Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Thursday said he has nominated Katie Dykes, deputy commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, to serve as a commissioner of the state’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority.
Dykes, who has been in her current position since March 2012, would replace Art House, who Malloy appointed earlier this month as the state’s Chief Cyber Security Risk Officer — a newly created position within the Department of Administrative Services.
Dykes graduated from Yale Law School and is the current chair of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a carbon-trading program for Northeastern states. She previously worked as deputy general counsel for the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
“Katie has dedicated years toward providing strategic direction to Connecticut’s energy policy, and in particular her knowledge of the needs of Connecticut’s energy consumers and utility companies made her a natural fit for this position,” Malloy said in a statement. “Over the last several years, my staff and I have had the pleasure of working closely with her on these topics, and I am confident that her passion and expertise will benefit PURA and seamlessly continue its mission.”
PURA is based in New Britain and regulates the rates and services of utility and telecom companies operating in the state. Its other commissioners are John W. Betkoski III and Michael Caron.
“In this new role, I look forward to working with other PURA commissioners and staff to advance Connecticut’s nationally-recognized energy agenda to bring cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable power to the families and businesses of our state,” Dykes said.
PURA has been a part of DEEP since 2011. It used to be a separate agency called the Department of Public Utility Control.
In early 2015, House and his fellow commissioners asked Malloy for more independence from DEEP, which controls its budget and hiring.
