People In Power

“Gone are the days of stable and predictable growth. It used to be that we would have a preapproval case before us, and all the parties would come in and hammer out a unanimous settlement agreement. Now it’s a major fight.”

PUF’s popular series on contentious issues facing state regulators takes off in 2026 with Oklahoma Chair Kim David and Wisconsin Chair Summer Strand, who discussed tough subjects with PUF Senior Advisor Paul Kjellander.

“The way to pay your own way is for us to identify the infrastructure that’s purpose-built to serve you. The good news is that the hyperscalers we’re dealing with fully agree with that. We created bespoke tariffs.”

“Woven throughout these discussions was a common, essential thread: people. Southern Company and our peers in the electric utility industry are committed to putting the customer at the center of industry transformation.”

“I’d be hard-pressed to see where there’ll ever be any utility scale generation built again – renewable or fossil fuel – because of dynamics of the region; land is too valuable. Through OPSI, we are trying to work through that process.”

“Where nuclear shines and utilities are uniquely positioned to provide insight is total system cost where microreactors win. They look expensive on an individual project basis, but in the context of needing to run a new natural gas pipeline or build a new transmission line, they make sense.”

“Our impact is greater when we work together to find the best outcomes possible. That is why I gravitated toward a three-year theme, alongside President Rendahl and First Vice President Hudson.”

“I plan to focus on cooperation among regulators, utilities, and federal partners. I hope to explore how we can take all we’ve learned from pilot programs and past modernization efforts and affordability initiatives. I want us to turn these lessons into action.”

“Uniting Regulators and Harmonizing Impact is not about uniformity, it’s about coordination and strategic alignment, so we can achieve important goals like resource adequacy and affordability by working effectively together.”

Conversations with NARUC President and Washington Commissioner Ann Rendahl, First Vice President and Virginia Commissioner Jehmal Hudson, and Second Vice President and Minnesota Chair Katie Sieben with PUF Senior Advisor Paul Kjellander, former NARUC and Idaho Commission President.