Dewine wants new list of utility regulator applicants
COLUMBUS – Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine wants a new list of candidates to replace top utility regulator Sam Randazzo, who resigned after the FBI searched his home.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio nominating council offered Dewine a list of four finalists in late December:
h Former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Judi French.
h Angela Amos, a senior policy advisor at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the federal version of PUCO.
h Greg Poulos, executive director of Consumer Advocates of the PJM State Inc.
h Anne Vogel, a top Dewine policy advisor who previously worked for American Electric and Power.
But on Wednesday, Dewine asked the 12-member nominating council to go back to the drawing board.
“The list contained candidates who could be an appropriate addition to the PUCO,” Dewine wrote. “However, I would like to consider additional capable candidates before making my appointment to the vacancy.”
The appointment to the PUCO, which oversees the state’s utilities, turned into an unusually high profile pick after Randazzo resigned in November.
Documents subpoenaed by the FBI later revealed Randazzo assisted in drafting House Bill 6, which provides a $1 billion bailout to two nuclear plants in northern Ohio owned by Energy Harbor, previously known as Firstenergy Solutions.
That law came under scrutiny by federal investigators who allege companies, such as Firstenergy, spent nearly $61 million in bribes to pass and defend House Bill 6. Former House Speaker Larry Householder and four others were arrested as part of the probe.
Firstenergy also reported a $4 million consulting payment with apparent ties to a state regulator. That contributed to the firing of Firstenergy’s CEO Chuck Jones and other executives.
Two of the candidates, French and Vogel, had connections to Firstenergy. French had received campaign contributions from the company while running for Ohio Supreme Court and Vogel was Dewine’s energy policy advisor during Randazzo’s appointment and the House Bill 6 debate.
On Tuesday, Dewine announced French would lead the Ohio Department of Insurance, removing one name from the list.
Opponents of the nuclear plant bailout want Dewine to appoint someone without any ties to Firstenergy.
“Gov. Dewine had the opportunity to pick a real advocate for consumers from this list and take a stand against the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history, but he is choosing not to,” said Michael Mcgovern, managing director of the think tank Progressohio. If Dewine is serious about taking on corruption, he needs to appoint a PUCO chair with no utility ties or connections to the current compromised commission.”
Dewine wrote that the new list could include current finalists as well as new applicants.