American Gas - February 2014 - (Page 26)

Incoming NARUC President Colette honorable discusses the importance of utilities and regulators working together on workforce development, safety, reliability, security, infrastructure, and more. profile "AN eNoRmIty of ChAlleNges" Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe, who appointed Colette Honorable chair of his state's Public Service Commission in 2011, has been quoted saying that Honorable is "somebody who's fair, somebody who's not a polarizing figure, somebody who brings people together and will weigh all the evidence." In the following interview with Kyle Rogers, AGA's vice president of Government Relations, Honorable clearly displays all those qualities, providing insights into how she'll use them in her new role as president of NARUC. AGA: What do you see as the most pressing issues that NARUC will need to deal with over the course of the year? Two issues that you have often spoken about are the critical need for workforce development and the need for utilities to be properly prepared to fend off cyber and physical attacks, as well to deal with storms and natural disasters. Is there anything you would have AGA do to assist in these areas? Honorable: First of all, I want to thank AGA for this opportunity. Your members provide an essential service, and I am pleased to be able to discuss these issues with you. We are facing an enormity of challenges, and we need a strong publicprivate partnership in order to best serve our consumers. We do not always agree, but I firmly believe we both have the consumers' best interests in mind. Workforce development is one issue I am very concerned about. We need to groom the next generation of regulators and industry executives so we can be ready for the anticipated retirements of the baby boomers. We need to look far and wide and attract a diverse corps of new utility workers. NARUC is tackling this issue head on, thanks to our Subcommittee on Utility Marketplace Access. In my first action when I became president in November, I appointed Commissioner Nikki Hall of South Carolina as chair. She has the unenviable job of succeeding former Chair Harold Williams of Maryland, but I know she is up to the task. This subcommittee counts on the contributions of our industry stakeholders for its success. I hope your members will reach out to Commissioner Hall and participate in our meetings. I'd also expect AGA companies and other utilities to focus on workforce development. By the end of 2013, some 40 percent of the energy workforce became eligible for retirement. It is incumbent upon each of us to develop a strong, comprehensive succession plan. We should also encourage students to pursue careers in STEM curricula [science, technology, engineering, and math], as well as in accounting, law, and similar fields to support this industry. It is imperative that we focus collectively on the pipeline (no pun intended) that will produce strong, educated, and innovative energy sector employees. And it is equally imperative that the employees working on the wires, poles, and pipes, as well as those in the C-suite and boardrooms, reflect the consumers that we serve. It's an incredibly exciting time to work in the energy sector, and, as we say in the South, goodness knows we have more on our plates than we can say grace over! As far as security of the system, again, this will require a concerted public-private effort. As we have shown over the last 100-plus years, regulators will do what it takes to ensure utility services are reliably, safely, and affordably delivered. We rely on you for the details and proposals to make sure this happens. Your members own the pipes-you know your systems better than anyone. Therefore, you must come to us with proposals for making your system safer and more resilient. The challenge of ensuring reliability and safety is more difficult than ever before, as the industry is faced with addressing cyber and physical security attacks, severe weather events, the need to implement pipeline replacement and accelerated replacement programs, coordinate One Call and 811 Center programs, and many other issues, all at the same time. AGA: Unconventional technologies have dramatically altered the outlook for U.S. natural gas, providing the United States with an abundant, low-cost energy source. Given this, what role do you believe natural gas can or should play in making progress towards such important NARUC goals as energy efficiency, cost efficiency, environmental protection, economic development, and energy security? Honorable: I was appointed to the Committee on Gas early in my regulaPhotogra Phy by brandon dill 26 AmericAn GAs february 2014

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American Gas - February 2014