PSC of Utah
John Harvey was appointed to the Public Service Commission of Utah by Governor Spencer Cox on May 11, 2023, and had been a member of the PSC’s technical staff since 1998. John serves also on the Committee on Regional Electric Power Cooperation (CREPC), as Co-Chair of the FERC Order 1920 Ad Hoc Committee and on CREPC’s Transmission Collaborative. He is a member of the Body of State Regulators for the Western Energy Imbalance Market, Extended Day Ahead Market, and Regional Issues (CAISO). At NARUC he is on the Commission Committee and Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment.
Paul Kjellander is PUF Senior Advisor, former NARUC and Idaho Commission President.
Load growth and system planning all require adding electric utility infrastructure but building that runs smack into many reasons for delays, including permitting, NIMBY-ism, supply chain disruptions, and more. The situation threatens to stunt the needed industry growth to handle increased demand.
Throw in affordability, and the issues surrounding meeting the energy required to allow modern society to thrive become even more fraught. Regulators are charged with the difficult task of figuring it all out, culminating in decisions that serve the public interest.
Public Utilities Fortnightly Senior Advisor Paul Kjellander discussed the tough issues surrounding utility infrastructure build with three Commissioners in diverse regions of the U.S. Arkansas Commissioner Katie Anderson, Utah Commissioner John Harvey, and Massachusetts Chair Jeremy McDiarmid talked about how they weigh utility planning options aimed at meeting unprecedented load growth.
PUF’s Paul Kjellander: How significant of a challenge is it trying to make sure that Utah’s electric infrastructure keeps pace with growth?
Commissioner Harvey: We have had high economic growth for a long time. Going back to the 1980 census, as a percentage, we were one of the highest growth states in the country and we’ve continued on that path.