Press Release

PUC Chairman Gladys Brown Unanimously Confirmed for Second Term

Published on 4/18/2018

Filed under: Electric Gas Water and Wastewater Telecommunications Transportation and Safety

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) thanked members of the state Senate for unanimously confirming the nomination of Chairman Gladys M. Brown to her second five-year term as a PUC Commissioner. The Commission also thanked Gov. Tom Wolf, who nominated Brown to continue her service on the Commission.

Chairman Brown was confirmed on April 17 by a 50-0 vote and will continue to serve as Chairman of the PUC.

“The Commission has many very important issues ahead and I wanted to be a part of the resolution of these issues. They include the Commission’s new responsibilities with the ‘One Call’ program, enforcement of transmission pipeline safety guidelines, regulatory oversight of the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, working to provide access to Broadband in unserved and underserved areas in the Commonwealth and the implementation of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017,” noted Chairman Brown during her March 26 hearing before the Senate Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure Committee.

“In addition, in my role as Chairman, the Commission has put in place a #UtilityCareers campaign, working with our utilities and educational institutions, to provide information on the types of jobs available in the utility sector to ensure that the industry has a sufficient number of skilled workers in place, in anticipation of the retirement of a large number of ‘baby boomers’ in the next five to ten years. As technology continues to evolve, it is important that we have a skilled workforce in place to maintain vital utility services for consumers.”

Chairman Brown will be sworn-in at the PUC’s public meeting on Thursday, April 19^th. Her new term will expire on April 1, 2023.

First nominated to serve as a PUC Commissioner by Gov. Tom Corbett in 2013, Brown was appointed as Chairman of the PUC in 2015 by Gov. Tom Wolf.

Chairman Brown has been steadfast in her commitment to use the same fair and balanced approach in dealing with PUC issues that she used in her more than 22 years as an aide in the Pennsylvania Senate. During that tenure she worked on many of the major utility issues considered by the General Assembly, including deregulation bills for telecommunications, electricity and natural gas; changes for the handling of consumer terminations and reconnections; the establishment of energy efficiency programs; and expanded use of the distribution system improvement charge to accelerate infrastructure improvements.

Prior to joining the Senate, Chairman Brown served as an assistant counsel for the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs in the Pennsylvania Department of State and as a clerk for the late Honorable Paul A. Simmons, Judge for the U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania.

A native of Middletown, Pa., Chairman Brown earned her bachelor’s and juris doctorate degrees from the University of Pittsburgh. She lives in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, where she is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. She also is a member of the Dauphin County Bar Association, the James S. Bowman Inns of Court, the Keystone Bar Association and the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank Board of Directors. She is an active member at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Harrisburg. She is also an active member in Epsilon Sigma Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and the Harrisburg Chapter of AABE (American Association of Blacks in Energy).

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

Visit the PUC’s website at www.puc.pa.gov for recent news releases and video of select proceedings. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Search for the “Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission” or “PA PUC” on your favorite social media channel for updates on utility issues and other helpful consumer information.

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Contact:

• Nils Hagen-Frederiksen
  Press Secretary
  717-418-2701
  nhagen-fre@pa.gov