Five Quick Questions: Jeff Ackerman

Jeff is one of the most committed guys I know--committed to his family (he's a great dad to 2 college kids), to social change and justice, and to helping to educate others about our world. I've known Jeff for most of my 12 years in Denver, and New Year's Eve game night with him & his family is something I look forward to every year.

1. What do you do for a living and what do you like best about your job?

I am an advisor to the Colorado Public Utilities Commissioners. These are the people who regulate public utilities. I advise them on matters concerning how gas and electric utilities provide energy efficiency services to their customers (which is now required by law). What I like best about my job is that it blends together various activities/subjects that I enjoy: public policy; energy efficiency; economics; law; social justice.

2. Besides for simple information, why do you read?

I read as a form of recreation, in that a novel allows me to "travel" somewhere and experience something that I otherwise would not. I also enjoy seeing how others (authors) present topics of interest to me, in fictional form. For example, I have enjoyed various novels that present life in Korea, particularly around the time just after the Korean War, or during the Japanese occupation.

3. What did you read when you were a teen?

I did not read a lot of fiction when I was a teen, other than assigned reading. I recall "nerdy" reading -such as Alvin Toffler's Future Shock. I also read periodicals (U.S. News and World Report, The
Kiplinger Letter) - Things my dad subscribed to. I also read various books on ecology/environmental science - such as Barry Commoner's The Closing Circle.

4. What book(s) do you wish you had read as a teen?

Classic literature - English and American classic authors. Dickens; Steinbeck; etc. Although difficult to read, I wish I had read some of Shakespeare's plays.

5. What are you working on now?

I am preparing to advise the three commissioners on a series of recommended decisions, in response to an application by Public Service Co. concerning how much energy efficiency they should pursue and how they should be compensated for their efforts.

Thanks for working towards energy efficiency and for answering our questions, Jeff!