Dan Collins is Of Counsel with the firm's Energy & Telecommunications Practice Group, practicing from our Boston office. As the former Director of Government Affairs for the New England Power Generators Association (NEPGA) and Chief Operating Officer of the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU), his clients benefit from his extensive career immersed in the regulation of electric power, natural gas, and water companies. Dan advises clients seeking regulatory outcomes that will improve service quality; ensure consumer protections; create a more resilient and modern grid; and enhance safety and reliability of investor-owned utilities, transportation network companies, and natural gas pipelines. He works closely with developers, consumers, and industry associations to develop regional energy solutions.

In his role as Director of Government Affairs for NEPGA, Dan represented a diverse group of electric-generating companies that compete in the region’s wholesale electricity market, advocating before legislative committees, public utilities commissions, state energy agencies, and other entities through written and in-person testimony, comments, and lobbying activities. He designed and executed legislative strategies to support the membership’s policy priorities and commercial interests and advised the president and members on pending or proposed energy and environmental legislation, regulations, and policy developments. He also represented NEPGA on the Northeast Energy and Commerce Association’s (NECA) Board of Directors and served as a co-chair of the Legislative Committee.

As COO of the DPU, Dan oversaw the Department’s fiscal, information technology, and personnel functions. He led the Division of Regional and Federal Affairs, the group responsible for monitoring and analyzing activity in the region’s wholesale electricity markets and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) jurisdictional matters, advising the Commission and secretariat on regional energy issues and policies, and recommending actions that aligned with the Commonwealth’s priorities. He also developed and maintained positive working relationships with energy stakeholders, including IS0 New England, New England Power Pool (NEPOOL), New England Conference of Public Utilities Commissioners (NECPUC), and officials from all the New England states.

Prior to his role at the DPU, Dan was a Government Study Committee member for the Town of Norwell, Senior Counsel for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and legal counsel in the Office of Senator Andrea F. Nuciforo, Jr.

At Preti Flaherty, Dan serves in dual roles as Of Counsel in the Energy Practice Group and as Policy Advisor with the firm's affiliated public affairs firm, Preti Strategies. ​​He is a graduate of Suffolk University Law School and the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. Dan lives in Norwell, Massachusetts.