Years ago, a steep power bill sparked Jolette Westbrook’s curiosity about how the energy sector works. “It was something I could learn, dig my teeth into and better understand that it’s not just about turning on a switch,” recalls Westbrook, now director and senior attorney for regulatory solutions at the Environmental Defense Fund.

Over the years, Westbrook has served as a hearing officer and as director and general counsel of Massachusetts’ Energy Facilities Siting Board and as a commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, where she helped implement the agency’s mission to protect consumer rights and ensure reliable, affordable utility services. She’s worked on matters of utilities oversight such as facilities siting, permitting, zoning, transmission line construction and rate setting.

“When I look at the thread of my career, it’s about working in a space where I could effectuate positive changes in the energy system and put justice and equity at the forefront,” says Westbrook, who also served on a stakeholder working group originally convened by the office of Governor Maura Healey ’98 when she was Massachusetts’ attorney general. “We wrote a report, Overly Impacted and Rarely Heard: Incorporating Community Voices into Massachusetts Energy Regulatory Processes. Several of our recommendations were implemented, including one related to an intervenor support fund that was included in the commonwealth’s landmark 2024 legislation to promote a cleaner energy grid, advance equity and protect ratepayers.”

Westbrook is still clearly energized by the challenges in her complex field. “I think the biggest issue is balancing different needs. We have to make sure that energy resources align with state climate goals and that energy is affordable. That is paramount.”