No Corporate Cronies on the PA Public Utilities Commission

With only a few months left in office, Governor Wolf has announced nominees to fill the three vacancies on Pennsylvania's Public Utility Commission. It's not good — two of his picks for these five-year terms have ties to the industries that the PUC regulates, and can't be trusted to put the public's interests first.

The PUC is a powerful agency with critical responsibilities, such as setting utility rates and regulating pipelines. We need commissioners who we can trust to put public interest first. The PA State Senate must reject the nominees with strong industry ties, and instead let the next governor appoint truly independent commissioners.

Urge your state senator to vote NO on Governor Wolf's PUC appointments before October 19!

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No Corporate Cronies on the PA Public Utilities Commission!

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Dear State Senator,

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I urge you to vote NO on the re-appointment of John Coleman and appointment of Stephen DeFrank to the PA Public Utilities Commission, who Governor Wolf has nominated to fill the vacancies on the PUC. Coleman and DeFrank both have ties to the industries that the PUC regulates, and we cannot trust them to act in the public's interest.

As a PUC Commissioner, Coleman has repeatedly cast votes that were in the best interests of the utility corporations rather than the public, even overruling decisions made by PUC judges that would have protected Pennsylvanians.

Until September 22, the day after Governor Wolf's nomination announcement, Stephen DeFrank was a registered lobbyist in Harrisburg with Buchanan Ingersoll and Rooney. His clients include Pennsylvania American Water, the state's largest private water utility, and a long list of energy corporations including UGI, Williams, EGT, PECO (Exelon), and others.

Given the responsibilities of the PUC — from setting utility rates to making decisions about pipeline construction and operation — the agency should be truly independent of the industries it is supposed to regulate in the public interest. John Coleman and Stephen DeFrank are far from independent of these industries, and the Senate must reject their appointments.

Protect public interest and vote NO on the appointments of John Coleman and Stephen DeFrank to the Public Utility Commission!

Sincerely,

[First Name] [Last Name]
[Your Address]