FRI Recognized as a “Program of Distinction”

May 3, 2024 We are excited to announce that FRI has been named a Program of Distinction by the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.Since its founding in 1988, FRI has been bringing together state utility regulators, utility executives, and consumer advocates across the United States to learn about, discuss, and debate issues affecting regulated utility industries and how those utilities should be regulated. By providing a neutral environment to engage in these conversations, FRI contributes to more efficient and effective utility regulation that supports economic, environmental, and human health.This Program of Distinction designation…

Stan Wise Selected for 2024 Crystal Award

April 18, 2024 FRI has selected Stan Wise as recipient of the 2024 Crystal Award for Distinguished Service. Stan Wise was elected statewide four consecutive times, to serve on the Public Service Commission from January 1995 through February 2018. His first elected public office was as a Cobb County Commissioner in 1990. He previously served the county as a member of the Cobb County Planning Commission and also on the Board of Zoning Appeals. Wise was a Board Member of the ten-county Atlanta Regional Commission from 1992 through 1994. Stan served on the National Petroleum Council for the 2016-2017 term…

Kaley Bangston Joins FRI Advisory Board

April 3, 2024 FRI is pleased to welcome Kaley Bangston, Director of Regulatory and Political Affairs for NextEra Energy to our Advisory Board. In her current role with NextEra Energy, Kaley serves as lead on PJM region state legislative and regulatory issues and activities across all business activities. Kaley has more than 10 years of policy experience in the policy sector. She previously worked at Chicago-based clean energy company Invenergy and Boston-based environmental management consulting firm, M.J. Bradley and Associates supporting independent power producers and environmental nonprofit organizations in policy strategy.  She received her Bachelor’s degree in finance…

New York PSC Chair Rory Christian Joins FRI Advisory Board

February 19, 2024 FRI is pleased to welcome Rory Christian, Chair of the New York Public Service Commission, to FRI’s Advisory Board. Chair Christian was first appointed to the NY PSC in June 2021, and appointed Chair and CEO in September 2021. He joined the PSC after several years experience in and related to the energy industry, having begun his career with Keyspan Energy before stints at National Grid and Constellation NewEnergy. He also served as Director of Energy Finance and Sustainability Management for the New York Housing Authority and as New York Director, Clean Energy for the Environmental…

Kristin Munsch Joins FRI Advisory Board

February 13, 2024 FRI is pleased to welcome Kristin Munsch, Senior Associate General Counsel for Commonwealth Edison (ComEd), to our Advisory Board. Her work focuses on regulatory policy and litigation, including the implementation of Illinois’ most recent energy legislation, the Climate & Equitable Jobs Act. Before working with ComEd, Kristin was the Director for Regulatory and Customer Strategy with National Grid where she focused on policies and strategies to advance state and company clean energy goals. She comes from a consumer advocacy background, having served as Deputy Director for the Illinois Citizens Utility Board and Assistant Attorney General for…

Rob Daniel Joins FRI Advisory Board

January 29, 2024 FRI is pleased to announce that Rob Daniel, Director of Regulatory for Black Hills Energy, has joined the FRI Advisory Board. In his role with Black Hills, Rob is responsible for overseeing and participating in the development of regulatory strategy, policy, tariffs, regulatory filings, and regulatory relations for Arkansas and Kansas.Rob has 15 years of utility industry experience. He started his career with the Arkansas Public Service Commission and worked with CenterPoint Energy for over five years before joining Black Hills. Prior to his current role, Rob served as Manager of Regulatory and Finance, primarily…

Patrice Jones Hunter Joins FRI Advisory Board

January 3, 2024 FRI is pleased to welcome Patrice Jones Hunter, Senior Director of State Regulatory Policy for the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), to FRI’s Advisory Board. Patrice was promoted to Senior Director after servicing as Director of State Energy and Regulatory Policy for two years. In her current role, she serves as the lead on state regulatory policy issues and activities in support of the investor-owned electric power industry. Prior to working with EEI, Patrice served as an Energy Regulatory Reform Manager at Deloitte Consulting LLP, providing strategic consulting to the federal government public sector in…

FRI, Looking Back and Looking Ahead

December 21, 2023 Written by Dr. Michael Sykuta, Executive Director of FRI As 2023 draws to a close, so does my third year as Executive Director of FRI. To say the past three years have been a whirlwind would be an understatement. It’s been a time of growth for me personally, learning about the issues facing the three regulated utility industries we address (electricity, natural gas, and water/wastewater systems), learning the regulatory landscape, and pivoting my research and teaching focus more toward regulatory economics and public utilities. It has also been a time of growth for FRI, as we’ve expanded…

Rachelle Whitacre and Nicor Gas Join FRI Advisory Board

November 7, 2023 FRI is pleased to welcome Rachelle Whitacre, Director of Regulatory Affairs for Nicor Gas, to the FRI’s Advisory Board, and to announce Nicor Gas as our newest Gold-level FRI Sponsor. As Director of Regulatory Affairs for Nicor Gas, Rachelle leads regulatory policy, strategy and planning and is responsible for regulatory activities with the Illinois Commerce Commission. Rachelle joined Southern Company Gas in 2014 leading external affairs strategies for Virginia Natural Gas. She has 25 years of experience formulating and executing regulatory and legislative solutions in the natural gas, telecommunications, and health care industries. For six…

Kansas Commissioner Annie Kuether Joins FRI Advisory Board

October 19, 2023 FRI is pleased to welcome Commissioner Annie Kuether from the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) to our Advisory Board. Commissioner Kuether was appointed to the KCC in September 2023. She is a former member of the Kansas House of Representatives, representing the 55th district from 1997 to 2022. She was the highest ranking Democratic member of the House Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications Committee and served on the House Judiciary, House Corrections and Juvenile Justice, Joint Committee on Rules & Regulations, and Joint Committee on Pensions, Benefits, and Investments. She is a past president of the Women’s…