PUC Chairman Stephen M. DeFrank Appointed Chair Of National Assn. Of Regulatory Utility Commissioners Committee On Natural Gas

On December 20, the Public Utility Commission announced Chairman Stephen M. DeFrank has been appointed Chair of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Committee on Gas. 

This appointment by NARUC President Tricia Pridemore highlights Chairman DeFrank’s leadership and experience in utility regulation and underscores Pennsylvania’s continued role in shaping national utility policies.

The Committee on Gas plays a vital role in fostering awareness and understanding of critical issues impacting the transportation, distribution, and sale of natural gas across the country. 

Through panel discussions and educational sessions, the committee works to ensure natural gas services are delivered safely, efficiently, and economically. 

Committee members collaborate closely with federal partners, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“Chairman DeFrank’s experience and dedication to public service make him exceptionally qualified to lead NARUC’s Committee on Gas,” said NARUC President Tricia Pridemore. “His understanding of critical energy and infrastructure issues will be invaluable as we continue to address the evolving challenges and opportunities in the natural gas sector, and I look forward to working closely with him in this role.”

A Comprehensive Vision for Natural Gas Regulation

As Chair, Chairman DeFrank is committed to ensuring that the Committee on Gas explores every facet of the natural gas industry – from upstream production and midstream transportation to local distribution systems.

“Natural gas is an essential component of the national energy picture,” Chairman DeFrank noted. “By addressing challenges and opportunities across the entire supply chain, we can better support energy reliability, pipeline infrastructure, and economic growth so consumers benefit from safe, affordable, and reliable natural gas services.”

In addition to his new role leading NARUC’s Committee on Gas, Chairman DeFrank serves in several other prominent national leadership positions--

-- Appointed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to the Federal-State Joint Board on Jurisdictional Separations, which oversees the apportioning of regulated costs between interstate and intrastate jurisdictions.

-- Member of NARUC’s Advanced Nuclear State Collaborative and Electric Vehicles State Working Group, helping to advance critical energy initiatives.

-- Board member of the Organization of PJM States (OPSI), providing regulatory oversight and policy coordination for the PJM Interconnection, the nation’s largest power grid.

Chairman DeFrank brings decades of experience to his role. 

Prior to leading the PUC, Chairman DeFrank spent 24 years in Pennsylvania state government, including leadership roles in the state Senate where he was instrumental in modernizing the Public Utility Code and advancing policies in energy, water, wastewater, and telecommunications. 

Since his appointment as PUC Chairman in 2023, Chairman DeFrank has prioritized reliability, affordability, and safety in Pennsylvania’s utility sectors.

NARUC’s committee chairs are appointed for one-year terms and may be reappointed for up to three consecutive terms.

Click Here for the announcement.

Resource Links:

-- PUC Urges Natural Gas Customers To Explore Ways To Reduce Heating Costs; All But One Major Gas Utility Has Increased Cost Of Gas In PA  [PaEN] 

-- PUC: Natural Gas Distribution Companies Prepare For Winter - Gas Consumption Expected To Decrease 1.8%, Cost For Residential Customers To Increase 1%  [PaEN] 

-- PUC Celebrates Record-Breaking Year Of Service And Accomplishments In 2024

-- PUC Invites Stakeholder Comments On The Issue Of The Adequacy Of Electricity Supplies In Pennsylvania  [PaEN]

-- PUC Encourages Consumers To Prepare For Dec. 1 Electricity Price Changes; Rates Will Vary From 8.4% Decrease To 31.2% Increase  [PaEN]

-- PJM CEO Expresses Concern About Electric Generating Capacity: Higher Prices Have Incentivized Some Generators, But Building Gas Generators Has Slowed, Permitting, Supply Chain Issues Hamper Renewables  [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Dec. 14 to 20 -- Shale Gas Wells Abandoned For 42 Months; Failure To Cleanup Conventional Well Spill For 19 Months; Gas Pipeline Land Slump  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Apollo Resources, LLC Failed To Comply With Order To Cleanup Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill 19 Months After It Was Discovered In Fayette County  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - December 21 [PaEN]  

