Published July 3, 2025
Live from Urban Green’s 2025 annual conference, this special episode of Urban Green Live features John Mandyck’s keynote conversation with Rory Christian, Chair and CEO of the NYS Public Service Commission.
They discuss the role of the PSC and the levers they can use to advance building decarbonization. They also discuss how utility rates affect electrification, the future of natural gas in New York, and how New York State can achieve a just transition.
This episode was recorded on June 2, 2025 at Urban Green’s NYC Next: Shaping Building Decarbonization conference at NYU in New York City. Check out the rest of the event recordings and photos here.
Thank you to our sponsor, Carrier!
Speakers
Rory Christian
Chair and CEO, New York State Public Service Commission
On September 30, 2021, Governor Kathy Hochul designated Commissioner Rory M. Christian as the Chair and CEO of the Public Service Commission, and he was appointed Commissioner on June 10, 2021.
Rory previously 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 reductions. 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 New York.
John Mandyck
CEO, Urban Green Council
John Mandyck joined Urban Green Council in 2018 as its first-ever CEO. He capped a 25-year career as Chief Sustainability Officer for United Technologies Corporation, a Fortune 45 global leader in the building, aerospace and food refrigeration industries. He also serves as a Visiting Scientist at the Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Business. John is the founding chair of the Corporate Advisory Board for the World Green Building Council, a former board chair of Urban Green, and co-author of the book Food Foolish.
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