Fornstrom tapped to serve on NARUC Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety

Wyoming Public Service Commission (PSC) Deputy Chair Kara Brighton Fornstrom was appointed on Thursday to serve as vice chair of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety.

The Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety represents the interests of state regulators that work to ensure the safety and reliability of 84 percent of the nation’s natural gas pipelines. Fornstrom joins Michigan PSC Commissioner Norm Saari, who chairs the subcommittee.

Prior to her appointment to the Wyoming PSC in March 2013, Fornstrom served in the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office Water Division and was a founding partner of Hageman & Brighton, where she represented the interests of immigration districts, agricultural interests, and municipalities in water issues. She also serves on the NARUC Board of Directors and was a member of NARUC’s delegation to China as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DoE) Regulatory, Policy & Technology Mission.

“Commissioner Fornstrom has an extensive portfolio of energy and utility experience and she has served NARUC well in many capacities,” NARUC President John Betkoski III said. “Her active participation as a member of the NARUC-DOE Natural Gas Infrastructure Modernization Partnership will, no doubt, be invaluable as she assumes her new leadership position on the Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety.”

Fornstrom said she was “grateful” for the opportunity to serve in an expanded role on the Pipeline Safety Subcommittee.

“I believe ensuring safety is one of the most important functions of state commissions,” Fornstrom said. “I look forward to working with members of the subcommittee, NARUC, (National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives), (Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration) and other stakeholders to assure the public safety of our country’s expanding pipeline infrastructure.”