Contact: Regina Davis, 202-898-9382, rdavis@naruc.org

WASHINGTON (July 19, 2021) — The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners has submitted its list of nominees to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to serve on the new Joint Federal-State Task Force on Electric Transmission.

As noted in FERC’s June 17 order, the task force will allow federal regulators to “confer with state commissions regarding the relationship between rate structures, costs, accounts, charges, practices, classifications, and regulations of public utilities subject to the jurisdiction of such state commissions and FERC, including through joint hearings.”

NARUC received nearly 40 applications from state commissioners for 10 positions on the task force. The nominees represent all of the NARUC regions across the United States. The selected nominees include:

Mid-Atlantic Conference of Regulatory Utilities Commissioners

• Chair Gladys Brown Dutrieuille, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
• Chair Jason Stanek, Maryland Public Service Commission

Mid-America Regulatory Conference

• Chair Andrew French, Kansas Corporation Commission
• Chair Dan Scripps, Michigan Public Service Commission

New England Conference of Public Utilities Commissioners

• Commissioner Riley Allen, Vermont Public Utility Commission
• Chair Matthew Nelson, Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities

Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners

• Commissioner Kimberly Duffley, North Carolina Utilities Commission
• Chair Ted Thomas, Arkansas Public Service Commission

Western Conference of Public Service Commissioners

• Commissioner Kristine Raper, Idaho Public Utilities Commission
• Commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen, California Public Utilities Commission

“We are fortunate to have such an excellent pool of candidates. These applications clearly demonstrate a sincere interest and desire among our members to be engaged in transmission issues,” said NARUC President Paul Kjellander, who heads the Idaho Public Utilities Commission. “We look forward to the next steps in the process and creating the much-needed federal-state coordination to better serve the public interest.”

The next step in the process is for FERC officially to appoint the state commissioner participants from NARUC’s nominees. Appointed participants will serve one-year terms that can be renewed for a total of three years. If appointed by FERC, the 10 state commissioners will participate on the task force on behalf of NARUC and the regions; however, all state commissions may participate in public task force meetings by offering agenda topics and submitting comments before and after meetings. Part of the responsibilities of task force members will be to conduct outreach to other commissioners and commissions in their regions to ensure the task force receives a broad view of the regional issues. Staff from FERC, NARUC and state public utility commissions will support the task force.

NARUC’s filing is available https://bit.ly/3wPGDgy.

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Expanded URL: https://pubs.naruc.org/pub/78BD2335-1866-DAAC-99FB-D8D233570FB8

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About NARUC

NARUC is a non-profit organization founded in 1889 whose members include the governmental agencies that are engaged in the regulation of utilities and carriers in the fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. NARUC's member agencies regulate telecommunications, energy, and water utilities. NARUC represents the interests of state public utility commissions before the three branches of the Federal government.