Greenlining Urges Confirmation of Consumer-Friendly CPUC Nominees
January 18th, 2012
Senate Rules Committee Hearing Today, 1:30 p.m.
Contact:
Samuel S. Kang, Greenlining Institute General Counsel, 415-317-5946 (cell)
Bruce Mirken, Greenlining Institute Media Relations Coordinator, 510-926-4022; 415-846-7758 (cell)
SACRAMENTO – With the Senate Rules Committee preparing to hold a hearing this afternoon on the nominations of Catherine J.K. Sandoval and Michel P. Florio to the California Public Utilities Commission, The Greenlining Institute strongly urged confirmation of these two consumer-friendly nominees.
“The CPUC is arguably the most powerful and closely scrutinized regulatory agency in California,” said Greenlining General Counsel Samuel S. Kang. “Anyone appointed to this demanding environment needs an unusual combination of intellect, integrity, and leadership, and by those measures, you could not find better picks than Commissioners Sandoval and Florio.”
Sandoval, California’s first Latina Rhodes Scholar, was a law professor and expert on telecommunications law at Santa Clara University and previously served as undersecretary for housing with the state’s Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. Florio was a senior attorney for The Utility Reform Network for over 30 years and was a member of the board of governors of the California Independent System Operator from 1997 to 2005.
Kang noted that consideration of these commissioners comes at a time when public trust in the CPUC has suffered and a series of critical issues loom in the next few years, including how to prevent disasters like the San Bruno gas pipeline explosion, overhauling the electrical delivery system, and dwindling competition in the wireless and broadband industries.
“They’ll have to convince families, small businesses and underserved communities that the CPUC won’t leave them behind when making these critical decisions,” said Kang. ”Fortunately, this year, transparency has been a hallmark for Commissioners Sandoval and Florio, who both spent their entire professional lives working to empower communities. They must stay committed to this principle if they are going to win back the public’s trust.”
Sandoval and Florio were appointed by Governor Jerry Brown on January 25, 2011. CPUC Commissioners are appointed by the Governor to serve six-year terms and must be confirmed by the state Senate within a year of their appointment.
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THE GREENLINING INSTITUTE
A Multi-Ethnic Public Policy, Research and Advocacy Institute
www.greenlining.org