Greene County resident joins Public Utility Commission

A Greene County sheep farmer who was also EQT’s corporate director of energy and environmental policy was confirmed Wednesday by the state Senate to the state’s Public Utility Commission.
Andrew Place, 54, received unanimous confirmation with a 48-0 vote and was to be sworn in today in a small ceremony in Harrisburg as he takes his place on the state regulatory agency’s five-person board.
Place owns a 210-acre sheep farm in Washington Township between Ruff Creek and Sycamore, and also has a residence in Pittsburgh, where he worked for EQT before resigning from his position following the confirmation vote.
“I’d like to take some time to get my feet wet,” Place told the Observer-Reporter. “With my background (understanding) that this is an energy hub, those issues will often be in my mind.”
Even though the PUC focuses on many utility issues that affect customers, Place noted the commission also reviews other aspects such as telecommunication upgrades and railroad safety.
“It’s that broad policy spectrum that did interest me,” Place said. “It’s hard to say no to such a broad agency that has such importance in the commonwealth.”
Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf nominated Place for the position in May. He replaces Jim Cawley, who had two stints with the PUC, the first from 1979 until 1985 and the most recent from 2005 until leaving his commission seat in March.
Place’s background in the oil and gas industry, along with spending nearly two years from 2009 to 2011 as a deputy secretary for the state Department of Environmental Protection, made him a logical choice for the job with a “wealth of insight,” PUC Chairwoman Gladys Brown said.
In addition to his position at EQT, Place also served briefly as interim director of the Center for Sustainable Shale Development, a coalition of energy companies, environmental organizations and philanthropic foundations, which launched in 2013. The center was designed to establish and monitor voluntary performance standards to certify oil and gas production companies working in the Marcellus and Utica shale plays.
He also is a research fellow at Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Engineering and Public Policy
Place alluded to his work history and Greene County farm during prepared remarks following the vote.
“This work, a collaborative among industry, environmental organizations and the foundation community, established a set of leading-edge practices, not regulation, to address and mitigate potential risks of unconventional natural gas development in Appalachia. This balanced, consensus-driven approach is of substantive value both to the corporation’s operations – our social license to operate – as well as to the communities in which we operate,” he said.
“My policy work notwithstanding, I am deeply committed to my family’s farm in Greene County. Living in Greene assures I am grounded not only in the extraordinary beauty and legacies of the commonwealth, but also by the challenges and opportunities with which its citizens contend,” he said.
Brown said Place’s background will bring a balance the PUC is striving for between consumer rights and utility companies.
“He brings a wealth of insight to the commission, especially related to Pennsylvania’s growing role as an energy hub, and my colleagues and I look forward to working with Andrew to address these important issues,” she said.
State Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Jefferson, also praised Place’s selection to the commission.
“As a fellow farmer in Greene County, Andrew has experience dealing with energy and environmental matters on a personal level,” Snyder said. “He is the right person for the job at precisely the right time.”
The PUC oversees rates changes by utility companies, regulates the market, monitors service reliability and offers resources to consumers to help them make informed choices. A commissioner’s term on the board lasts five years.