FRI News

Dec. 20, 2023

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,…

Nov. 6, 2023

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.

Oct. 18, 2023

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…

July 23, 2023

FRI Welcomes New Advisory Board Members Helland, Gunn, and Kuzman

October 2, 2023 FRI is pleased to welcome Chairman Erik M. Helland of the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB), Kevin Gunn of NextEra Energy Resources, and Robert (Bob) Kuzman of MISO to FRI’s Advisory Board.

July 20, 2023

Josiah Cox Joins FRI Advisory Board

July 21, 2023 FRI is pleased to announce that Josiah Cox, President and Founder for Central States Water Resources, has joined FRI’s Advisory Board. An experienced and deeply passionate water utility industry executive, early in his career, Josiah spent several years leading wildlife habitat studies and water and wastewater civil engineering land development efforts. In 2010, he developed a business strategy to acquire and recapitalize failing water and wastewater systems as investor-owned utility companies. Ultimately, this became Central States Water Resources which now operates in 11 states and is the 10th largest investor-owned utility in…

July 2, 2023

California Commissioner John Reynolds Joins FRI Advisory Board

July 5, 2023 FRI is pleased to welcome Commissioner John Reynolds of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to the FRI Advisory Board. Commissioner Reynolds was appointed to the CPUC by Governor Gavin Newsom on Dec. 23, 2021, and reappointed on Dec. 22, 2022. Commissioner Reynolds had previously served as Managing Counsel at Cruise LLC since 2019. Prior to that, he held multiple positions at the CPUC, including Interim Chief of Staff to Commissioner Genevieve Shiroma in 2018, Advisor to former Commissioner Carla J. Peterman from 2015 to 2018, and Public Utilities Counsel from 2013 to 2015.

June 28, 2023

DC Commission, Chair Thompson Join FRI Advisory Board

June 29, 2023 FRI is pleased to welcome the District of Columbia Public Service Commission and Chairman Emile C. Thompson to the FRI Advisory Board. The DC PSC regulates the monopoly electric distribution, natural gas, and telecom utilities serving the District’s approximately 700 thousand residents. The District of Columbia joins 16 state public utility commissions represented on FRI’s Advisory Board. Chairman Thompson was first appointed to the DC PSC by Mayor Muriel Bowser in 2021 and re-appointed as Interim Chairman on December 1, 2021. He was confirmed as Chairman on June 7, 2022. He is an…

April 11, 2023

Andreas D. Thanos Selected for 2023 Crystal Award

April 12 ,2023 FRI is pleased to announce that Andreas D. Thanos has been selected as recipient of the 2023 Crystal Award for Distinguished Contribution. In addition to his exemplary work as a long-time state energy regulatory commission staffer, Thanos also demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to the larger energy community, both nationally and internationally, through his active work with NARUC, USAID, North American Energy Standards Board and the Gas Technology Institute. Thanos began his work with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities in 1993 as an economist in the gas division. Today, Thanos relies on his…

July 5, 2022

Illinois Commissioner Ann McCabe Joins FRI Advisory Board

July 6, 2022 FRI is pleased to welcome Commissioner Ann McCabe of the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) to the FRI Advisory Board. Commissioner McCabe was appointed to a five-year term at the ICC starting February 1, 2022. She previously served on the Commission from March 2012 to January 2017. Prior to returning to the ICC, for two years Ann led the US team at the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP), a non-profit that advises state utility regulators, staff and stakeholders. She has over 25 years of energy and environmental policy and regulatory experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors. In…

June 9, 2022

Dr. Ohler Awarded MU Research Council Grant

June 10, 2022 Dr. Adrienne Ohler, Associate Research Professor with FRI,  was recently awarded a grant by the University of Missouri Research Council to support a new research project titled The Economics of Environmental Health Disparities: Who Benefits from Coal Power Plant Closures? Disparate exposure to energy-related air pollution has been shown to increase health inequalities for low income and minority populations, increase their cost of healthcare, and lead to a struggle between energy production and public health and health disparities. To evaluate the economics of these environmental health disparities, Dr. Ohler will examine the distribution of health benefits across…