Roberti friend to energy efficiency

Paul Roberti, of the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission, was recently honored by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners with the 2015 Terry Barnich Award for Promoting International Cooperation Among Utility Regulators and Development of Professional Regulation. The award, named after the late chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission, is the highest honor bestowed by the NARUC Committee on International Relations to a recipient who has dedicated his or her time, energy and expertise to promote best practices in international regulation.

You recently assisted NARUC on two international scoping missions to Jamaica and India to identify challenges for partners and to draft a scope of work for NARUC’s development in these countries. Could you talk further on what you got out of those experiences?

I was humbled by the opportunity to offer my experience as a utility regulator to help Jamaica adopt policies that promote greater energy efficiency, coupled with a transition from Venezuelan oil to cleaner sources like wind and solar. For India, I was privileged to be able to take the lessons learned from electric deregulation, and the cooperative efforts of the New England states in creating wholesale electric markets, to help India undertake the same structural reforms.  

What are some of the unique challenges of working with foreign partners?

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Besides aging infrastructure, one of the biggest challenges is the absence of ubiquitous electric service and high percentages of uncollectibles, which not only impedes investment but also makes it more difficult to maintain reliable electric service.

In May you participated in the World Forum on Energy Regulation in Istanbul. What was that experience like?

It was such an honor to be asked to present U.S. policy regarding “demand response” (compensation to consumers who reduce energy use) in energy markets, where I was able to showcase Rhode Island’s cutting-edge efforts.

Why is it important to foster dialogue on regulatory issues with international partners?

My experiences have reinforced my belief that the U.S. is the envy of the world in terms of having regulatory policies that promise safe, affordable and reliable service to all. The efforts of NARUC and [the United States Agency for International Development] are very important. n

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