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Thomas Gorak
Thomas Gorak is a former member of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, the state body charged with regulating the state's utility companies. He served in this role from July 1, 2016, until May 2017, when the Hawaii State Senate rejected his nomination by Gov. David Ige (D).[1] [2]
Biography
Prior to his appointment, Gorak served as chief counsel and chief legal and regulatory advisor to the Public Utilities Commission since 2013. Before that, he had worked as an attorney in Maryland, Washington D.C., and Hawaii focusing on utilities law.[1][3]
Political career
Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (2016-2017)
Gorak served as a member of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission from July 2016 to May 2017.[1][2]
NextEra energy deal
Some observers, including former Public Utilities Commission Chair Hermina Morita criticized the timing of Gov. Ige's appointment of Gorak because the commission was preparing to vote on whether to allow NextEra Energy, a major energy company in Hawaii, to take over Hawaii Electric Co. Gov. Ige reportedly opposed the $4.5 billion deal, as did Gorak. Morita accused the governor of attempting to "politically influence the decision by the PUC" by "trying to force his particular candidate onto the commission" in time to kill the deal.
Gov. Ige denied the charges, saying that he was only hoping to speed up the process and that he had expected that the commission would have already reached its decision. Rep. Chris Lee, chairman of the Energy and Environmental Protection Committee, defended Gorak's appointment saying that "Tom Gorak is somebody who has a lot of background in all the dockets before the PUC as well as general experience with the utilities both here and around the country."[4]
Appointments
2016
Gorak was appointed to the commission by Gov. David Ige (D) on June 29, 2016. Gorak assumed office on July 1, 2016, and replaced former Commissioner Michael Champley, whose term expired June 30.[1]
Appointment challenged by the state Senate
On July 6, 2016, several members of the Hawaii State Senate filed a complaint with Attorney General Doug Chin questioning the legality of Governor Ige's appointment of Gorak to the commission. Hawaii law states that a sitting commissioner “shall hold office until the member’s successor is appointed and qualified,” which senators argue means that successors must be confirmed by the Senate. However, Chin told Ige in a letter that it meant "the governor’s review of the qualifications of the individual as well as the taking of the oath of office by the appointee." Champley has stated that he did not voluntary leave his position and that he is "disappointed" in Ige's decision to remove him from the commission prior to the vote, which is expected to take place soon, though a court challenge of Gorak's appointment could further delay it.[5][6][7]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Thomas Gorak Hawaii Public Utilities. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
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Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 khon2, "HECO-NextEra in new limbo as governor appoints PUC lawyer to commissioner," June 29, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 KHON 2, "Gorak out as Senate votes down governor's Public Utilities Commission pick," April 28, 2017
- ↑ Governor of Hawaii, "GOVERNOR’S OFFICE NEWS RELEASE: GOVERNOR APPOINTS THOMAS GORAK TO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION," accessed July 2, 2016
- ↑ Hawaii News Now, "Governor's pick for PUC proves controversial," accessed July 2, 2016
- ↑ Khon2, "Senatorschallenge attorney general on grounds for governor's utility appointment," July 6, 2016
- ↑ Khon2, "Senators weight suing governor overPUC appointment on eve of HECO decision," June 30, 2016
- ↑ UtilityDive, "NextEra decision looming, Hawaii lawmakers consider suing Gov. Ige over PUC appointment," July 5, 2016
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Michael Champley |
Hawaii Public Utilities Commission 2016-2017 |
Succeeded by James Griffin |
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