-- DEP Posted 63 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In December 21 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]  

Related Articles:

-- Save The Date: Feb. 27 - Shale Gas And Public Health Conference, Duquesne University  [PaEN]  

-- EarthWorks Blog: Common Sense Needed In The Commonwealth - How To Protect Pennsylvanians From The Environmental, Health Impacts Of The Oil & Gas Industry - By Melissa Ostroff & Charlie Palladino, EarthWorks  [PaEN]

-- PUBLIC NOTICE: Proposed Oil & Gas Well Plugging Settlement With Diversified Energy, EQT May Affect Pennsylvania Surface Landowner Rights; Apply To Have A Well Plugged  [PaEN] 

-- DEP To Review Shell Petrochemical Plant Title V Air Quality Permit Under Environmental Justice Policy Enhanced Public Participation Process  [PaEN]

-- DEP: Revised Application, Instructions Available For Coal-Mine Methane Enclosed Flares Air Quality General Permit  [PaEN] 

-- PUC Chairman Stephen M. DeFrank Appointed Chair Of National Assn. Of Regulatory Utility Commissioners Committee On Natural Gas  [PaEN] 

-- North American Electric Reliability Corp: AI Poses Threat To North American Electricity Grid  [PaEN] 

-- US DOE Releases LNG Gas Export Study: Facilities Already Approved Will Meet Global Demand For Decades; Unfettered Exports Would Increase Domestic Natural Gas Prices; Electricity Prices; Costs To Manufacturers  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- TribLive: Additional Hearing Required For Proposed Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well In Plum Borough, Allegheny County That Doesn’t Meet Setbacks

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak, et al: Expanding Natural Gas Exports Will Increase Prices, Pollution, Report Says

-- Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition Calls For Immediate Lift Of LNG Export Facility Permit Review Ban  [EQT, PA Shale Gas Says We Have A ‘Duty’ To Sell More Gas To China Our Economic, Military Competitor]

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Energy & Business Groups Respond To US DOE LNG Gas Export Study  [PDF of Article]

-- Reuters: Demand For US LNG Gas Exports Head For First Decline In 8 Years; Europe Bracing For New Price Shock As Weather Depletes Storage 

-- Bloomberg: Natural Gas Markets Brace For ‘Volatility’ With Expiration Of Gas Transit Deal Between Russia And Ukraine Jan. 1 

-- Bloomberg: Republican Administration Threatens Tariffs If EU Doesn’t Buy More US Oil, Natural Gas 

-- Bloomberg: Oil/Gas Sector Lobbies Republican Administration To Spare It From Tariffs, Regulation 

-- Post-Gazette: PA Lawmakers Talk Of Requiring Natural Gas Detectors In Buildings After Explosion That Killed 7 In Reading 

-- TribLive: Residents Of Mt. Peasant Personal Care Homes Start Returning Hours After Natural Gas Leak In Westmoreland 

-- The Derrick - Makayla Keating: Aqua PA Cites Existing Problems At Rhodes Utilities Water Companies  [PDF of Article]  [Water Companies Related To Venango County Conventional Well Spill Incident]   

-- The Guardian: DOE Warns ‘Unfettered’ Natural Gas Expansion Would Drive Up Domestic Costs

-- Utility Dive: US LNG Gas Exports Raise Electricity Bills, Gas Prices And Emissions, DOE Report Concludes 

-- Financial Times: LNG Gas Export Boost Would Increase Prices, Hurt Climate, US Study Says

-- Reuters: US DOE Releases LNG Gas Export Facility Study Urging Caution On New Permits

-- Bloomberg: Biden’s LNG Gas Export Study Presents ‘Speed Bump’ For New Republican Administration

-- S&P Global: Major New US Industry At A Crossroads - A US LNG Impact Study - Phase I 

-- Reuters: US Keeps LNG Gas Exports Crown Even With Facility Outages, Delays In Projects Under Construction, Slowing Demand

[Posted: December 20, 2024]  PA Environment Digest