Area of Focus
As the Clean Energy Manager, Cydney leads the organization’s clean energy efforts in New Mexico. In this capacity, Beadles represents WRA in proceedings before the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission; actively participates in litigation and rulemakings related to energy issues; helps to craft and lobby for needed legislation and much more; all to advance WRA’s energy policy goals that will reduce carbon emissions from electric generation through improved efficiency and increased production of clean and renewable energy.
Background
With more than 30 years of experience in law, especially her focus on public utility regulation and administrative law, Cydney is well-suited to her role. She joined WRA in 2019 after retiring from public service. She spent more than two decades as a managing attorney at the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission and its predecessor, the New Mexico Public Utility Commission, serving as Legal Division Director for the last three. Her case experience at the Commission involved a broad range of topics and stakeholders, from water rights and tribal energy to rural electric cooperatives and publicly traded investor-owned utilities.
Accomplishments
Cydney played a key role in ensuring the Governor’s signature 2019 Energy Transition Act was applied meaningfully when the San Juan Generating Station was scheduled to shut down in favor of cleaner energy sources. Her work in this area has been so impactful that she was named the Public Lawyer of the Year in 2019 by the State Bar of New Mexico. She has also been tapped for her expertise by the New Mexico Senate Pro Tempore to serve on as one of seven members on the Public Regulation Commission nominating committee and her expertise is tapped serving as a technical advisor to two clean energy groups: ECMD’s Grid Modernization Program and New Mexico’s Interagency Climate Change Task Force.
Education
Bachelor of Arts in political science from Stanford University and Juris Doctor from University of California Hastings College of the Law.
Favorite thing about the West
Waking up to snow which may or may not have been forecasted, especially when it wasn’t.
