Announcing 2025 Top Innovator Awards
Recognition, Celebration
PUF is proud to announce that it will give this year’s Fortnightly Top Innovator Awards to 24 innovators or teams of innovators at 20 different utilities.
Fortnightly Magazine - September 2025
A Day at the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities
Unique Conversations
The DPU is led by Chair James Van Nostrand along with Commissioners Cecile Fraser and Staci Rubin. The PUF team discussed with them the latest events in regulation, as well as where the Bay State is headed in its energy transition. DPU Staff provided updates on what is going on in their divisions, and as a bonus, PUF Executive Editor Steve Mitnick talked with Secretary of Energy for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Rebecca Tepper.
Mass DPU: James Van Nostrand
Chair
“The next five years are going to be significant on the gas side as we continue to guide the transition of the industry, and on the electric side as we implement AMI and roll out time-varying rates. We need to do a lot on rate design, affordability, and heat pump rates.”
Mass DPU: Staci Rubin
Commissioner
“We are considering whether to limit the percentage of people’s income spent on energy bills. We have an energy burden docket considering tiered discount rates or targeting the largest bill discounts to customers most in need, and changes to utility service disconnection practices.”
Mass DPU: Cecile Fraser
Commissioner
“Cost to consumers is top of mind for the Commission and the Department. We understand that the high cost of energy is a burden for a lot of folks in Massachusetts, and that’s something we take seriously and are working on.”
Mass DPU: David Lyons
General Counsel
“The Legislature amended the Department’s authorizing statute a few years ago to encompass both equity and greenhouse gas emission reductions, in addition to safety, security, reliability, and affordability.”
Mass DPU: Siting Board, Environmental Justice, Public Participation
Directors
“The 2024 Climate Act charges the Division of Public Participation with assisting stakeholders to navigate prefiling engagement and outreach requirements for Siting Board proceedings. We are working on regulations and guidance to ensure consistency in prefiling outreach requirements across projects.”
Mass DPU: Rail Transit Safety
Director
“How can I take some of the tragedies and look systemically across the state and say, ‘Where do we have these issues?’ Also how, from the regulator’s perspective, can we build an oversight that balances proactive approaches, utilizes data, so we’re able to get ahead of incidents that claim a lot of lives every year.”
Mass DPU: Clean Energy, DG, Resilience
Directors, Ombudsperson
“My Division is tasked with the transition to a clean energy system. It’s specifically as we transition off natural gas. There are challenges. Safety and reliability are paramount. Massachusetts is leading the way on several issues. We don’t often have somebody we can look to for answers.”
Mass DPU: Communications
Director
“Since our work at the DPU is related to people’s everyday lives without them truly knowing it, we make sure we’re communicating effectively through a combination of print media, social media, and our website.”