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Michael R. Niggli is the chief operating officer (COO) of San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas), Sempra Energy’s California regulated utilities. Sempra Energy is a San Diego-based Fortune 500 energy services holding company whose subsidiaries provide electricity, natural gas and value-added products and services.
SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides service to 3.4 million consumers through 1.4 million electric meters and more than 830,000 natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties.
SoCalGas is the nation’s largest natural gas distribution utility serving 20.1 million consumers through 5.6 million gas meters.
Niggli was named COO in 2006. Previously, from 2000 to 2006, Niggli was president of Sempra Generation where he was responsible for the operation and maintenance of merchant power plants and energy infrastructure throughout North America. Sempra Generation operates power plant assets in Nevada, California, Arizona and Mexico.
Prior to joining Sempra Energy in 2000, Niggli was chairman and chief executive officer of Nevada Power Company and Sierra Pacific Resources. He contributed to a successful merger of the two companies that doubled their size and strength. He also guided the company through the deregulation process in Nevada and achieved the highest customer satisfaction rating of any electric utility in the western United states (as reported by J.D. Powers and Associates).
From 1988 to 1996 Niggli served as a senior executive with Entergy Corporation, where he had significant corporate responsibilities for strategic planning, customer service, fuels acquisition, marketing and sales. He began his career in 1971 at San Diego Gas & Electric, where his management responsibilities included electric and gas operations, fuels acquisition, project management and customer service.
Niggli holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from California State University in Long Beach and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from San Diego State University. He founded the graduate program in power engineering at San Diego State University and lectured there for five years. He has also participated in the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
During his career, Niggli has provided expert testimony on electric and gas utility matters before numerous legislative committees, public service commissions and city councils at the federal, state and local levels. Niggli has also authored at least a dozen articles on issues pertinent to the electric, gas and telecommunications industries.
Niggli recently served on the Executive Committee of the Board of Director’s of the Electric Power Supply Association, a national trade association representing competitive power suppliers. Niggli is currently on the board of the Great Basin National Park Foundation, and has previously served on the boards of the United Way of Southern Nevada, University of Nevada at Las Vegas Foundation, Electric Power Research Institute, Edison Electric Institute and the Nevada Development Authority. He has also been closely involved in business and education partnerships in San Diego, New Orleans and Las Vegas. | 