Karen  O. Moury harrisburg

Karen O. Moury

Member

Overview

Karen Moury represents and counsels clients on various issues related to public utility, energy and administrative law. She has been in private practice since 2014, representing companies before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, other government agencies in the Commonwealth, regulatory utility commissions in other states, and in appellate courts.  During this time, she has handled matters involving applications, consumer complaints, investigations, enforcement actions, smart meter deployment, regulatory compliance, and utility rate proceedings.  Karen obtained experimental services authority from the PUC allowing a transportation network company to lawfully provide ridesharing services throughout Pennsylvania before a statewide law was enacted.  She has also represented electric suppliers in high-profile litigation initiated by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Office of Consumer Advocate, and PUC’s Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement.

Karen has over 30 years of state government and administrative law experience, including 16 years in executive and management level positions. Immediately prior to entering private practice, Karen served as director of regulatory operations for the PUC. In that role she oversaw the day-to-day operation and administration of seven bureaus performing legal, technical, and policy functions for all industries regulated by the PUC—electricity, natural gas, water, telecommunications, and transportation.  In addition, Karen led the Office of Competitive Market Oversight.

While serving the PUC, Karen also held positions of deputy chief counsel and assistant counsel in the law bureau, where she provided legal advice on a variety of public utility matters and represented the commission before state and federal courts. Between positions at the PUC, she worked for the Office of Small Business Advocate, representing the interests of small business customers in rate, restructuring, and other proceedings before administrative law judges at the commission.

Karen’s career with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania began in the Department of State, where she served as counsel to several licensing boards within the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs.

She is a graduate of the Commonwealth’s Leadership Development Institute and has participated in numerous international delegations on behalf of the PUC. She is a frequent lecturer at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and an active member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and Public Utility Law Section.

Representative Matters

  • Represented an energy supplier in the appeal of a PUC decision and secured a reversal by the Commonwealth Court, which concluded that the PUC does not have statutory authority to require energy suppliers to issue refunds to consumers.
  • Counsels public utilities and energy suppliers on matters of regulatory compliance.
  • Represents public utilities and energy suppliers in consumer complaint proceedings, regulatory investigations and enforcement actions.
  • Drafts legislation and comments on proposed rulemaking proceedings.
  • Participates in utility rate proceedings, representing a gas utility and water/wastewater utility, as well as intervenors including other public utilities and energy suppliers.
  • Secured statewide experimental authority allowing a transportation network company to lawfully provide ridesharing services throughout Pennsylvania.
  • Files applications and obtains PUC approval for transportation companies including paratransit service providers to operate in the Commonwealth.
  • Counsels and represents entities on issues concerning the PUC’s jurisdiction to exercise authority over transportation or other activities in which they are engaged.
  • Successfully challenged a licensing board’s denial of an application to sit for psychology licensing examination in appellate court, which resulted in the board’s order being vacated and the board issuing a revised adjudication allowing the psychologist to sit for the examination.

Spotlight:

Spotlight on . . . Karen O. Moury

Professional Affiliations

  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • Public Utility Law Section

Awards and Recognition:

  • Selected for inclusion as The Best Lawyers in America 2023 and 2024 for Energy Regulatory Law

News and Insights

Publications

Media Coverage

  • Ridesharing Regulation – Foundations,” guest on The Reminger Report: Emerging Technologies podcast, May 19, 2021. 
  • “PUC grants exemption, paving the way for Tuktuk Lancaster to return sightseeing tours to the city,” Lancaster Online.com, August 31, 2017.
  • “PUC rethinks license denial for Tuktuk sightseeing vehicle ,” Philly.com, August 3, 2017.
  • “PUC agrees to rethink its denial of Tuktuk Lancaster’s application to give city sightseeing tours,” Lancaster Online.com, August 3, 2017.
  • “Tuktuk Lancaster raises funds for 2-pronged legal appeal, hopes to keep 3-wheeled city tours running,” Lancaster Online.com, July 21, 2017.
  • “Tuktuk Lancaster files second appeal, argues PUC erred in ruling against city sightseeing business,” Lancaster Online.com, July 28, 2017.

Speaking Engagements

  • “Suing & Defending Uber, Lyft, & Rideshare Companies,” webinar presenter for The Rossdale Group, February 25, 2021.