The Team

The Grid Strategies Team

Rob Gramlich is President of Grid Strategies LLC, a Washington DC-based consultancy focused on transmission and power markets for a reliable, affordable, and sustainable power system.  He co-founded  Americans for a Clean Energy Grid, Working for Advanced Transmission Technologies (WATT Coalition), Advancing Modern Powerlines, the Macro Grid Initiative, and the Future Power Markets Forum. Rob has been invited to testify by both parties before Congress, FERC, and state agencies. He has earned awards from FERC as Exemplar of Public Service, the Energy Systems Integration Group for contributions to market design and transmission planning, The Hill Magazine for lobbying, and the American Wind Energy Association for Technical Achievement.

Rob previously oversaw transmission and power market policy for the American Wind Energy Association as SVP and Interim CEO, served as Economic Advisor to FERC Chairman Pat Wood III, and was Senior Economist at PJM Interconnection.

Rob has a Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree from UC Berkeley and a BA with Honors in Economics from Colby College.

For the last decade he held multiple positions at the American Wind Energy Association, including Electric Industry Analyst, Manager of Transmission Policy, and Senior Director of Research. Prior to that he served as a research analyst covering solar, geothermal, and storage technologies for a DOE consulting firm, a renewable policy analyst for the state Public Interest Research Groups, and as the clean energy intern for the Union of Concerned Scientists.

In these roles, Michael has:

• Written nearly one hundred filings to FERC, mostly on technical matters related to clean energy integration, transmission, and electricity markets.
• Been elected to the NERC Planning, Operating, and Standards Committees, including ongoing membership on the Planning Committee.
• Testified before state Public Utility Commissions more than a dozen times, mostly for transmission lines to deliver clean energy.
• Worked closely with regional organizations across the country to promote integration and transmission solutions, including serving on the Board of the Southeastern Wind Coalition.
• Served as a technical reviewer for over a dozen national laboratory reports, academic articles, and utility wind integration studies.
• Been quoted in hundreds of press articles and had dozens of letters to the editor published, including in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
• Co-authored Green Power Superhighways report for AWEA and SEIA.
• Published academic articles and conference presentations on wind integration, electricity markets, and policy.

Michael holds a BA with Honors in Social Studies from Harvard University.

Julia Selker is the Director of Policy and Strategy and Chief Operating Officer for Grid Strategies. In this role, she facilitates new business and coordinates the Future Power Markets Forum. Julia also serves as the Executive Director of the Working for Advanced Transmission Technologies (WATT) Coalition, leading policy advocacy and education on Grid Enhancing Technologies. She previously worked in communications for the Business Council for Sustainable Energy and technology startups, interned with Congressman Peter DeFazio focused on energy and climate policy, and worked on the launch of Monterey Bay Community Power through the public relations agency Miller Maxfield, Inc. She has a bachelor’s degree in physics from Reed College.

Richard’s wholesale market experience spans 30-years and includes positions with Cinergy Services (Duke/Midwest), PSEG, and FPL Energy (NextEra). Richard has also worked as an independent consultant to wind power development companies with commercial interests in MISO, PJM, SPP and WECC. Areas of interest include institutional barriers to grid participation, mitigation of energy outlet constraints, queue process reform initiatives, and integration of renewable energy technologies in organized market environments.

Richard lives with his wife and family in Charlottesville, VA.

Richard held several positions at the Midcontinent RTO (MISO) leading design, implementation and operations of MISO markets and reliability functions (2002-2022).  Most recently, he served as MISO Executive Vice President of Market and Grid Strategies, where he led the evaluation of emerging industry trends and the creation of a strategic roadmap to enhance MISO’s markets and reliability operations to facilitate power sector de-carbonization. Prior to joining MISO, he was Director of Strategy and New Initiatives at PG&E National Energy Group (1997-2002), and a Project Manager at ICF Resources (1993-1997).  He has been a member and chairman of the Board of Directors of the NERC Midwest Reliability Organization, and an advisory board member for the Indiana University, Richard G. Lugar Center for Renewable Energy.

Richard has a Master of Public Policy degree from The University of Minnesota, and a BA in Geography from the University of California, Los Angeles.

With 16 years of experience on utility regulation, John understands and elevates the perspective of clients including consumer advocates (residential, low-income, and small business), commission staff, clean energy trade associations, and environmental advocacy organizations. He also brings career experience that spans a range of environmental and transportation issues, working at the local, state and federal levels – in the government, private and non-profit sectors.

John has testified on electric and gas utility regulatory issues in over 50 proceedings in 9 US states and 1 Canadian province, as well as advising clients in several other US states. Prior to joining Grid Strategies, his work experience includes working as a consultant at Resource Insight, deputy director for regulatory policy at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, and senior legislative analyst in the Florida Legislature. His resume/CV is available here.

Zach Zimmerman is the Research and Policy Manager for Grid Strategies focused on economic and regulatory analysis related to power markets and transmission. His work includes writing reports and responding to government policy proposals for Grid Strategies clients as well as facilitating the Advancing Modern Powerlines (AMP) Coalition to support the deployment of High-Performance Conductors on the grid. He also supports the Working for Advanced Transmission Technologies (WATT) Coalition’s policy and advocacy work. Zach previously worked as a Committee Legislative Assistant for the Minnesota House Energy and Climate Committee. He has a Master of Public Policy from the University of California Berkeley Goldman School, where his thesis focused on transmission planning in the Pacific Northwest. Zach graduated with a degree in Biochemistry from Goshen College.