Sacramento, California - The California Energy Commission announced today the members of its Petroleum Market Advisory Committee that was created to provide insight to state policymakers on policy options that may affect petroleum markets, and on factors and conditions related to petroleum price fluctuations, and their impacts on consumers.

The committee is scheduled to hold its first public meeting December 16, 2014 to establish working procedures and explore relevant topics associated with petroleum fuels in California.

"These leading energy economists and experts will provide an additional perspective on issues and policies impacting the market and supplement the Energy Commission's expertise," said Robert B. Weisenmiller, chair of the Energy Commission. "We look forward to working with committee members to gain further insight into market trends and forces that affect petroleum pricing and the related effects on Californians who pay for it at the pump."

The committee is made up of five leading petroleum fuels market experts who will provide the Energy Commission and state regulators with independent advice and insights on issues affecting the market, from local policies to global events. The committee will be chaired by James Sweeney, director of the Stanford University Precourt Energy Efficiency Center and includes: Severin Borenstein, Professor, Haas School of Business Economic Analysis and Policy Group at University of California, Berkeley; Amy Jaffe, Executive Director of Energy and Sustainability at University of California, Davis; Kathleen Foote, Senior Assistant Attorney General and Antitrust Chief at the California Attorney General's Office; and Dave Hackett, President, Stillwater Associates.

The December meeting will lay the foundation so that the committee can begin its work in earnest after the first of the year. The committee will establish basic organizational bylaws, receive briefings on relevant topics from staff and discuss topics on the use of fossil fuels in California.