Michigan commissioner appointed to chair NARUC pipeline safety subcommittee

National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) President Robert F. Powelson appointed Michigan Public Service Commissioner Norman Saari as chair of the NARUC Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety.

“I am grateful for this opportunity to join such an illustrious team at NARUC and state commissions to work on pipeline safety issues,” Saari said. “I look forward to serving.”

Saari replaces Illinois Commissioner Sherina Maye Edwards as chair of the subcommittee.

Gov. Rick Snyder appointed Saari to the Michigan Public Service Commission for a term beginning on August 2, 2015. Snyder appointed him to a new term on March 17, 2017, which will end July 2, 2019.

In addition to the Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety, Saari also serves on NARUC’s Committee on Natural Gas, Subcommittee on Nuclear Issues-Waste Disposal, Committee on Infrastructure and the Washington Action Program. He also serves as the board secretary of the Mid-America Regulatory Conference and serves on the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s Liquid Pipeline Advisory Committee. Saari earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Michigan State University and served as a public information officer in the Michigan National Guard.

“Commissioner Saari brings ample experience and leadership to his role on this committee,” Powelson said. “Pipeline safety is a chief concern of state regulators and he will continue our efforts to ensure the safety of the 2.1 million miles of natural gas pipelines under state authority.”