On September 30, 2021, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul announced the designation of Rory M. Christian as Chair of the Public Service Commission and chief executive officer of the Department of Public Service, the staff arm of the Commission.*
Mr. Christian began his career in the energy industry with KeySpanEnergy where he first served as a civil engineer before transitioning to a role engaging government agencies operating in Long Island and New York City. In that role, he was responsible for coordinating activities between KeySpanand government organizations, negotiating contracts, developing contingency plans and streamlining operations to satisfy both organizations' operational needs.
While serving at Exelon Energy, Mr. Christian developed new products targeting public sector clientele and helped facilitate the creation of multiple partnerships and alliances. Mr. Christian also previously served as the Director of Energy Finance and Sustainability for the New York City Housing Authority. More recently, he was the Director of New York Clean Energy at Environmental Defense Fund where he provided strategy management, programming, business development and stakeholder collaboration for the Clean Energy program in NY.
Mr. Christian graduated from the City College of New York's, Grove School of Engineering with a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering and an MBA from the Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business.
* Nonpartisan by law since 1970, the six member Public Service Commission regulates New York State's electric, gas, steam, telecommunications, and water utilities and oversees the cable TV industry. The Commission also exercises jurisdiction over the siting of major gas and electric transmission facilities and has responsibility for ensuring the safety of natural gas and liquid petroleum pipelines. Members of the Commission are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate for a term of six years or to complete an unexpired term of a former Commissioner.