Gov. Ned Lamont on Monday nominated four people to serve on the state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, including Thomas Wiehl as chairman.
Along with Wiehl, who currently serves as the legal and regulatory director for the state Office of Consumer Counsel, Lamont nominated Janice Beecher of New Britain, Holly Cheeseman of Niantic and Everett Smith of Greenwich.
All four will begin serving in an interim capacity, with their nominations set to go before the General Assembly in February 2026.
State law permits a maximum of five commissioners to serve on PURA. Each commissioner serves a four-year term, and the governor is required to select one of them to serve as chairperson.
“These four nominees have an extensive amount of expertise and a diverse set of experience in energy and utilities,” Lamont said in a statement. “The public’s interest must come first. PURA’s mission is to ensure that essential services are provided safely, reliably, and at just and reasonable rates.”
PURA currently has two active commissioners: Vice Chairman David Arconti Jr., in his first term, and Michael Caron, who has served since 2012 and plans to retire later this year.
Former PURA Commissioner Marissa Gillett, who had led the authority since 2019, resigned on Oct. 10.
Gillett’s resignation came just months after she was reappointed to another four-year term despite sharp opposition from Republicans and pushback from utility executives. Companies including Eversource and Avangrid accused her of overstepping her authority and undermining their financial stability, while Republican leaders faulted her over transparency issues.
Wiehl, of Madison, has previously held seveal roles at the Consumer Counsel and worked in both the private sector and public defense.
“I am honored to be nominated as chair at such a critical moment for our state,” Wiehl said. “I am eager to collaborate with my colleagues on the bench and PURA’s dedicated staff to improve outcomes and advance our state’s affordability and grid reliability goals.”
Beecher, a professor emeritus at Michigan State University, is a recognized expert with four decades of experience in applied research, continuing education, and practice in the economic regulation of public utilities, including as a staff member of the Illinois Commerce Commission. She also edits Utilities Policy, a leading regulatory industry journal.
Cheeseman is a former state representative who served on the Energy and Technology Committee. She also has held multiple local offices.
Smith, a longtime investor in energy and infrastructure, founded GoldenSet Capital Partners and previously held senior roles at GE Capital and Chemical Bank.
The appointments will restore PURA to a full complement of commissioners as the agency tackles regulatory challenges and grid modernization across the state.
State Sen. Stephen Harding (R-Brookfield) and Rep. Vincent Candelora (R-Greenwich), who lead their respective caucasus, joined the ranking GOP members of the Energy & Technology Committee, Rep. Tracy Marra (R-Darien) and Sen. Ryan Fazio (R-Greenwich), in issuing a statement about the governor’s nominees.
“After six years, Gov. Lamont finally complied with state law and filled all vacancies on the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority,” they said, adding that this “is an opportunity for a fresh start at PURA and a reset for the governor himself.”