Record Attendance at NARUC Summer Committee Meetings; Three Resolutions Passed

For Immediate Release: July 16, 2015
Contact: Regina L. Davis, 202-898-9382, rdavis@naruc.org

WASHINGTON—The National Association of Regulatory Commissioners (NARUC) opened its committee meetings in New York July 12-15 to record attendance for summer meetings, with more than 1,200 registrants. Speakers presented on timely and sometimes controversial issues facing regulators, such as Lifeline reform, the Clean Power Plan, pipeline safety and financing modern utility programs.

NARUC President Lisa Edgar opened Monday's general session to a packed audience of state utility regulators and members of stakeholder communities, highlighting some of the most relevant issues before the Association, including the Clean Power Plan and proposed amendments to pipeline safety regulations. Edgar also announced the creation of a telecommunications task force.

Along with a panel on how to finance energy technologies of the future, keynote speakers included Richard Kauffman, chairman of energy and finance for New York, Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo; former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani; and Thomas Fanning, CEO of the Southern Company. Many sessions were held before standing-room-only audiences, such as the spirited debate between Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Michael O'Rielly of the Federal Communications Commission, discussing the matter of reforming the Lifeline program.

On the final day, the following resolutions were adopted by the Board of Directors:

CI-1 & TC-1 Resolution on Risk Management and Best Practices for Cybersecurity for Communications Providers: CSRIC IV Recommendations
Commends the broad participation and excellent work of officials of the communications service providers in the CSRIC Working Group 4 activities and its Final Report adopted in March 2015.

TC-2 Resolution Calling for Congressional Action on the Open Internet
Encourages Congress to pass legislation upholding the open Internet as outlined in NARUC resolutions.

TC-3 Resolution on ETC Designations for Lifeline Broadband Service
Urges the Federal Communications Commission to refrain from disrupting the existing Federal-State partnership in the provision of Lifeline Services by preempting the authority of States to designate Eligible Telecommunications Carriers for the provision of advanced telecommunications services.

The complete resolutions are available in the Resource Library. For committee presentations, see the Resource Library.

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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.

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