Gov. Hochul names Tracey Edwards, 2 others to LIPA trustees board

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday announced three new appointments to the LIPA board of directors, including naming former Public Service commissioner Tracey Edwards as chairwoman.

Hochul also appointed David Manning, external affairs director at Brookhaven National Laboratory who previously served as executive vice president of National Grid and KeySpan; and Claudia Lovas, a Nassau attorney who is managing director of Claudia P. Lovas & Associates at American Family Insurance.

Hochul’s office said current board members Laureen Harris and Sheldon Cohen, appointments made by former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, will remain on the board. The governor's office, which has five appointments, effectively controls the LIPA board, with two each to the leaders of the state Senate and Assembly. 

The appointments will be in effect on Wednesday, when trustees hold their November board meeting. Edwards, in a statement, said she was “honored to be appointed the chair of the LIPA board and continue to serve New Yorkers as we transition to a renewable energy grid.”

The move comes at a period of big change for LIPA as a state commission prepares legislation that could see the utility become a fully public power entity, and PSEG Long Island’s contract to operate the grid under contract expires in 2025.

The authority, which this week is preparing its 2024 budget, is a key part of a state plan to transition to fully green energy sources by 2040, even as costs for offshore wind energy, the bulk provider of future power, spike and lead developers to make difficult financial decisions.

Earlier this month, Denmark-based developer Orsted announced plans to abandon two offshore wind farms planned for New Jersey, even as it works this month to complete an offshore wind farm planned for the South Fork, and it continues to evaluate other projects for New York.

“LIPA is playing a critical role in advancing a clean, reliable and affordable electric grid for Long Islanders and these appointments will help transform how we power New York for future generations,” Hochul said a statement.

Edwards, 61, of Dix Hills, had been a commissioner of the PSC until last month, when she stepped down and announced she would begin working for the Las Vegas Sands as a senior vice president and New York corporate social responsibility officer. Sands has proposed a $4 billion casino-resort on the site of the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, across the street from LIPA's headquarters. Edwards, who also operates a private consulting business, is also regional director of the NAACP and a former Town of Huntington board member.

Leaving the board will be LIPA vice chairman Mark Fischl, president of Pinnacle Real Properties; defense attorney Elkan Abramowitz; and the Rev. Alfred Cockfield, chief operating officer of God’s Battalion of Prayer Ministries.

By Mark Harrington

mark.harrington@newsday.comMHarringtonNews

Mark Harrington, a Newsday reporter since 1999, covers energy, wineries, Indian affairs and fisheries.