New York PSC
Rory Christian is Chair of the New York Public Service Commission and CEO of the New York Department of Public Service.
The swell of public interest in energy and environmental matters has surged into the forefront of our nation's consciousness. Record-breaking weather, coupled with increasingly frequent extreme climate events, has ignited a desire within the public for a change from the status quo.
Coupled with that desire for change, is a need to be heard and to shape the actions that follow.
Public Service Commissions and Boards of Public Utilities, vested with the power to drive change, can embrace this burgeoning interest, and align actions and policies to expedite desired outcomes. We must explore innovative avenues that facilitate engagement, embracing equity and inclusivity, as we educate, inform, and empower public engagement in our vital work.
The public, accompanied by a myriad of new stakeholders, are engaging public utility commissions and boards at unprecedented levels. The shift from in-person to remote meetings compelled by the constraints of the pandemic, has widened the spectrum of participation.
The evidence is overwhelming: What was once a mere trickle of public comments in significant rate cases has transformed into a torrent. A decade ago, a major rate case in New York garnered no more than six hundred public comments, whereas recent proceedings have received several thousand.