Thanos receives NARUC’s 2017 Barnich Award for International Work
The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) bestowed its 2017 Barnich Award for International Work upon Andreas Thanos of the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) on Monday.
The award recognizes state commissioners and staffers who advance international cooperation among utility regulators and advance professional and effective regulations. Thanos, a Massachusetts DPU staffer since 1993, has worked on projects advancing effective gas policy and regulations in Europe, Latin America and elsewhere around the world.
“Andreas Thanos has played a vital role in NARUC’s international efforts, mentoring and collaborating with regulators across the globe,” Greg White, the executive director of NARUC, said. “His service to this cause has made him a role model for his colleagues and a thought leader on emerging issues like cybersecurity.”
Thanos worked to enhance communications between regulators, consumers and governing bodies in Kosovo and to help gas utilities forecast customer demand and secure sufficient supply. Additionally, Thanos helped stakeholders in Mexico City address cybersecurity challenges, and he helped stakeholders in Hungary comply with European Union directives on gas markets.
Currently, Thanos is advising the World Gas Conference 2018 “Fueling the Future.” He also serves as chair of the NARUC Staff Subcommittee on Gas and as a member of the Advisory Council to the North American Energy Standards Board.
The Terry Barnich Award is named in honor of Terrence Barnich, a former chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission who was killed in Iraq in 2009 while serving as the deputy director of the State Department office tasked with oversight of reconstruction efforts.
