Arkansas PSC
Katie Anderson was appointed Chair of the Arkansas PSC in October 2022 and assumed the role of Commissioner in January 2023. Prior to joining the Commission, she served as an ALJ for the Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission. Her family owns I.F. Anderson Farms, a fourth-generation bait fish farm in operation since 1949, where she is VP and served as in-house counsel. At NARUC, she serves on the Board of Directors, Committee on Gas, Executive Committee for the National Council on Electricity Policy, and Subcommittee on Education and Research. She is on the Board of the Organization of MISO States.
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 has the conversation around electric infrastructure changed, and what are the biggest challenges Arkansas faces as it plans for continued growth?