Charlotte is a former Chair of the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC), where she led the state’s economic regulation of investor-owned public utilities which generated annually more than $12 billion in jurisdictional revenues during her tenure. Appointed by the Governor and confirmed by both the House and the Senate of the North Carolina General Assembly, Charlotte served on the Commission from 2018 to 2025 and was Chair from 2019 to 2025.
Charlotte brings to her legal practice a deep and practical understanding of the regulatory, operational, and policy challenges facing utilities in North Carolina and across the country. While at the NCUC, she participated in major rate cases, long-term planning proceedings, regulatory investigations and corporate transactions involving the electric, natural gas, water/wastewater, and transportation industries. In her capacity as Chair, she served as the chief executive and chief administrative officer of the agency, which involved presiding over major proceedings as well as leading the decision-making processes in complex dockets, overseeing the drafting of Orders, and managing agency operations, including recruitment and retention of professional staff, oversight of fiscal and cash flow matters, and modernization of Commission processes during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Widely respected in the regulatory community, Charlotte served as President of the Organization of PJM States, Inc. from 2021 to 2023 and as Vice Chair of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment from 2019 to 2024. In recognition of her service to the state, she was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in 2025. Charlotte draws on her broad experience at the intersection of law, policy, and regulation to advise utility clients navigating today’s dynamic and challenging landscapes.
Prior to joining the NCUC in 2018, Charlotte was in private practice where she focused on utilities regulation and environmental and land use matters.
Experience
While at the NCUC, Charlotte:
- Acted as the Commission’s Chief Executive and Chief Administrative Officer, overseeing all regulatory, operational, and administrative functions.
- Presided over major rate cases, resource planning dockets, and investigatory proceedings involving regulated utilities.
- Led the Commission’s decision-making and order-drafting processes for complex and high-profile matters.
- Ruled on procedural motions made prior to hearings, streamlining case management and ensuring procedural integrity.
- Supervised a staff of approximately 65 professionals, including attorneys, engineers, financial analysts, and administrative personnel.
- Oversaw recruitment, hiring, and retention efforts for all professional and senior administrative positions.
- Oversaw administrative operations across fiscal management, human resources, IT systems, records, and regulatory archives.
- Regularly presented to elected officials as requested.
Prior to the NCUC, Charlotte:
- Represented clients in proceedings before the NCUC.
- Counseled water/wastewater utilities, natural gas utilities, third party developers of energy generating facilities, and electric membership corporations with respect to legal and regulatory matters.
- Represented clients in environmental compliance matters and in land use entitlement proceedings.
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The University of North Carolina School of LawJD
Publication Editor, Staff Editor, North Carolina Law Review
2005 - Duke UniversityMaster of Environmental Management, Resource Economics and Policy2005
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The University of North Carolina at Chapel HillBA
Morehead Scholar
2000
- Board Member, Mid Atlantic Conference of Regulatory Utilities Commissioners, 2023-2024
- Vice Chair, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment, 2019-2024
- President, Organization of PJM States, Inc., 2021-2023
- Advisory Council Member, Electric Power Research Institute, 2019-2022
- Commissioner, NC Mining and Energy Commission, 2012-2015
- Chair, Board of Directors, Women’s Center of Wake County, 2011-2012
- Participant, North Carolina Bar Association Leadership Academy, 2011
- North Carolina
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- Order of the Long Leaf Pine, 2025
- Named to “Power List – Energy,” Business North Carolina, 2022-2023
- Named to “North Carolina Rising Stars,” Environmental, Energy & Natural Resources, Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2013, 2015
- Named to “Legal Elite,” Business North Carolina, 2011