Jason McMillan has worked at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for 11 years, based in Sacramento. He supervises a team of utility engineers in the Safety and Enforcement Division’s Gas Safety and Reliability Branch. His team is responsible for conducting safety and compliance inspections of Natural Gas and Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) operators across California.
McMillan also manages the Master-Meter Gas and Small LPG Inspection program. In addition, he oversees the CPUC’s Mobile Home Park Utility Conversion program, which replaces mobile home park-owned utility systems with direct public utility natural gas and electric service. This initiative aims to improve safety, reliability, and access to clean energy for residents.
Explaining his motivation for joining the CPUC, McMillan said, “I have always believed that the greatest calling we can feel is the service to others. I felt that working for California, specifically within a safety assurance position, was a way to use my time and talents to serve people and to ensure the safety of my family, friends, and neighbors.”
He highlighted improvements made under his leadership in the Small Operator Inspection program: “The Small Operator Inspection program has really been rewarding. Before the revised workplan was established, we consistently had a backlog of past-due inspections – about 30 percent of the systems had not been inspected on time.” He added that after implementing new workplans and requirements for engineers, annual inspections increased while backlogs decreased: “Since 2022, the number of systems past due inspections has decreased to less than two percent.”
McMillan described how his division supports CPUC’s mission: “Our work within the Safety and Enforcement Division really focuses on making sure that Californians have safe utility service. Our inspection findings and enforcement actions help confirm that natural gas operators are using ratepayer funds as designed; that they operate their systems in a way that mitigates risks; and that they keep their employees and the public safe.”
Outside of work, McMillan enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, and kayaking around Sacramento. He previously worked as a maintenance technician for banks—a job that involved picking locks and opening safes.
For those interested in horror movies, he recommends listening to “Random Number Generator Horror Podcast Number 9,” describing it as thoughtful yet entertaining.
