Several western states, including Oregon, California and Arizona, are faced with filling vacant energy regulatory slots entering 2011.

In New Mexico, however, there is a full complement, and the five-member elected Public Regulation Commission (PRC) selected a newcomer, Patrick Lyons, for its chairman on a split 3-2 vote last Tuesday among the PRC members. Lyons is promoting a more pro-business approach to the state’s regulatory scheme.

Meanwhile, Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) Chairman Ray Baum said he will be leaving the commission Jan. 16 to work for U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) in Washington, DC. Baum was first appointed to the three-member Oregon PUC in August 2003 and was reappointed to another four-year term in September 2007. He was named chairman of the commission by Gov. Ted Kulongoski effective March 1 last year. His current four-year term expires in August. There was no indication in the Oregon PUC announcement on when a third commissioner would be appointed.

In California two of the five members of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will leave following the expiration of their six-year terms at the start of the new year. The outgoing CPUC members are Dian Grueneich and John Bohn, both appointees of outgoing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Gov. Jerry Brown had not yet indicated who might replace the outgoing regulators. So far, CPUC President Michael Peevey, a Democrat and long-standing appointee of the Republican Schwarzenegger, appears to be on track to continue leading the state panel as he has since 2003.

In Arizona the elected five-member regulatory commission named reelected Gary Pierce as the new chair and seated newcomer Brenda Burns.:

In New Mexico, Lyons, a veteran state official, will replace David King. Lyons comes to the state regulatory panel after eight years (2002-2010) as New Mexico’s Commissioner of Public Lands and eight years in the state Senate.

“I would like to see a task force established to look at what we can do to be more business friendly in the state,” Lyons said. “I want to take a look at some of the existing regulations to see if there are some that could be relaxed or loosened so as not to be burdensome to New Mexico businesses.”

The new chairman has asked PRC Chief of Staff Michael Rivera to begin creating a task force of various department heads at the regulatory commission to begin what he called “a thorough examination of existing rules and regulations.” Newly elected PRC Commissioner Ben Hall said he supports Lyons’ position.

Three existing PRC commissioners are continuing on the panel: Jason Marks, Jerome Block and Theresa Becenti-Aguilar.

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