Directory of DPS Offices

Bipartisan by law since 1970, the Commission consists of up to seven members, each 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. The Chair is designated by the Governor. The Commission is assisted by the Department of Public Service. The Commission Chair is the chief executive officer of the Department.

The primary mission of the New York State Department of Public Service is to ensure affordable, safe, secure, and reliable access to electric, gas, steam, telecommunications, and water services for New York State’s residential and business consumers, while protecting the natural environment. The Department also seeks to stimulate effective competitive markets that benefit New York consumers through strategic investments, as well as product and service innovations.
 

Chair and CEO

Rory M. Christian

Phone: 518-474-2523
Read more about Rory

Executive Deputy

Thomas Congdon
Phone: 518-474-2523

Chief of Staff, Director of Policy Implementation

Jessica Waldorf
Phone: 518-474-4520

Secretary to the Commission

Michelle L. Phillips, Secretary to the Commission
Phone: 518-474-4520
Email: [email protected]

The Secretary provides support to the Commission and is responsible for maintaining the records of the proceedings within the Department of Public Service. The Secretary provides for the coordination of the components of Commission proceedings that include, among others, issuing Notices in order to ensure that all interested persons have a fair opportunity to be heard. The Secretary also ensures utility and staff compliance with Commission orders. The Secretary serves as a Secretary for the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment.

Public Affairs

James Denn, Director
Phone: 518-474-7080
Email: [email protected]

Public Affairs serves as an advocate for the Commission's and Department's utility regulatory policies, programs and initiatives. It conducts an integrated internal and external communications program. The office strives to establish a framework to foster communication with the public and other constituencies through coordination of several different agency activities. Further, it ensures that such efforts accurately represent the Commission's decisions and the Department's advocacy on behalf of consumers.

General Counsel

Robert Rosenthal, General Counsel
Phone: 518-474-2510

The Office of General Counsel provides legal representation and advice to the Department of Public Service, the Public Service Commission and the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment. The Office of General Counsel also represents and appears on behalf of the people of the state in all actions or proceedings involving any question related to the Public Service Law or within the jurisdiction of the Commission in court and before federal agencies, and prepares proposed regulations and legislation.

Enterprise Risk Management

David Bell, Director
Phone: 518-408-0748

The Office of Enterprise Risk Management is responsible for identifying particular events or circumstances (risk and opportunities) relevant to the Department’s objectives, assessing them in terms of likelihood and magnitude of impact, determining a response strategy, and monitoring progress. By identifying and proactively addressing risks and opportunities, the Department is better positioned to protect and create value for its stakeholders. Internal auditing plays an important role in Enterprise Risk Management as it brings a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluating and improving the effectiveness of the Department's risk management, control, and governance processes.

Jeff Hogan, Director
Phone: 518-474-4508

Accounting, Audits and Finance performs financial audits and examinations relative to utility rate changes, mergers/acquisitions, fuel clause operations, prudence reviews, and state and federal tax changes. The Office also reviews petitions seeking specialized accounting treatment and approvals to issue financial securities. The Office participates on interdisciplinary teams in all utility industries to assist in ensuring that regulatory actions at Federal, State and local levels align with market conditions. In addition, the Office conducts management and operations audits of utility construction programs, planning and operational efficiencies.

Donald Duvall, Director
Phone: 518-474-2508

The Office of Administration is comprised of three sections which provide administrative support to and operational management of the Department.

The Human Resources Management section oversees all programs and policies relating to employment of Department personnel. Responsibilities include staff development and performance, employee relations, classification and compensation, and affirmative action.

The Administrative Management section provides organizational and administrative services to support internal management and Commission operations. This includes implementation of administrative policies; records, contract, and telecommunications management; and space planning, printing, mail, and other office services.

The Finance and Budget section oversees and ensures compliance with all Department fiscal policies and procedures. Key activities include developing and monitoring budget and spending plans; administering payroll, employee travel, contractor and vendor payments; revenue collections; and coordinating the Department's Internal Control Program in concert with the Internal Control Officer.

The Office of Administration also works closely with the New York State Office of Information Technology Services (OITS) to develop and support the Department's hardware and software network. Key functions include systems security, planning, development and maintenance; user training and technological support; Geographic Information Systems (GIS) services; and application development and maintenance.

Richard Berkley, Consumer Advocate and Director
Phone: 518-486-1895

The Office of Consumer Services represents the voice of the consumer for all activities overseen by the Commission. This position ensures that regulated energy, telecommunications and water utilities, as well as third-party energy providers, comply with relevant regulations and adhere to best practices in regards to the services provided to mass market consumers, with a particular focus on low income and special needs consumers. The Office of Consumer Services takes and resolves consumer complaints and utilizes consumer input to develop consumer policy.

The Office of Consumer Services develops and implements policies and tools to facilitate consumer engagement in energy usage and purchase decisions. It also is responsible for retail access and ESCO matters with the exception of compliance, including policy issues and market development.

