Amy M. Spelke
PROJECT MANAGER
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
L. E. Peabody & Associates, Inc. (1993-1995, 2011-present) -- Ms. Spelke conducted analyses of economic data from the US and state governments, private contracts, public tariffs, and other sources for use in: market analyses; rail transportation contract negotiations; forecasting coal transportation rates; and, traffic and revenue forecasts. She provided research and analytical support for economic and market studies on a variety of energy and transportation topics. She also contributed to filings in multiple proceedings at the Surface Transportation Board (STB), including the calculation of maximum reasonable rail transportation rates for shippers via hypothetical stand-alone railroad studies, and responses to Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRMs) and Ex Parte proceedings.
Ms. Spelke regularly uses Geographic Information System (“GIS”) software, including Environmental Systems Research Institute (“ESRI”) Desktop products, in particular ESRI’s ArcMap, to analyze, manage, and display geographic data using shapefiles and other georeferenced data.
Previous Related Experience – Before rejoining LEPA in 2011, Ms. Spelke spent over a decade in various regulatory positions conducting analyses and directing programs in many key areas of the utility and transportation industries with an emphasis on economic and regulatory policy issues.
Maine Public Utilities Commission (“PUC”) (2000-2011) Ms. Spelke was the Director of the Safety and Security Team at the Maine PUC from 2009-2011. In this position she had direct management responsibilities for the Damage Prevention Program, the Emergency Services Communication Bureau, the Critical Infrastructure/Emergency Response program, and the Pipeline Safety Program. The Pipeline Safety program is a partnership with the US Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and provides education and enforcement of state and federal safety standards for intrastate natural gas pipelines and jurisdictional LPG facilities. Ms. Spelke also negotiated as the Commission’s Representative in Federal Bankruptcy Court ordered mediation.
In Maine, the PUC is the lead state agency in the Energy and Communications Sectors as described in the National Infrastructure Protection Plan. As part of her Critical Infrastructure and Emergency Response duties, Ms. Spelke wrote an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (“ARRA”) grant and was the Principal Investigator of a project to create a statewide Common Operating Picture using the Google Earth Enterprise platform used to, among other things, track energy supply disruptions in the state.
Before stepping into the Director position, Ms. Spelke was a utility analyst in the PUC Finance Division and participated in numerous Commission cases involving the economic regulation of telecommunications carriers including the merger of FairPoint and Verizon, a Rural Exemption determination, Maine’s TELRIC (Total Element Long Run Incremental Cost) case, and the impact of competition and other policy issues related to monopoly regulation. Ms. Spelke also served on loan as Staff to the Governor’s Task Force to expand Broadband and Wireless telephone coverage in Maine. In this role she drafted legislation to create a new state agency dedicated to goal of expanding broadband access in the most rural, un-served areas of Maine.
Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy (1999-2000) Ms. Spelke was an Analyst in the Gas Division. In this position she reviewed Cost of Gas Adjustment filings, merger applications, and other tariff filings.
Prior to 1993, while interning with L. E. Peabody & Associates, Inc., Ms. Spelke participated in stand-alone and postal rate cases.
EDUCATION:
Ms. Spelke holds Masters’ degrees in Public Administration (1999) and Education (1997) from Virginia Tech. While she was a student, she served as a research assistant at the VT Center for Transportation Research. She received a Bachelor’s degree in History from Amherst College (1993).
