Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission

11/18/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/18/2024 13:32

PUC Commissioner Kathryn L. Zerfuss Appointed to EPA’s Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Advisory Committee

PUC Commissioner Kathryn L. Zerfuss Appointed to EPA's Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Advisory Committee

Published on 11/18/2024

Filed under: Consumer Education Electric Gas Motor Carrier Pipeline Rails Telecommunications Transportation and Safety Water and Wastewater

HARRISBURG - The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today announced that Commissioner Kathryn L. Zerfuss has been appointed by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael S. Regan as a new member to the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee (FRRCC).

The FRRCC provides independent policy advice and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on crucial environmental issues affecting agriculture and rural communities. Its members include representatives from academia, agriculture and allied industries, non-governmental organizations, and state, local and tribal governments.

EPA began the selection process for new members in July 2024 and selected appointees with expertise in key EPA priority areas, including climate change and sustainable agricultural practices and who represent a variety of agricultural sectors, rural stakeholders and diverse geographies.

Commissioner Zerfuss possesses a unique blend of skills and experience that will greatly benefit the committee. In addition to her expertise in energy, Commissioner Zerfuss also has a background in agricultural policy. As the Director of Legislative Affairs at the Department of Agriculture, she managed legislation on land use, particularly farmland preservation and conservation. During her time at the Public Utility Commission, she has been engaged in policy discussions regarding how farmers can better utilize methane digesters and biogas for on-farm energy and revenue generation. Her commitment to understanding and addressing the intersections between energy systems and agricultural practices has been evident in her contributions and aligns closely with the goals of the FRRCC.


About Commissioner Kathryn L. Zerfuss

Kathryn L. Zerfuss was nominated by Commissioner by Gov. Tom Wolf on Sept. 20, 2022, and confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate on Oct. 19, 2022. Her term will expire on April 1, 2026.

Commissioner Zerfuss is a member of the Advisory Board of the National Energy and Utility Affordability Coalition (NEUAC), where she participates in committee discussions on critical energy and utility affordability issues. She also is a member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), a non-profit organization dedicated to representing state public service commissions that regulate public utilities. She serves on NARUC's Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment. In addition, she was selected as co-vice chair of a NARUC - U.S. Department of Energy Task Force on Evolving Gas Infrastructure Planning. In this leadership role, Commissioner Zerfuss helps facilitate the discussion, review, and development of gas infrastructure planning as emerging technologies and decarbonization goals continue to evolve. Additionally, she is the PUC designee to the Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board and the Agrivoltaic Farming Advisory Board.

About the PUC

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.

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