Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper named two new commissioners to the Department of Public Utilities on Wednesday, the first step in what Gov. Maura Healey has promised will be a “transformation” of the department.
The new appointees are Jamie Van Nostrand and Staci Rubin. Cecile Fraser, appointed by previous Secretary Kathleen Theoharides under Gov. Charlie Baker, will stay on as a commissioner as well.
Unlike utility regulatory commissions in other states, appointments to the Massachusetts DPU are not subject to confirmation by the state’s legislature, and they are formally made by the EEA secretary, not the governor.
Fraser has served as the department’s acting chair since January, working alongside current Commissioner Robert Hayden, who will step down on April 8 after having served for eight years. Fraser will continue in that role until Van Nostrand, whom Tepper named chair, joins May 1.
Van Nostrand is a professor at the West Virginia University College of Law and has worked in the energy industry for more than 30 years. He was previously executive director of the Pace Energy and Climate Center in New York and an energy lawyer at two major law firms.
Rubin is vice president of environmental justice at the Conservation Law Foundation and a previous DPU official: She was a senior counsel and hearing officer from 2015 to 2018. She will join the department again as a commissioner April 10.
“We know how critical it is that the DPU leadership understands that the transition to a clean energy economy is a pocketbook issue and will be thoughtful in how we evolve our grid and economy for the future,” Healey said in a statement. “I have full faith in Jamie Van Nostrand, Staci Rubin and Cecile Fraser to uphold those values.”
During her campaign for governor, Healey promised to increase funding for the DPU, as well as to direct it to create new offices for public participation and grid modernization.
In a press release, she said that the new commissioners will work toward making the department a partner in achieving climate goals and better at engaging with communities, in addition to integrating equity into its decision-making and building agency expertise.
Rubin in particular has experience pushing the DPU to be a better ally to the state government in fighting the climate crisis.
“For many years, I’ve advocated for a more inclusive, transparent DPU that considers climate justice, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring that vision to life,” she said in a statement. “Together, we will work to ensure that environmental justice populations have seats at the table in shaping our clean energy future.”