Hawaii Public Utilities Commission

	Hawaii Public Utilities Commission
	; ;
	General information
Office Type:	Non-partisan
Office website:	Official Link
Total Seats:	3
Term limits:	None
	Structure
Length of term:	Serve at the pleasure of the governor
Authority:	Hawaii Revised Statutes, 269-2
Leadership:	Hermina Morita
Selection Method:	Appointed by the governor
	Other Hawaii Executive Offices
	Governor•Lieutenant Governor•Attorney General•Director of Finance•Auditor•Superintendent of Education•Agriculture Commissioner•Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs•Chairperson of Land and Natural Resources•Director of Labor and Industrial Relations•Public Utilities Commission

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The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission is a state executive position in the Hawaii state government. The commission is responsible for regulating the state's public utilities, including electricity, gas, telecommunications, water and sewage, and motor and water transportation companies. The commission is composed of three members appointed by the governor and subject to confirmation by the state Senate. Commissioners serve six year terms and face no term limits.

Current officeholders

The current commissioners are Lorraine Akiba (appointed 2012), Hermina Morita (chair) (appointed 2011) and Michael Champley (appointed 2011).

Authority

The public utilities commission is established by state statute.^[1]

Hawaii Revised Statutes, 269-2

(a) There shall be a public utilities commission of three members, to be called commissioners, and who shall be appointed in the manner prescribed in section 26-34

Qualifications

State law instructs the governor to appoint commissioners "who have had experience in accounting, business, engineering, government, finance, law, or other similar field." In addition, no commissioner may own any stock or bond of a public utility.^[1]

Hawaii Revised Statutes, 269-2

In appointing commissioners, the governor shall select persons who have had experience in accounting, business, engineering, government, finance, law, or other similar fields. The commissioners shall devote full time to their duties as members of the commission and no commissioner shall hold any other public office or other employment during the commissioner's term of office. No person owning any stock or bonds of any public utility corporation, or having any interest in, or deriving any remuneration from, any public utility shall be appointed a commissioner.

Appointments

All members of Public Utilities Commission, including the chairperson, are appointed by the governor with the consent of the state Senate.

Term limits

Public Utilities Commissioners are not subject to term limits.

Vacancies

Section 26-34 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes provides that vacancies in the board be filled according to Article V, Section 6 of the Hawaii Constitution. If a vacancy occurs, the governor appoints a replacement with the consent of the state Senate. If the Senate is out of session when the vacancy occurs, the governor may appoint a temporary replacement to exercise the powers of attorney general until the legislature reconvenes.

Duties

Commissioners are responsible for regulating the rates and business practices of public utilities, i.e. electricity, gas, telecommunications, private water and sewage and water/land transport companies.

Compensation

In 2010, commissioners received a salary of $90,060.

Recent news

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