Bjorn “BJ” Brooks, PhD
Candidate for SC PSC Commissioner, US Congr. Distr. 3
Evidence-First · Process-Respecting · Public Trust
BJ Brooks portrait

Decision-Relevant Expertise

BJ delivers policy-relevant knowledge grounded in infrastructure, environmental systems, and weather—focused on reliability, affordability, and rigorous analysis under uncertainty.

Weather & Infrastructure Risk Cost Impacts Under Uncertainty Infrastructure Siting & Long-Term Risk Risk Modeling
Water and infrastructure systems
View of a South Carolina wastewater treatment facility that serves as an example of reliable water infrastructure that supports community health, and protects the environment.
Energy infrastructure in landscape
A large-scale energy storage facility that helps balance the electric grid by storing energy when demand is low and supplying power when demand is high.
Interactive map of gas pipelines and electric transmission lines-- these deliver energy across the Upstate and support homes, businesses, and industry.

Why this matters for utility regulation

Utility decisions shape reliability and costs for decades. Weather variability, and land constraints are not abstractions—they are operational risk, siting and capital risk.

  • Planning assumptions become ratepayer costs
  • Decision quality improves when uncertainty is explicit
  • Long-lived assets live in the real world every hour
  • Peak demand and outage risk are weather-driven
Good utility regulation is less about predicting the future and more about planning responsibly for uncertainty.

Principles of how I approach public service

  • Community-grounded & track record of public service in the Carolinas
  • Long-horizon thinking focused on reliability and affordability
  • Evidence-first & process-respecting
  • Independent judgment, transparent reasoning

Relevant experience

Weather & Infrastructure Exposure Risk

Specialized expertise in quantifying asset exposure risk, linking geological hazards and climate stressors to performance, reliability, and long-term operational and planning assumptions.

Cost Impacts Under Uncertainty

Expert in decision-focused cost analysis under uncertainty, translating sensitivity, risk bounds, and tradeoffs into guidance for long-term reliability and investment decisions.

Monitoring Infrastructure

Applied expertise in satellite-driven assessment of infrastructure exposure, combining satellite and environmental data to evaluate siting decisions, hazard exposure, and vulnerability.

U.S. Forest Service

Six years of applied research and communication to the public supporting resilient working lands, infrastructure stewardship, and community-level decision-making.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Two years supporting the stewardship, integrity, and public accessibility of national weather and climate data used in operational and planning decisions.

Private-Sector Infrastructure Collaboration

Five years working with landowners and industry partners to translate environmental and infrastructure analysis into real-world project decisions.

Who I am

BJ studied geology and biology at Iowa State University and has lived in Upstate SC for ten years where he has worked for the Federal government and private industry. BJ is a geologist and modeler focused on risk modeling, weather, energy, and ecological landscapes. BJ has worked and volunteered to help communities and decision-makers use complex environmental information to plan wisely, operate reliably, and invest for the long term.

Contact

Email: bjorn@openearthscience.org     ·    linkedin.com/in/bjornbrooks/