Offices and Staff Directory | PA PUC https://share.google/wkGHITYr0ZYFvSmNj

Offices and Staff Directory

Overseen by five appointed commissioners, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission employs more than 500 people across 12 distinct offices and bureaus who report to the Executive Director.

Read on to learn more about the roles of each office and bureau and how to contact key employees.

Take a look at our organizational chart to see how each of the PUC offices and bureaus is connected.

Office of Administrative Law Judge

The Office of Administrative Law Judge (OALJ) provides conflict resolution by independent administrative law judges. Judges preside at formal hearings in contested matters before the PUC, gather all the facts relating to an individual case, prepare written decisions outlining the issues, and recommend resolutions to the disputes.

The OALJ includes a mediation unit and a mediation coordinator. It is the PUC’s policy to encourage mediation and settlement rather than to see the parties engage in what may become lengthy and expensive litigation during the formal hearing process. Mediation is a voluntary, confidential, and non-binding process through which a neutral third party, the mediator, assists the parties in reaching a mutually acceptable settlement of their disputes.

Bureau of Audits

The Bureau of Audits is responsible for the conduct of audit activity of Pennsylvania fixed utilities, including Adjustment Clause Audits, Financial Audits and Management Audits, and Management Efficiency Investigations.

Office of Communications

The Office of Communications is accountable for Commission media relations, employee communications and consumer education, in addition to acting as the lead staff for the Consumer Advisory Council. The Office of Communications is responsible for issuing press releases, responding to media calls, special consumer-education campaigns, distributing educational materials, informing consumers about programs and rights, creating internal and external newsletters and other publications, and coordinating the PUC's website.

Bureau of Consumer Services

The Bureau of Consumer Services responds to consumer complaints, provides utility-related information to consumers and monitors utility compliance with PUC regulations and evaluates utility performance. The bureau consists of a Division of Customer Assistance and Complaints and a Division of Policy. 

Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement

The Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement serves as the prosecutory bureau for purposes of representing the public interest in ratemaking and service matters before the Office of Administrative Law Judge, and enforcing compliance with the state and federal motor carrier safety and gas safety laws and regulations.

The bureau handles rail safety enforcement proceedings that are referred by the Bureau of Technical Utility Services.

The Bureau also prepares reports for the Commission, provides technical support for other bureaus, and participates in working groups on energy issues.

Law Bureau

The Law Bureau provides legal support to other Commission bureaus and the Commission directly on regulatory matters involving fixed utilities and common carriers.

Law Bureau attorneys represent the Commission in all appellate and original jurisdiction actions before state and federal courts.

The Commission has authorized the Law Bureau to intervene in cases before federal forums in which communications and energy-related issues affecting Pennsylvania are decided.

It surveys issues and proceedings before federal agencies, courts, and Congress with the aim of formulating appropriate Commission input when public utility issues arise.

Office of Legislative Affairs

The Director of Legislative Affairs is the Commission’s link with the state General Assembly, the Governor’s Administration, the U.S. Congress, and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners.

It is also responsible for contact with the Independent Regulatory Review Commission regarding Commission regulations.

The office receives hundreds of inquiries regarding utility matters and constituent problems and directs the flow of information for a timely resolution.

Secretary's Bureau

The Secretary is the Commission’s officer over whose signature all official actions and decisions are issued.

The Secretary serves as the prothonotary of the Commission and is thereby responsible for the acceptance of filings and the docketing, safekeeping, control, dissemination, retention, and retrieval of all documents.

All correspondence and filings before the Commission must be addressed to the Secretary.

After formal Commission action, the Secretary’s Bureau is responsible for the dissemination of necessary information and the service of all official actions.

This is accomplished by issuing an Order or Secretarial Letter to all appropriate parties or individuals, whether they be internal staff, participants in a proceeding, or members of the general public.

The Secretary's Bureau coordinates the development of the Commission’s public meeting agenda, and the Secretary and/or Assistant Secretary sit at all formal public meetings of the Commission to ensure that the agenda is completed and that the minutes are properly recorded and subsequently maintained.

Office of Special Assistants

The Office of Special Assistants (OSA) provides technical and legal assistance to the Commissioners in all aspects of public utility regulation and enforcement.

It is the coordinator of the preparation of final Commission orders.

Duties include preparing final orders; reviewing Administrative Law Judge decisions; administering requests for extensions of time to file exceptions and/or reply exceptions to Initial Decisions; and reviewing petitions for rehearing, reconsideration, modification, or clarification of final Commission orders.

Bureau of Technical Utility Services

The Bureau of Technical Utility Services serves as the principal technical advisory bureau to the Commission regarding fixed and transportation utility regulatory matters, as well as serves as an adviser to the PUC on technical issues for electric, natural gas, water, wastewater, and telecommunications utilities.

The Bureau offers policy recommendations on rates, tariffs, and regulatory matters, processes fixed utility applications, and coordinates emergency operations of utilities.

The Bureau processes filings such as securities certificates and affiliated interest agreements.

The Bureau also reviews and maintains county 911 system plans; telecommunications relay service reports; annual financial reports; and utility tariffs.