ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today announced the appointment of Kelly Speakes-Backman as director of the Maryland Energy Administration. Her appointment follows former director
Paul G. Pinsky’s retirement after 39 years of public service. Speakes-Backman will assume her post on December 24.
“Kelly Speakes-Backman is a trailblazer in the energy industry with the deep expertise and track record to lead the Maryland Energy Administration,”
said Gov. Moore. “She is a proven public servant who believes in our state, understands our energy system, and knows how to turn policy into lasting results. We are proud to welcome her back to state service as we work together to build a more affordable, competitive, and sustainable future for all Marylanders.”
Speakes-Backman brings more than two decades of leadership across state government, federal energy programs, and the clean energy sector to the role. She most recently served as executive vice president of public affairs at Invenergy, where she led the company's global corporate communications and government relations strategy. Prior to that, Speakes-Backman managed a multi-billion dollar portfolio across renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable transportation as the acting assistant secretary and principal deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Speakes-Backman’s appointment marks her return to state government, where she previously held key leadership roles under the O'Malley-Brown Administration. From 2011 to 2015, she served as a commissioner on the Maryland Public Service Commission, where she presided over major utility rate cases and oversaw the implementation of the EmPOWER Maryland Energy Efficiency Act. Prior to her time on the commission, she served as the director of clean energy at the Maryland Energy Administration, leading the technical and policy initiatives necessary to meet the state’s renewable energy targets.
As director of the Maryland Energy Administration, Speakes-Backman will lead the state’s energy programs and partnerships, advancing the Moore-Miller Administration’s priorities on energy affordability, grid reliability, clean energy deployment, and workforce development, while strengthening Maryland’s ability to compete for and deploy federal resources.
Speakes-Backman earned her undergraduate degree from Boston University.
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