1. What made you want to join the R.I. Public Utilities Commission? Utility regulation needs to keep pace with technological advances and Rhode Islanders’ expectations for a clean, affordable, resilient and reliable energy system. I look forward to being part of an effort to advance a modern energy system that empowers all of us to control our energy use and costs, enables consumer-friendly technologies to flourish, establishes fair and nonburdensome rates and ensures that everyone – especially the most vulnerable – are treated fairly.
2. What about your professional background makes you qualified? Since joining Acadia Center in 2007, I have advanced Rhode Island’s energy- efficiency policies and grid modernization to achieve a sustainable and consumer-friendly energy system. I was appointed by Govs. [Donald L.] Carcieri and [Lincoln D.] Chafee to the state’s Energy Efficiency and Resource Management Council, where I demonstrated a commitment to collaboration and practical problem-solving. I am a Rhode Island native and earned my Ph.D. in environmental and natural resource economics from the University of Rhode Island.
3. How will your background advocating for “clean” energy play into your decision-making at the PUC? The experience of Rhode Island and our New England neighbors shows that we have the capacity to build a low-carbon energy system that empowers consumers and advances economic growth. I will come to the PUC with the perspective that advancing clean-energy technologies improves public health, lowers energy costs, keeps energy dollars at home, boosts the local economy and reduces air and climate pollution.
4. Do you have any specific goals or initiatives you’d like to accomplish? I want to contribute to advancing a clean and competitive economy for Rhode Island. I will join in the commission’s current initiatives to develop a more-dynamic regulatory framework for our energy system that honors technological innovation.
5. What most challenges the PUC right now? One challenge is that the PUC is a hard forum for most people to engage. The judicial nature of the PUC means that its deliberations are formal, legal and technical. At the same time, the PUC is one of the few opportunities for people to have a say in important decisions about our energy future.