Rajnish Barua, Ph.D., has been the Executive Director of the National Regulatory Research Institute (NRRI) since April 2012.  NRRI, an independent non-profit corporation, primarily serves state utility regulators in the United States by producing and disseminating relevant research that provides the analytical framework and practical tools necessary for regulators in their decision-making process. He has nearly three decades of experience in the energy and regulatory fields and previously worked as:

• The Executive Director of the Organization of PJM States, Inc. (OPSI), an association of the utility regulatory commissions of 13 states and the District of Columbia;
• The Energy Advisor to the chairman of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission;
• The Director of the Integrated Resource Planning Division in the Maryland Public Service Commission; and,
• The Regulatory Policy Administrator in the Delaware Public Service Commission.

Dr. Barua’s experience includes regulatory policy, restructuring of the electric industry, regional energy markets, and other related matters. He has appeared before several regulatory commissions and state legislative committees.  He has provided training and technical assistance to energy regulators of over 25 nations, primarily from Africa, the Caribbean region, Eastern Europe, and South Asia, and has published and presented in regional, national, and international conferences. He is a Senior Fellow at the University of Florida’s Public Utility Research Center. He serves on the Advisory Committee of the National Utilities Diversity Council and served on the Operating Committee of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation.  He earned a doctorate from the University of Delaware specializing in energy policy, and has supervised graduate student research and teaches courses in electricity and regulatory policy.