Less than two weeks after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham appointed new members to the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, one member has resigned and the governor has named a replacement.
Lujan Grisham on Tuesday appointed James Ellison, principal grid analyst for the Grid Modernization Group at Sandia National Laboratories, to the three-member PRC. The appointment follows the resignation of Brian Moore, who said he didn’t meet the educational requirements for the job.
The PRC had been a five-member elected body since its formation in 1996 but transitioned on Jan. 1 to a three-member appointed panel. Lujan Grisham announced her appointments on Dec. 30. (See NM Rings in New Year with Reconfigured Utility Commission.)
The revamped PRC held its first meeting on Wednesday with commissioners Patrick O’Connell and Gabriel Aguilera participating because Ellison hadn’t been sworn in. The two commissioners decided that O’Connell will serve as PRC chairman.
Another item on the agenda was choosing a commissioner to serve on the SPP Regional State Committee. Aguilera expressed interest in the role, saying regional markets are one of his areas of expertise. But the commissioners agreed to wait until the next PRC meeting, when Ellison is expected to participate, to choose a representative.
Aguilera said the decision is an important one.
“In terms of regional markets, a lot of them are being designed right now, as we speak,” he said. “So, I do think that it is very important for us to be in those conversations to make sure that whatever solutions come out of those discussions represent a good outcome for New Mexicans.”
While Ellison did not participate in Wednesday’s meeting as a commissioner, he attended as a special guest and commented on the role of the PRC.
“The PRC is tasked with ensuring that the transition to renewables takes place, and that it takes place while preserving reliability and while ensuring that the cost of power be as low as reasonably possible,” Ellison said. “It’s certainly an honor to play a role in this transition.”
Moore, the PRC appointee who resigned, served in the state House of Representatives from 2001 to 2008 representing eastern New Mexico. He submitted a resume to the PRC Nominating Committee saying that he majored in business finance with statistical analysis at the University of Denver, but he never graduated from the school, a spokesperson for the governor told the Albuquerque Journal.
Under New Mexico statutes, PRC members must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education and at least 10 years of experience in the energy sector or an area regulated by the commission.
Alternatively, the commissioner may have completed higher education resulting in a professional license or a post-graduate degree in a field related to an area regulated by the commission and have at least 10 years of experience.
A seven-member PRC Nominating Committee selected nine potential commissioners and sent their names to Lujan Grisham for consideration. The governor noted that the Nominating Committee vetted the candidates.