22 Nov Diane X. Burman
Diane X. Burman serves as a Commissioner of the New York State Public Service Commission (Commission). The Commission regulates the state’s electric, gas, steam, telecommunications, and water utilities and oversees the cable industry. In addition, the Commission exercises jurisdiction over the siting of major gas and electric transmission facilities and is responsible for ensuring the safety of natural gas and liquid petroleum pipelines. The Commission consists of up to seven members, each appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate. Ms. Burman’s term runs through February 2024.
Ms. Burman is a member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ (NARUC) Committee on Gas, International Relations, Washington Action Program, the Committee on Critical Infrastructure, the Special Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety and Select Committee on Regulatory and Industry Diversity. Ms. Burman is also the Chair of the NARUC-Department of Energy Natural Gas Partnership Initiative. She was recently appointed by the NARUC President as Co-Vice Chair of the Select Committee on Regulatory and Industry Diversity and to the Taskforce on Emergency Preparedness, Recovery and Resiliency as well as the Task Force’s Special Subcommittee on Lessons Learned from COVID 19.
Ms. Burman was selected to be a part of the USAID and NARUC Women Global Development and Prosperity Initiative helping to both foster women’s economic empowerment and advance women leaders in energy. Ms. Burman was the 2020 recipient of the NARUC International Terry Barnich Award. She served on the NARUC Board of Directors from February 2018-December 2020 and is immediately past Chair of the NARUC Gas Committee.
Ms. Burman serves as the Vice-Chair of the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee. She also serves on PHMSA’s Liquid Pipeline Advisory Committee. She is also a member of the National Petroleum Council. Ms. Burman was a Founding Board member of the Greater Albany Chapter of the Women’s Energy Network. She previously served as the NARUC President appointee to the Gas Technology Institute Public Interest Advisory Committee and as the Chair of PHMSA’s Voluntary Information Sharing Working Group.
Immediately prior to starting with the Commission, Ms. Burman was with the New York State Senate since 2009 having last served as the Chief Counsel to the New York State Senate Republican Conference. She served in this capacity under the Republican Majority Leader and then continued in this capacity under the Majority Coalition led by both the Republican Majority Leader and Independent Democratic Conference Majority Leader. In her capacity as the chief legislative legal officer for the New York State Senate, Ms. Burman was responsible for advising the Temporary President of the Senate and each member of the Republican Conference on every major legislative policy initiative confronting the State. Prior to her position with the Senate, she served as Special Counsel to the New York State Public Service Commission.
Ms. Burman has held a number of other legal and management positions with various organizations, including Executive Director of the New York State PTA, Assistant Executive Director of the Albany Jewish Community Center, and Director of Pro Bono Affairs for the New York State Bar Association. In addition, she has served in several high-level positions within state government, including Assistant Counsel with the Department of Economic Development, Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Law, Senior Court Attorney with the Unified-Court System, and as a judicial clerk for the New York State Court of Appeals. She was also an adjunct legal professor at Hofstra University and Adelphi University.
Ms. Burman obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from Molloy College and her Juris Doctor degree from Fordham University School of Law. Ms. Burman was admitted to the bar in 1992. A life-long New Yorker, Ms. Burman currently resides in the Capital District with her family.
