Paul G. Afonso, the former chairman of the Massachusetts Public Utilities Commission, recently was named to the board of directors for Utilidata, an energy optimization and management company based in Providence. He talks about the appointment and his plans going forward.
PBN: Why did you want to join Utilidata’s board of directors?
AFONSO: As a native Rhode Islander, former chief energy regulator for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and someone keenly interested in the intersection of innovation and technology in the energy sector, serving on the board of Utilidata draws on my regulatory, legal and political background.
I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with my fellow board members and a seasoned management team to help Utilidata grow as a leading global software company dedicated to grid modernization, energy efficiency gains, enhanced grid security and environmental stewardship. Helping to build a world class company and making our home state of Rhode Island a leading center of energy innovation in partnership with our new governor, makes this the perfect time to be part of the Utilidata board and realizing these important goals.
PBN: How will your experience as former chairman of the Massachusetts Public Utilities Commission help in your role as a board member?
AFONSO: My role as a former PUC chairman and current chairman of the Boston Water and Sewer Commission provides me with a deep understanding and knowledge of the regulatory process and the rate-making process faced by our largest customers – investor-owned utilities. As a former regulator, I have a national network of energy regulatory colleagues and relationships with senior utility executives throughout the country and abroad. As a board member, I am able to guide our talented team at Utilidata as they navigate the regulatory process with our utility customers and ensure we are providing a unique and comprehensive service to our customers on all facets of a project.
PBN: What are the greatest challenges facing the energy industry today?
AFONSO: Many of today’s challenges are byproducts of exciting new technology and efficiency advancements. From distributed energy resources to micro-grids, we are in the midst of an energy revolution. But while we embrace these new technologies, we need to ensure we are integrating new developments into the electric grid. For generations, the grid has provided safe, reliable and affordable power and it will for many more. Utilidata is committed to bridging that gap, to helping utilities reduce their carbon footprint by optimizing electric power delivery, integrating distributed energy resources and ensuring the grid can manage the energy demands of the future.
In addition to ensuring new technologies work with our grid, we need greater attention to the security vulnerabilities that a “smart grid” introduces. As we network more of the grid, cyber threats become a new reality. Addressing these threats will require a joint effort by lawmakers, regulators, utility companies and private industry.
PBN: How can you help Utilidata navigate the regulatory process as it grows and partners with utility companies nationwide? What do you think about the company’s mission?
AFONSO: Utilidata’s mission – providing innovative technologies that enable utilities to meet their efficiency strategies while modernizing and securing the grid, saving consumer’s money and reducing our carbon footprint in order to meet our future energy demands – places the company squarely as an important partner with our utility customers in meeting our national energy goals. Uniquely, Utilidata partners with leading utilities, such National Grid and American Electric Power, to help them meet their state and national energy commitments. With a deep understanding of regulatory rate-making and energy policies, Utilidata collaborates with our utility customers in devising the appropriate regulatory strategy to seek approval to acquire our product and move our joint effort forward.
PBN: Why did a career in the energy industry interest you?
AFONSO: After graduating from Boston College, I attend Georgetown University Law Center and practiced law in Washington for 10 years before returning to Boston and starting my career at the Massachusetts Public Utilities Commission and ultimately at Brown Rudnick. While a senior at Boston College, I won election to the Rhode Island Constitutional Convention as a delegate representing my hometown of Bristol. This experience, along with working for Sen. Claiborne Pell on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, during my time at Georgetown Law, affirmed my interest in politics and public policy. As I began my legal career I had the opportunity to represent clients before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and advising clients on a variety of state regulatory issues. I enjoyed the administrative law practice before executive agencies but also was exposed to the legislative process both in Congress and at a various state legislatures. In short, the energy sector combines my passion for the law, politics and innovation all the while dealing with an important sector in our economy that has a real impact in our economic development as a state and the families we serve.
