Senate panel advances McKee pick to open PUC seat
Gov. Dan McKee's pick to fill the open seat on the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission (PUC) won easy approval from a Senate panel Tuesday.
The Senate Committee on Commerce's unanimous vote advances Karen Bradbury's nomination to the full Senate for a confirmation vote, likely next week, said Greg Pare, a Senate spokesperson. If approved, Bradbury, who works as a program administrator for the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, would fill the $139,000-a-year post on the PUC, left vacant after former commissioner John Revens resigned in December.
Bradbury's experience and leadership in government and energy programs drew praise during the brief Senate panel hearing Tuesday. Supporters spanned her 20-year career in state and federal government work, including 14 years with U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, according to her resume, obtained by Rhode Island Current. She joined the state energy resources office in December 2022, earning $108,900 as legislation and programs administrator.
Neither Bradbury nor state lawmakers mentioned her marriage to Pat Crowley, president of the influential Rhode Island AFL-CIO. Crowley in an interview Wednesday declined to comment on her appointment. Crowley referred additional questions to McKee's office.
'Ms. Bradbury's qualifications spoke for themselves,' Olivia Da Rocha, a spokesperson for McKee's office, said in response to questions Wednesday.
DaRocha did not comment on how many other candidates were considered for the position.
Former colleagues from Providence law firm Duffy & Sweeney Ltd, where Bradbury worked as a paralegal from 2004 to 2008, also spoke and wrote in favor of her nomination to the PUC.
'I've known Karen over 20 years,' Jean Harrington, partner at Duffy & Sweeney, told the committee Tuesday. 'She has an uncanny ability to enter a chaotic situation, stand back, and say, 'OK, this is what we need to do.' She doesn't get frazzled.'
That calm-under-pressure personality proved particularly important during her two-and-a-half years with the state energy resources office, which included overseeing renewable energy rebates funded through Biden-era congressional spending. Chris Kearns, acting director for the energy resources office and Bradbury's boss, described her ability to manage abrupt federal funding cuts, grant applications on tight deadlines, and readying fuel supplies with local terminal providers ahead of winter snowstorms.
'Karen has all the personal and professional attributes you would want in a commissioner for the PUC,' Kearns told the Senate committee.
The high-profile appointment to the three-person regulatory body carries extra weight amid rising frustration over utility costs and profits held by Rhode Island Energy. Addressing the panel Tuesday, Bradbury acknowledged the struggles faced by working families and frontline communities while advancing the state's greenhouse gas emission reductions.
'If confirmed, it will be my job to ensure all the pieces fit together in a way that is beneficial to ratepayers and businesses,' Bradbury said.
However, she stopped short of making promises on rate cuts when Rhode Island Energy submits its biannual electric rate prices this fall.
'I don't want to prejudice any proceeding,' Bradbury said in response to questions by Sen. Victoria Gu, a Westerly Democrat. 'I will keep all of that in mind, and look at the evidence presented before the commission.'
The utilities commission by law cannot reject the state utility provider's proposed supply-side prices, as long as they do not include an extra markup beyond what it costs to purchase power directly from third-party suppliers. However, the commission has more authority over service-side charges and has scaled back Rhode Island Energy's proposed investments in capital infrastructure projects in acknowledgement of the extra costs to customers.
In announcing Bradbury as his pick to the commission on May 14, McKee touted her experience in state and federal energy policy.
'Karen's expertise in energy policy, combined with a proven track record of delivering real results for Rhode Island—from securing major federal funding to launching innovative programs—makes her uniquely qualified to take on this role,' McKee said in a statement. 'Her commitment to advancing clean, affordable energy will be an asset to the Commission.'
A lifelong Rhode Islander, Bradbury has a bachelor's degree in political science from Providence College and a master's degree in labor and industrial relations from the University of Rhode Island.
If confirmed, Bradbury will fill the rest of Revens' six-year term, which expires March 1, 2027.
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