Initiative Will Explore National Issues Related to Utility Reliability, Infrastructure, Markets, Technology and Other Critical Utility Challenges
HARRISBURG, PA. – Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) Vice Chair Kimberly M. Barrow has been appointed to a new Federal and State Current Issues Collaborative, as one of 10 individuals representing state utility commissions and national regions on the Collaborative.
This initiative is a joint effort by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), aiming to address and find solutions for critical challenges in the utility sector.
Vice Chair Barrow’s nomination highlights Pennsylvania’s ongoing influence and leadership in national utility discussions, further solidifying the state’s commitment to advancing utility regulation and addressing key issues affecting both state and federal jurisdictions.
«Joining this critical national conversation on utility reliability, infrastructure, and emerging technologies is a great honor,» said Vice Chair Barrow. «Pennsylvania, along with our Mid-Atlantic partners, plays a pivotal role in energy development and power generation. The Pennsylvania PUC has a rich history of influencing national utility policy, and I am dedicated to continuing that tradition.»
In outlining goals for the initiative, FERC has stated this Collaborative “will provide a venue for federal and state regulators to share perspectives, improve understanding and, where appropriate, identify potential solutions regarding challenges and coordination on matters that affect specific state and federal regulatory jurisdictions.”
The Collaborative will focus on a range of crucial topics, including:
- Electric reliability and resource adequacy
- Natural gas-electric coordination
- Wholesale and retail markets
- New technologies and innovations
- Infrastructure development
“This Collaborative is an important and necessary step in continuing constructive dialogues between federal and state regulators,” noted NARUC President Julie Fedorchak when announcing the nominees for this initiative. “Challenging issues such as resource adequacy, natural gas-electric coordination and infrastructure are among the matters facing state commissions.”
The Collaborative will build on the work of the past three years of the Joint Federal-State Task Force on Electric Transmission, which included Vice Chair Barrow as a member.
Appointed participants on the Federal and State Current Issues Collaborative will serve one-year terms, which can be renewed for up to three years. The first meeting of the Collaborative is expected to take place this fall.
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