakeholders. He has excellent communication skills, both written and oral. Prior to joining the BCUC, David owned a software development and IT service company, developing leading-edge software, successfully managing the development of mission critical corporate IT systems and numerous projects in a number of business areas for a variety of clients in the private and public sector. He has repeatedly demonstrated leadership experience in technical, business and strategic areas throughout his career.

While his term at the BCUC ended in September 2023, David remains actively engaged in national and international energy and regulatory associations. He is an advisor to the Public Utilities Board of the Province of Manitoba, the current Chair of the International Confederation of Energy Regulators and a member of the Board of Directors of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC). He is also an Executive in Residence, and member of the Advisory Board, of Positive Energy, a University of Ottawa research program that aims to strengthen public confidence in energy policy, regulation, and decision-making.

Mr. Cleland is a private consultant with extensive experience in energy and environment policy. He is an Executive in Residence with the University of Ottawa’s Positive Energy Program, past chair of the Board of Directors at the Canadian Energy Research Institute, past chair of the Board of Directors of QUEST (Quality Urban Energy Systems of Tomorrow) and a Senior Fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.

He has served as President and CEO of the Canadian Gas Association and Senior Vice President Government Affairs for the Canadian Electricity Association (CEA). He served in several roles with the federal government including as Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM), Energy Sector in the Department of Natural Resources Canada. Before joining the federal government Mr. Cleland worked in several capacities in Nova Scotia as an independent consultant, at Dalhousie University and in the government of Nova Scotia. He was educated at the University of British Columbia (BA in political science 1972) and Queens (MPL urban and regional planning 1974).

James B. Robb assumed the role of NERC’s president and chief executive officer in April 2018. Robb oversees NERC’s mission of assuring the reliability and security of the North American bulk power system. As president and CEO, Robb leads the Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) responsible for key programs affecting approximately 1,400 bulk power system users, owners, and
operators, including those programs focused on development of mandatory NERC Reliability Standards, the Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Program, situational awareness, event and risk analysis, reliability assessments and forecasting, and cyber and physical security. He is also responsible for the performance of the Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC) and key
government partnerships.

As CEO, he is the chair of the ERO Enterprise Executive Committee, which oversees the operations of the six Regional Entities that support the reliability mission across North America. Robb joined the ERO Enterprise in 2013 when he was appointed the president and CEO of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC), the Regional Entity serving the Western Interconnection. Robb is a member of the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council (ESCC) and serves on the United States Energy Association Board as well as a NERC trustee. In 2020 he was appointed Chair of the Group of Experts on Cleaner Energy Systems for the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

Robb has more than 35 years of experience in the energy sector as an engineer, a consultant, and a senior executive. He has been a frequent speaker at industry events on the evolution of the electric power system, cyber security, integration of variable generation, and the increasing interdependency of electric and natural gas reliability.

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