US Representative for California's 11th and 9th districts. After an unsuccessful bid in 2004, McNerney was elected to the US Congress in 2006. Business career: McNerney served several years as a contractor to Sandia National Laboratories , working on national security programs. In 1985, he accepted a senior engineering position with U.S. Windpower (Kenetech). In 1994, he began working as an energy consultant for PG&E, FloWind, the Electric Power Research Institute, and other utility companies. Before being elected to Congress, Jerry served as the CEO of a 2004 start-up company manufacturing wind turbines, named HAWT Power (Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Power) Born on June 18, 1951, in Albuquerque, NM; attended the United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., 1969-1971; B.S., University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 1973; M.S., University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 1975; Ph.D in Mathematics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque,1981; engineer; business owner.