Press Releases
11/13/2020
PURA Commissioner Caron Named 2nd Vice President of National Utility Association
PURA Commissioner Caron Named 2nd Vice President of National Utility Association
(New Britain, CT – November 13, 2020) – The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) today is announcing that Commissioner Michael A. Caron has been elected as 2nd Vice President of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners(NARUC).
NARUC, a non-profit organization representing state public service commissioners who regulate essential utility services, elected Caron after he served as a member of its Board of Directors and Executive Committee in recent years.
Caron was nominated by PURA Vice Chairman John W. "Jack" Betkoski III, and he was elected 2nd Vice President on November 10.
“I am very happy and proud to have been elected by the NARUC Membership to serve them as 2nd Vice President for the next year,” Caron said. “I want to thank my fellow New England commissioners for having the faith to appoint me to the NARUC Executive Committee, which made this possible. I also want to thank my wife and family for all of their support through the years whether I deserved it or not. I wouldn't be here without them."
“I have known Commissioner Caron since he was first elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives,” said Betkoski. “It’s been great to renew our working relationship and our friendship here at PURA. He has been a great addition to PURA and has been a recognized regional and national leader ever since."
“Michael has been such a resource since I first came to PURA,” said PURA Chair Marissa Gillett. “I’m happy for him and excited for the continued visibility he will provide for Connecticut.”
Former Gov. Dannel P. Malloy nominated Caron to serve on the three-member Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority in July 2012, and his appointment was confirmed by the state's General Assembly in the 2013 session.
At PURA, Caron has presided over utility rate cases, electric supplier abuses and telecommunications dockets. He was also PURA’s designee to the Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC), which is now called AdvanceCT.
From 1991 to 2009, Caron served nine terms as a State Representative from the 44th District representing the towns of Canterbury, Killingly, Plainfield and Sterling. He also served as an ex officio member of the State Bond Commission and as Assistant Minority Leader, among other legislative roles.
After leaving the legislature Caron was Director of Public Affairs for Pfizer Inc. in Groton where he represented the company in a number of Connecticut organizations including the MetroHartford Alliance, the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut, SeCTOR of New London and the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce.
He was also President of the New England Conference of Public Utility Commissioners (NECPUC) in 2019. He is currently NECPUC’s Treasurer.
Caron has a son, Mackenzie Caron of Westerly, RI, and lives in West Hartford with his wife, Maureen Magnan.
XXX
About the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority:
The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) is statutorily-charged with regulating the rates and services of Connecticut's investor owned electricity, natural gas, water and telecommunication companies and is the franchising authority for the state’s cable television companies. In the industries that are still wholly regulated, PURA balances the public’s right to safe, adequate and reliable utility service at reasonable rates with the provider’s right to a reasonable return on its investment. PURA also keeps watch over competitive utility services to promote equity among the competitors while customers reap the price and quality benefits of competition and are protected from unfair business practices. Visit PURA's website at https://portal.ct.gov/pura.
About the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners:
NARUC is a non-profit organization founded in 1889 whose members include the governmental agencies that are engaged in the regulation of utilities and carriers in the fifty States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. NARUC's member agencies regulate telecommunications, energy, and water utilities. NARUC represents the interests of State public utility commissions before the three branches of the Federal government.
For Immediate Release: November 13, 2020
Contact: Joe Cooper