The Pennsylvania Senate unanimously confirmed a former EQT Corp. executive today as the state’s newest public utility commissioner.
Andrew Place, formerly EQT’s corporate director for energy and environmental policy, was nominated for the five-member Public Utility Commission by Gov. Tom Wolf in May to replace James Cawley, whose term expired at the end of March.
He was confirmed by the Senate with a vote of 48-0.
Mr. Place had worked at Downtown-based EQT since 2011. For a time, he held a concurrent role as interim executive director at the Center for Sustainable Shale Development, a Pittsburgh-based partnership between oil and gas companies, foundations and environmental groups that sets performance standards for the industry that aim to surpass existing rules.
Before joining EQT, Mr. Place worked at the state Department of Environmental Protection and served as a research fellow at Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Engineering and Public Policy. He also owns and operates a 210-acre farm in Greene County, where he lives.
Mr. Place was confirmed by the full Senate shortly after the chamber’s consumer protection committee unanimously recommended his appointment this morning.
During his confirmation hearing, Mr. Place identified some of the “many challenges and opportunities” that require the PUC’s attention, among them the development of diverse energy sources, rail safety, bolstering competitive markets, enhancing utility infrastructure and ensuring electric reliability and affordability as the state complies with federal carbon-cutting rules.
He is scheduled to be sworn in tomorrow in Harrisburg following the PUC’s regular public meeting.
Laura Legere: llegere@post-gazette.com
First Published: September 30, 2015, 6:39 p.m.