North Carolina Treasurer Brad Briner has put forth a nominee for the state's Utilities Commission, landing on former Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Donald van der Vaart for the role. Briner's decision comes with the power vested in him by Senate Bill 382, which gave him the authority to appoint a member to the Commission after it passed last December. As reported by the N.C. Treasurer's Office, van der Vaart is poised to bring his substantial engineering, legal, and regulatory experience to the table.
Having been in the trenches of both the environmental sector and the energy utility warrens, van der Vaart served on the EPA’s Scientific Advisory Board and the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission before this nomination. Overseeing the rates and services of public utilities in North Carolina, the Utilities Commission will be gaining a member in van der Vaart, who was recently the Chief Judge and Director at the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings.
"North Carolinians need a strong voice on the North Carolina Utilities Commission," Briner remarked in a testament to van der Vaart's qualifications, as he seeks to fortify the Commission with a nominee versed in delivering "low-cost, reliable energy." His sentiment echoed through the statement obtained by the N.C. Treasurer's Office.
For his part, van der Vaart holds gratitude for the trust placed in him by Treasurer Briner, committed to steering North Carolina towards a more reliable, affordable, and cleaner energy future. "I am deeply honored by Treasurer Briner’s confidence in me," van der Vaart expressed in the announcement, with an eye on safeguarding both prosperity and the environment for North Carolina.
Yet this nomination is but a preliminary step. Both state House and Senate must jointly approve van der Vaart's appointment. According to the N.C. Treasurer's Office, a letter proposing this appointment was dispatched to the legislative leaders this morning to commence the confirmation process. With investor-owned public utilities ranging from electricity, natural gas, and water, to transportation services under its purview, the passing of van der Vaart's nomination could mark a significant shift in how the Tar Heel State handles its utility resources and environmental oversight.