Tammy Mitchell, Director
Phone: 518-486-2483

The Office of Energy System Planning and Performance provides engineering and environmental analysis and support to the New York State Department of Public Service and Public Service Commission. The Office’s primary function is ensuring safe and reliable design, construction and operation of the State’s electric, natural gas, and steam infrastructure in a manner that protects New York State’s natural resources.

Dakin Lecakes, Chief Administrative Law Judge Phone: 518-486-5802

The Office of Hearings consists of support staff and Administrative Law Judges, who are assigned to all proceedings in which hearings are held and to other cases where the assistance of a judge would be beneficial. Judges oversee development of the official case record, analyze arguments and evidence offered by parties, offer advice and recommendations about how issues should be resolved by the Commission or N.Y.S. Siting Board, and draft Commission and Siting Board decisions. Judges may also be separately assigned to serve as mediators to assist parties in settlement negotiations.

Carrie Gallagher, Director
Phone: 516-490-2345

The Long Island Office oversees the Department's operations on Long Island. The Long Island office is charged with examining the core utility operations of PSEG Long Island, and advising the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) with its role in overseeing the activities of PSEG Long Island.

Marco Padula, Director
Phone: 518-473-1714

The Office of Markets and Innovation consists of three sections: Efficiency and Innovation, Clean Energy and Markets, and the Office of Regulatory Economics. OMI supports, tracks and coordinates numerous proceedings, policy initiatives and associated work streams related to wholesale and retail electricity markets, Clean Energy initiatives, and the implementation of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). This often includes planning and leading new DPS cross-functional teams and stakeholder engagement.

Efficiency and Innovation

Peggie Neville, Deputy Director
Phone: 518-473-1714

Efficiency and Innovation is responsible for overseeing activities related to New Efficiency: New York (NENY) and the Clean Energy Fund’s (CEF) Market Development, Innovation & Research and New York Green Bank Portfolios. The initiatives under NENY and CEF are anticipated to deliver over 75% of the State’s 185 TBtu of energy efficiency savings and building electrification goals through 2025 as memorialized in the CLCPA.

This section regularly engages with the major electric and gas utilities and NYSERDA on the implementation of the energy efficiency and building electrification programs, including advising on the Low-to Moderate-Income (LMI), Heat Pump Joint Management, and the Technical Resource Manual Committees. Efficiency and Innovation also oversees Evaluation, Measurement & Verification (EM&V) activities across all clean energy activities and is responsible for representing OMI interests in utility rate proceedings, for example developing and monitoring Earnings Adjustment Mechanisms (EAMs).

Efficiency and Innovation leads the Strategic Use of Energy Related Data Proceeding and associated data access policy development along with various data related initiatives and pilots to identify and enable the use of data to further support the State’s clean energy objectives. The section is also responsible for the Department’s oversight and development of Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) programs across the state.

Clean Energy and Markets

Deputy Director
 

Clean Energy and Markets is responsible for all areas pertaining to grid connected large-scale and distributed energy resources to achieve the CLCPA renewable energy goals. This is achieved through development and oversight of the New York Clean Energy Standard (CES); utility Non-Wire Alternative (NWA) procurements and projects; REV Demonstration projects; advanced rate design tariffs; and advancement of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) and Community Distributed Generation (CDG) via net metering and the Value of Distributed Energy Resources (VDER) initiative. This team is also responsible for the development and monitoring of New York’s energy storage deployment goals and policies, utility Dynamic Load Management (DLM) programs, and peak load reduction programs and associated EAMs.

The Wholesale Markets team is responsible for coordinating all DPS interactions on New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) related matters. Coordination activities between DPS and NYISO, include attending and participating in NYISO working group and committee meetings; representing DPS before the NYISO Board; serving as a liaison between NYISO Staff and stakeholders to share the perspective and position of DPS; and providing technical support in the development of written comments, and other submissions to the NYISO.

This section also coordinates DPS representation and other interaction with FERC, including NYPSC appearances at FERC regarding wholesale electric issues, interstate pipelines, and coordination between gas and electric resources; by assisting in authorship and providing technical support for all written submissions to FERC; providing expert testimony at FERC and in Court as needed; coordinating actions and responses regarding NYISO/FERC matters with outside entities, including state and federal agencies, authorities, municipalities, utilities, generation owners, and industry organizations; and maintaining a multi-directional information channel between Executive Staff and DPS Staff. This section also leads the department’s Transportation Electrification team, which includes staff from multiple DPS offices. The Transportation Electrification team is responsible for the development and oversight of the utility programs supporting vehicle electrification.

Regulatory Economics

Joel Andruski, Deputy Director
Phone: 518-474-1522

The Regulatory Economics unit is responsible for retail and wholesale market analytics, including general regulatory economic policy; retail rate design; economic forecasts and statistics; competitive market analyses; benefit cost analyses; wholesale and retail market design and rules; environmental economics; and the analysis of regulatory incentives.

