New FERC Commissioner with xmsn ties

June 14th, 2009

texaslonghornsancho

A little birdie told me that John Norris, who was a biggie in “Organization of MISO States” home of UMTDI, was appointed by Obama to FERC.

Here’s the White House press release:

John R. Norris, Nominee for Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

John R. Norris is currently serving as Chief of Staff for Secretary Tom Vilsack at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Prior to joining the USDA, Norris served as Chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) from 2005 to 2009.  As a member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) he worked on the Electricity Committee and was Co-Chair of the 2009 National Electricity Delivery Forum.  He served as a Board Member, Secretary and President of the Organization of Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO) States as well as Chairman of the MISO Demand Response Working Group.  He also was a member of the FERC/NARUC Demand Response Collaborative.  Norris was on the Board of Directors of the National Regulatory Research Institute, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Iowa Power Fund and served on the Advisory Councils of the Iowa Energy Center, the Financial Research Institute for the University of Missouri College of Business and the Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research at the University of Iowa.  In 1999 and 2000 he was Chairman of the Iowa Electric Restructuring Task Force while serving as Chief of Staff for then Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack.  Norris also worked for U.S. Representative Leonard Boswell (IA-3rd) as Boswell’s Chief of Staff from 1997 to 1998.  From 1989 to 2003 he owned and managed a restaurant in Greenfield, Iowa and he was State Director of the Iowa Farm Unity Coalition during the Farm Crisis of the 1980’s.  Norris graduated with distinction from the College of Law at the University of Iowa in 1995 and received his undergraduate degree in 1981 from Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.

Obama names Vilsack aide to serve on energy panel

WASHINGTON

President Barack Obama has nominated a longtime aide to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to serve on the federal board overseeing the nation’s energy sector.

John Norris, who currently serves as Vilsack’s chief of staff at the Agriculture Department, was nominated by the White House on Wednesday to serve on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Norris worked as Vilsack’s chief of staff when Vilsack served as Iowa’s governor. Norris was also a top aide to Iowa Rep. Leonard Boswell.

Norris previously served as chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board from 2005 to 2009.

Gee, I wonder where he’ll stand on transmission… sigh…

Posted by Carol A. Overland
Filed in Energy, Transmission
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