(November 29, 2016) -- NY PSC Chair Audrey Zibelman has been named the winner of the 2016 Dive Awards: Policymaker of the Year by Utility Dive, a leading industry news publisher.
Audrey Zibelman, New York State Public Service Commission chair since 2013, has been on a mission to shake up the traditional utility business model. Not only did she make great strides toward this effort in 2016, but she did so at a faster pace than most policymakers.
"Audrey Zibelman not only spearheads the power sector's biggest transformation through New York's Reforming the Energy Vision, she is also deeply involved in other precedent-setting ventures, such as Gov. Cuomo's Clean Energy Standard, which sought to expand renewable energy and save New York's struggling nuclear fleet. Those actions have earned her the title of Policymaker of the Year." said Krysti Shallenberger, associate editor of Utility Dive.
In accepting the honor, Zibelman said, “Under the leadership of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New York has become a national leader in combating climate change and growing the clean energy economy. Through the Governor’s long-term energy strategy, REV – Reforming the Energy Vision, we are creating a modern electric grid that is both economically and environmentally sustainable. In the past year alone, we have made great strides toward realizing the full potential of distributed energy resources, as well as information technology and customer engagement, so that consumers and the electric industry can both take advantage of every type of energy resource – from demand response and storage to consumer choice and energy efficiency. On behalf of my hard-working staff and all of the agencies participating in REV, I am extremely grateful for this recognition from the readers and editors of Utility Dive.”
The 2016 Dive Awards recognize the industry’s top disruptors and innovators. From Executive of the Year to Obsession of the Year, Utility Dive solicited suggestions for title nominees from its 100,000 readers.
With the help of a panel of industry insiders, winners were chosen by the editors of Utility Dive based on resonance and industry impact.
About the New York State Department of Public Service
The primary mission of the New York State Department of Public Service is to ensure affordable, safe, secure, and reliable access to electric, gas, steam, telecommunications, and water services for New York State’s residential and business consumers, while protecting the natural environment. The Department, the staff arm of the Public Service Commission, also seeks to stimulate effective competitive markets that benefit New York consumers through strategic investments, as well as product and service innovations.
About Utility Dive
Utility Dive is a property of Industry Dive. Based in Washington, D.C., Industry Dive serves over 2 million executives through 12 industry-specific news publications: BioPharma, CIO, Construction, Education, Food, Healthcare, HR, Marketing, Retail, Supply Chain, Utility, and Waste. Through mobile-optimized websites, email newsletters, mobile apps, and more, Industry Dive provides business leaders with a convenient way to stay up-to-date on the most relevant industry news, trends, events, jobs, press releases and market research impacting their jobs.