Contact: Regina Davis, 202-898-9382, rdavis@naruc.org

WASHINGTON (June 7, 2021) — Commissioner Tricia Pridemore of the Georgia Public Service Commission was appointed as Vice Chair of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety.

State regulators oversee the safety and reliability of 84 percent of natural gas pipelines in the U.S. The subcommittee, which is part of the Committee on Gas and chaired by Commissioner Jay Balasbas (Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission), represents the interests of state regulators before federal agencies such as the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

Pridemore, who joined the Georgia PSC in 2018, also serves on NARUC’s Gas Committee, the Subcommittee on Education and Research and is NARUC’s liaison to the University of Wisconsin School of Public Utilities. In 2020, Pridemore was appointed to the U.S. Department of Energy and NARUC Natural Gas Partnership, a partnership designed to facilitate the exchange of information on emerging regulatory and technological solutions. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Kennesaw State University.

“It is vitally important that states have input on federal pipeline safety measures to ensure this critical infrastructure — that keeps cheap and abundant natural gas flowing — is maintained to the most stringent safety standards possible without hindering accessibility,” said Pridemore.

“Commissioner Pridemore’s focused knowledge in this space and extensive background on our Gas Committee will help us move toward greater safety and reliability of critical infrastructure such as natural gas pipelines,” said NARUC President Paul Kjellander.

NARUC’s eight standing committees propose resolutions that, if approved by the Board of Directors, set Association policy on congressional, federal and industry matters. The committees, populated by state public service commissioners, also hold educational sessions and panel discussions on relevant issues to best serve NARUC members. Committee chairs are appointed by the NARUC president for a one-year term and may be reappointed for a maximum of three consecutive terms. 

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About NARUC

NARUC is a non-profit organization founded in 1889 whose members include the governmental agencies that are engaged in the regulation of utilities and carriers in the fifty States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. NARUC's member agencies regulate telecommunications, energy, and water utilities. NARUC represents the interests of State public utility commissions before the three branches of the Federal government.