In what may be a nod to its aspirations for regional markets in the Western Interconnection, SPP said Thursday it has hired Kara Fornstrom, chair of the Wyoming Public Service Commission, as its director of state regulatory policy.

Fornstrom will be responsible for leading SPP’s state regulatory policy efforts and supporting its efforts on related RTO policy matters. She will join the organization Jan. 19. Her last day at the PSC will be Jan. 15, according to a press release from Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon.

“It’s an honor to join the SPP team of great professionals and work with stakeholders on the important state regulatory policy issues that are critical to the market’s success,” Fornstrom said in a statement. “I’m especially grateful for the opportunity given SPP’s exciting expansion into the Western Interconnection.”

NRG Energy’s Travis Kavulla, a former commissioner for eight years in neighboring Montana and one-time president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, tweeted his support for Fornstrom.

“She has been a champion for Wyoming in her role as chair of its PSC, and I’m glad to see she’ll be involved in the future of organized markets as they continue to evolve out West,” he said.

A former president of the Western Conference of Public Service Commissioners (WCPSC), Fornstrom has also served on NARUC’s Board of Directors. She has more than 20 years of experience advocating for natural resources and electricity issues.

She has represented Wyoming as chair of the Western Interconnection Regional Advisory Board, vice chair of the Energy Imbalance Market’s Body of State Regulators, a Class 5 Member of the WECC Advisory Committee, and a member of the Committee on Regional Electric Power Cooperation and the Northern Tier Transmission Group.

“Kara has extensive experience in state regulatory and policy matters involving the electric industry and will provide effective counsel for our organization,” SPP General Counsel Paul Suskie said.

An RTO spokesman said Fornstrom will be “very involved” in NARUC and other regional organizations, like the WCPSC and the Mid-America Regulatory Conference. She will also continue the RTO’s interactions with its Regional State Committee and state commissioners. Her hire won’t result any organizational structure changes in SPP’s legal or regulatory groups.

“I want to thank Kara for her dedication to Wyoming and her diligence and commitment to the ratepayers of the state,” Gordon said. “During her tenure she addressed a number of challenging issues and helped to set an agenda to provide reliable, consistent, affordable electricity to Wyoming consumers, while also recognizing our ability to do all of that and help reduce CO2 emissions with carbon capture.”

The governor said he would announce a replacement “shortly” to complete Fornstrom’s term, which ends in 2025.