Naruc

Connecticut regulator John Betkoski III is the new president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), filling a slot vacated by Robert Powelson, who was sworn in at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last week. Betkoski formerly served as NARUC’s first vice president and is the vice chairman of the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. NARUC second vice president Ellen Nowak, who is chair of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, will become first vice president, NARUC said.

A panel of experts said the nation’s electric utilities have resources at their disposal to fight cyber threats, but concerns remain over how much training their personnel receives and whether the Trump administration could issue an executive order to help bolster cybersecurity.

The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners has ratified a resolution calling on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reconsider its recent decision removing the five-year cap that limited the length of contract term that an existing shipper must match in order renew an expiring pipeline contract under the right-of-first-refusal (ROFR) process (see NGI, Nov. 4). The action came at the group’s annual meeting in Chicago last week.

National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners is expected to vote Wednesday to ratify a resolution approved by its gas committee and board of directors earlier in the week, calling on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reconsider its recent decision removing the five-year cap that limited the length of contract term that an existing shipper must match in order renew an expiring pipeline contract under the right-of-first-refusal (ROFR) process (see Daily GPI, Oct. 31).

A California utility consumer advocate and a Kentucky-basedeconomist/consultant offered a national meeting of state regulatorycommissioners in San Diego last week different prescriptions forproviding long-term relief to retail consumers in the midst ofvarious electric industry restructuring efforts scattered aroundthe nation.

Competition has changed the energy industry forever, spurringcompanies to use creativity to provide real choices for all energycustomers, according to Oliver G. Richard III, CEO of ColumbiaEnergy Group, at yesterday’s plenary session of the seventh annualNatural Gas Conference sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energyand the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners.