NARUC announces new director of its research arm
The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) announced Monday that Carl Pechman would serve as the new director of the National Regulatory Research Institute (NRRI), the research arm of NARUC.
“We are fortunate to have someone of Dr. Pechman’s knowledge and regulatory acumen lead NRRI,” NARUC and NRRI Executive Director Greg White said. “He understands both the theoretical and very practical aspects of utility regulation.”
Pechman succeeds Rajnish Barua, who recently became the executive director of the Delaware Public Service Commission.
Pechman previously served as an economist and supervisory energy industry analyst for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and as a senior electricity advisor to the United States Department of Energy (DOE).
He is a co-author of DOE’s Quadrennial Energy Review and author of Regulating Power: The Economics of Electricity in the Information Age. Pechman has also served as an economic supervisor on the staff of the New York Public Service Commission and as economic adviser to the California State Assembly.
“Dr. Pechman’s record of accomplishment demonstrates that he has a deep understanding of public utilities and the strategic insight required to support NARUC members with relevant research and ideas to meet modern day regulatory challenges,” North Carolina Commissioner and NRRI board chair ToNola D. Brown-Bland said. “NRRI gets the data and provides critical analysis to assist regulators as they grapple with very complex subject areas.”
As director of NRRI, Pechman will lead a team of NRRI researchers in conducting independent research for state regulatory utility commissions. He will also work with NARUC’s department directors as a member of the association’s senior leadership staff.
“I look forward to working with the NRRI team to deliver cutting-edge support to our nation’s public utility commissions,” Pechman said. “Regulated industries are in a time of unparalleled change and I’m excited about expanding NRRI’s capabilities to help the regulatory community meet the demands of this transition.”
NRRI recently moved its offices to Washington, D.C. where it is co-located with NARUC for the first time since its creation to increase collaboration between NARUC and NRRI, improve the alignment of research with NARUC priorities, and enable more focused interactions with NARUC members.
