Gov. Ed Rendell has nominated John Hanger as the new secretary of the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Mr. Hanger is the president and chief executive officer of Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future, a statewide environmental advocacy group with a recent focus on energy.

The governor made the announcement at a news conference in Harrisburg this afternoon.

"This is an amazing turn of events, and we are confident it will mean great strides for protecting and promoting Pennsylvania's environment and economy," said K. Joy Kaufmann, PennFuture chairwoman. "With John as DEP Secretary, Pennsylvanians will have a great public servant leading the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection."

From 1993 to 1998, Mr. Hanger was a Pennsylvania Public Utility Commissioner, and from 1988 to 1993 he served as legal counsel to PUC Commissioner Joseph Rhodes.

"With John Hanger's strong background on energy issues through his work on the PUC and with PennFuture, we will expect energy to be front and center during his tenure as DEP secretary," said Jeff Schmidt, the Sierra Club's lobbyist in Harrisburg.

Prior to his work on the PUC, Mr. Hanger worked at Community Legal Services, Inc. of Philadelphia, serving as Public Advocate representing 500,000 municipal customers of Philadelphia's gas, water and sewer utilities. He is considered an expert on public utility regulation and competition.

He is a graduate of Duke University and of the University of Pennsylvania School of Law.