Rory Christian

Chair

New York Public Service Commission

Advisory Board Member

Rory M. Christian is Chair and CEO of the New York Public Service Commission. He was first appointed to the Commission in June 2021, and subsequently appointed Chair and CEO in September 2021.

Mr. Christian began his career in the energy with KeySpan Energy where he first served as a civil engineer before transitioning to a role engaging government agencies operating in Long Island and New York City. In this role, he was responsible for coordinating activities between KeySpan and government organizations, negotiating contracts, developing contingency plans and streamlining operations to satisfy both organizations’ operational needs. Mr. Christian then transitioned to Exelon Energy, where he developed new products targeting public sector clientele and helped facilitate the creation of multiple partnerships and alliances.

Mr. Christian then served as the Director of Energy Finance and Sustainability for the New York City Housing Authority, where he oversaw the Authority’s then $500M+ utility portfolio with the aim of reducing annual energy expenditures while achieving city, state and federally mandated greenhouse gas emissions reduction requirements. More recently, he was the Director of New York Clean Energy at Environmental Defense Fund where he provided strategy management, programming, business development and stakeholder collaboration for the Clean Energy program in NY. He oversaw a multidisciplinary team (economists, lawyers, and engineers) to design, implement, and manage legislative and policy campaigns to lower the environmental impact of electricity production.

He currently teaches energy efficiency courses at the Columbia University School of Professional Studies. He also volunteers time with workforce development organizations and is a longtime supporter and former Chair of WE ACT for Environmental Justice’s (WE ACT) Board of Directors.

Mr. Christian graduated from the City College of New York’s, Grove School of Engineering with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and an MBA from the Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business. He resides in Brooklyn, New York with his family.