Cristin Lyons is a partner with ScottMadden and leads the firm’s energy practice. Since joining the firm in 1999, Cristin has consulted with myriad clients on issues ranging from process and organizational redesign to merger integration to project and program management. Cristin led the firm’s grid transformation practice for three years before becoming the energy practice lead. She is a frequent speaker and panelist at conferences across the country. Cristin earned a B.A. in political science and Spanish from Gettysburg College and an M.B.A. from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. She is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Areas of Specialization
- Grid transformation and distributed energy resources
- Operations improvement and process redesign
- Organizational design and restructuring
- Merger and acquisition integration
- System operations
Recent Articles and Speeches
- “DERs Are Coming and Illinois Is Ready for Them.” June 2017
- “Distributed Energy Resources: Policy, Technical, and Regulatory Perspectives from New York and California.” December 2016
- “Grid Transformation and the Impact of Distributed Energy Resources.” Platts Utility Supply Chain Conference. January 2016
- “Integration of DER: New York and California.” EEI Strategic Issues Forum. September 2015
- “Impacts of Distributed Energy Resources on T&D Organizations.” August 2015
- “Distributed Resources and Utility Business Models – The Chronicle of a Death Foretold?” September 2013
- “Gas-Power Interdependence: Knock-On Effects of the Dash to Gas.” January 2013
Recent Assignments
- Managed the development of cost-cutting initiatives across four operating companies, delivering nearly 10% savings
- Developed a governance model and project management structure by which to manage a utility’s response to the REV proceeding in New York
- Assisted a utility in developing filings to define its plans to incorporate distributed energy resources and demonstrate alternative business models
- Led the development of distributed system implementation plans for two New York utilities
- Provided ongoing support in the development of demonstration projects, non-wires alternatives, and supporting financials as part of New York’s REV
- Managed the development of various electric and gas rate filings, including development of supporting analytics and testimony
- Assessed the staffing impacts of the consolidation of control centers; provided organizational models to support alternatives
- Managed a workload-based cost reduction effort for a large T&D utility
- Led the development of strategic initiatives to drive operational improvements, respond to significant regulatory initiatives, and reduce cost. Developed the work plans associated with each initiative and the managed process to ensure their completion
- Developed a functional model for T&D through which existing accountabilities were assessed. Created a future state accountability model that clarified roles and responsibilities across the organization
- Led a project to develop a series of strategic initiatives for a T&D organization to improve its capital project planning process; work included benchmarking of capital project planning and project management activities across multiple T&D organizations
- Developed the strategic initiatives and plan to establish a new asset management function at a utility; work included analysis of the existing functions within the engineering organization and external benchmarking of asset management practices; helped the client stand-up the new organization
- Performed an assessment of the system operations function of a cooperative to identify opportunities to restructure and align the organization to meet evolving requirements
- Led the effort to establish program management offices to manage both a Smart Grid investment grant and a Smart Grid demonstration grant for a large T&D utility. The effort included creating the necessary project management infrastructure to manage the projects and meet regulatory reporting requirements
- Provided program management for a start-up transmission organization to manage regulatory filings, business development, the establishment of corporate functions, and communications to the private equity investor
- Managed the effort to build a new capital project planning process for a utility, including a project prioritization process and stage-gating approvals
- Led the build of a new transmission control center, including deployment of a new EMS, SCADA and telecommunications upgrades, and build-out of the facility