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Robert Powelson
Robert Powelson is a former member of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC). He was first appointed to the commission on June 19, 2008, to fill the remainder of an unexpired term, and was reappointed to a full five-year term on February 12, 2009. He was appointed to a second five-year term on the PUC on February 24, 2014.[1][2]
Powelson resigned from the PUC in August 2017 in order to become a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He was nominated to the federal commission by President Donald Trump in May 2017 and confirmed by the United States Senate on August 4, 2017.[3]
Biography
Powelson began his career as the Director of Government Relations for the Delaware County Chamber. From 1990 to 1991, he served as a Staff Assistant to Congressman Curt Weldon. Powelson joined the Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry in 1994, going on to serve as President and CEO. In 2005, he was chosen by the Eisenhower Presidential Fellows to be a U.S. fellow in Singapore and Australia.
On March 8, 2011, former Governor of Pennsylvania Tom Corbett named Powelson to serve as a member of the Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission. Soon after he was appointed to the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Board of Directors.[1]
Education
- Bachelor's of Administration, St. Joseph’s University
- Master of Governmental Administration with a concentration in public finance, University of Pennsylvania
Political career
Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (2008-2017)
Powelson served as a member of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission from June 2008 until his resignation in August 2017. He served as chair of the commission from February 2011 to May 2015.[1]
Fines levied against ride-sharing companies operating illegally
In April 2016, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission levied an $11.4 million dollar fine against ride-sharing company Uber Technologies Inc.—11 times the amount of the highest fine the commission had ever imposed.
Uber and Lyft, another ride-sharing company, were granted temporary licenses to operate within the state in late 2014 but had begun operations prior to receiving them. The commission's bureau of investigations filed formal complaints against the companies for operating without a license and for ignoring cease-and-desist orders in 2014. Lyft ultimately settled with the commission for $250,000 in July 2015.
In November 2015, two judges for the commission recommended a $49.9 million dollar fine for Uber. After consideration, the commission reduced the fine to $11.4 million in April 2016.[4] Uber released a statement saying it was "shocked that the PUC would compound its past mistakes and send the troubling message that Pennsylvania is unwelcoming to technology and innovation" and that they planned to appeal the decision.[5] Governor Tom Wolf (D) signed a letter to the commission in April 2016 saying that the fine "constitute[d] a civil penalty on innovation, threatening the company’s ability to harness new technologies and create the jobs of tomorrow."[5][4][6]
The commission denied the appeal on September 1, 2016, upholding the $11.4 million dollar fine. "We were faced with an unprecedented number of violations by Uber," said commission Chairman Gladys Brown. "When a regulated entity is given notice that it is violating the law and it ignores those notices, it does so to its own detriment."[5]
Appointments
2014
On February 24, 2014, Governor Tom Corbett (R) appointed Powelson to a second full five-year term on the PUC. His term was set to expire on April 1, 2019.[2]
2011
On February 24, 2011, Governor Tom Corbett (R) appointed Powelson Chairman of the PUC.[1]
2009
Powelson was renominated to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission by Governor Rendell for a full five-year term on February 12, 2009, and unanimously confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate on April 22, 2009.[1]
2008
Powelson was first nominated to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission on June 19, 2008, by Governor Edward G. Rendell to fill the remainder of an unexpired term and confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate unanimously on June 30, 2008.[1]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Powelson is a native of Delaware County. He and his wife, Lauren, and sons Ryan and Shane, live in Kennett Square.[1]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Robert Powelson Pennsylvania. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission, "Robert F. Powelson," accessed November 12, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Daily Local, "Kennett Square's Powelson returns as PUC commissioner," March 9, 2014
- ↑ Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, "Commissioner Robert F. Powelson," accessed January 18, 2018
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Reuters, "Uber hit with record $11.4 million fine in Pennsylvania," April 21, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Pittsburg Post-Gazette, "PUC affirms $11.4M penalty for Uber while rejecting appeal," September 1, 2016
- ↑ Philly Voice, "Two Pennsylvania judges want to fine Uber $50 million," November 17, 2015
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| Preceded by ' |
Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission 2008-2017 |
Succeeded by Norman Kennard |
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