Marissa Paslick Gillett is a Senior Fellow at the American Economic Liberties Project. From April 2019 through October 2025, Marissa served as the Chairman of Connecticut’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA). In her capacity as Connecticut’s chief energy regulator, she led a team of lawyers, accountants, engineers and other professional staff in transforming the energy regulatory landscape in the state. During her tenure, Marissa launched the Equitable Modern Grid initiative, which led to the formation of several nationally recognized programs such as the Innovative Energy Solutions regulatory sandbox. She is also known for her commitment to enhancing stakeholder engagement, including through the design, passage and launch of Connecticut’s first ever stakeholder compensation program intended to facilitate engagement in utility regulatory proceedings by small businesses and low-income residents. Marissa is also recognized for her multi-year efforts to transition the state to performance-based regulation, as well as other regulatory mechanisms designed to enhance utility accountability and transparency.
Prior to her appointment to PURA, Marissa was the Vice President of External Relations for the Energy Storage Association, serving on the association’s executive team and contributing to the organization’s overall strategic vision and direction.
From 2011 to 2018, Marissa worked at the Maryland Public Service Commission, where she most recently served as the senior advisor to the chairman. Her portfolio included topics such as offshore wind procurement, statewide energy efficiency programs, advanced metering infrastructure, grid reliability issues and electric vehicle charging and rate design initiatives.
Gillett received a B.S. in Bioengineering from Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina, and a J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law in Baltimore, Maryland.