NARUC appoints new members to DOE Natural Gas Infrastructure Modernization Partnership
The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) recently appointed new members to its Natural Gas Infrastructure Modernization Partnership (NGIMP) within the Department of Energy (DOE).
The partnership, established in 2016, aims to support information sharing on emerging technologies and investments in natural gas infrastructure modernization as well as store information on available pipeline replacement and expansion mechanisms for distribution networks.
NGIMP brings together state regulators, federal agencies and other natural gas stakeholders to discuss new technologies and practices for enhancing pipeline safety, efficiency and deliverability as well as natural gas pipeline leak detection and measurement tools.
”The work being undertaken by this partnership is of critical importance for our states,” NARUC President John Betkoski III said. “We are actively engaged in ensuring that our regulators are capturing the information they need and that NARUC produces research papers focused on leak detection technologies and current state policies in place to incentivize replacement of our aging gas infrastructure.”
NARUC appointed the following commissioners to the partnership: Jay Balasbas, Washington; Gladys Brown, Pennsylvania; Julie Brown, Florida; Maida Coleman, Missouri; D. Ethan Kimbrel, Illinois; Thad LeVar, Utah; Angela O’Connor, Massachusetts; Kim O’Guinn, Arkansas; Brandon Presley, Mississippi; Tricia Pridemore, Georgia; Norman J. Saari, Michigan; Katie Sieben, Minnesota; Dianne Solomon, New Jersey; and Nick Wagner, Iowa.
Existing members who will continue contributing to NGIMP include Committee on Gas Co-Vice Chair Julie Fedorchak, North Dakota; Kara Brighton Fornstrom, Wyoming; and Swain Whitfield, South Carolina. Commissioner Diane X. Burman of the New York State Public Service Commission chairs NGIMP as well as the NARUC Committee on Gas.