Michael Rieder, Director
Phone: 518-486-2436

The Office of Rates and Tariffs develops and implements policies and practices needed to ensure electric, gas, steam, and water utilities’ rates and charges are just and reasonable. The Upstate and Downstate Rates and Tariffs sections are responsible for analyzing and recommending resolutions to issues related to the rates and charges, and to the rules and requirements contained in utility tariffs, for six major electric utilities, nine major gas utilities, two major water utilities, one major steam utility, approximately 40 small municipal electric utilities, eight small gas utilities, and over 230 small water utilities. ORT actively participates in policy proceedings with a focus on program implementation issues and rate payer impacts, develops initiatives/programs and/or provides analysis of such to enable achievement of clean energy goals, and evaluates consumer initiatives to determine reasonableness of funding levels and rate payer impacts, and implements tariffs and/or programs associated with legislative modifications.

ORT actively participates in all rate cases submittals by electric, gas, steam, and water utilities.  For rate cases, ORT staff is responsible for analyzing depreciation mortality studies and net salvage studies; preparing net plant models; evaluating certain capital expenditures, operations and maintenance expenses, depreciation expense, and other utility revenues; assisting in the determination of the reasonableness of utility revenue requirement requests; analyzing cost of service studies and determining the appropriate allocation of costs among customer classes; and designing rates. ORT staff is also responsible for analyzing and processing tariff filings and utility petitions; evaluating the sale and lease of electric, gas, steam, and water utilities’ assets and the transfer of ownership of these utilities; reviewing customer and usage forecasts and developing corresponding revenue forecasts for the non-major utilities and all water utilities; and developing and implementing new rate structures and recovery mechanisms.

In addition, ORT is responsible for reviewing and reporting on electric utilities’ commodity hedging practices; assisting other Department staff in complex consumer complaints; evaluating the emergency plans for the two major water utilities and serving as a point of contact when regulated water utilities experience significant outages; and investigating water utility service quality issues and customer complaints. ORT evaluates water company consolidations and implementation of new water company tariffs; establishes and monitors small water company escrow accounts; and maintains a database, WMAST, for approximately 230 small water companies.

ORT’s tariff function consists of assisting staff and customers as questions arise related to utility tariffs; coordinating tariff filings with other staff and Department offices; and preparing, SAPA and other notices along with memoranda to the Commission that clearly explain and recommend changes to tariffs; maintaining the operation and procedures necessary for filing tariff revisions with the Department through the Electronic Tariff System (ETS) and the Document Management System (DMM); advising utilities on how to make filings in ETS, setting up submission rights to make their filings, and reviewing, accepting, and rejecting utility tariff filings; working closely with IT ETS Staff on all ETS matters to ensure its continued functionality; assisting small companies in the submission of their filings; being familiar with electric, gas, steam and water tariffs and the rules and laws under which tariffs operate and are revised; and tracking Commission orders to assure that these orders properly direct utilities on further tariff filings.

Zeryai Hagos, Executive Director
Phone: 518-474-2350

Consistent with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), the mission of the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission (ORES) is to consolidate the environmental review and permitting of major renewable energy facilities in New York State into a single forum that provides a coordinated and timely review of siting permit applications.

This process is designed to help meet the State’s renewable energy objectives while ensuring the protection of the environment with consideration of all pertinent social, economic and environmental factors (including environmental justice) while providing opportunity for local government and community participation in the permitting process.

Bridget Frymire, Acting Director
Phone: 518-473-2896

The Office of Resilience and Emergency Preparedness oversees regulated utility emergency preparedness and response. The Emergency Preparedness section is responsible for maintaining and updating DPS Emergency Management Operations Protocols, Emergency Plan and Continuity of Operations Plan, including the coordination of department emergency preparedness, training, exercising and response. The Resilience Section oversees and provides input into utility targeted hardening initiatives, vegetation management specifications and special programs, utility long term planning review and guidance and assists with the development and tracking of reliability indices. The Utility Security Section oversees utility cyber and physical security preparedness.

Debra LaBelle, Director
Phone: 518-474-1668

The Office of Telecommunications is responsible for overseeing the performance of the telecommunication and cable television companies under Commission jurisdiction. The Office is divided into three sections as follows:

Carrier Operations section assures that the prices, terms, and conditions of services to consumers are reasonable and adhere to Commission policies. The section is responsible for issues that arise between competing telephone companies (e.g., the review and arbitration of interconnection agreements) and matters involving multiple carriers including telephone numbering;

Municipal Assistance group, within the Carrier Operations section, provides assistance to cities, towns and villages -- as well as cable television operators -- on cable television issues. This includes assistance with cable franchises, the approval of franchises, and franchise transfers, Public, Educational and Government (PEG) access issues and the resolution of disputes between municipal authorities and cable television operators; and the

Network Reliability section evaluates telecommunications systems to ensure compliance with technical and safety standards and provides real-time reporting of outages affecting telecommunications networks in support of the state's overall emergency response effort and monitors the restoration of networks following emergencies and natural disasters.