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Utilities staff seek to restore vacancies, maintain consultant capacity during AWS review
Summary
Utility regulators told the subcommittee they are seeking to restore funded positions cut during office disruption, maintain contract capacity to handle new filings and support the AWS project; they reported 19 current staff in the field and said utilities pay most consultant costs by statute.
A representative from the utilities regulatory staff told the Appropriations Subcommittee the office seeks to restore funded positions and preserve consultant access while the agency takes on new work related to the AWS project and other rate filings.
The staff member said the office is budgeted for 25 field positions but currently has 19 filled. Several vacancies have been advertised and applications are under review; managers said they expect to fill those posts if appropriations allow. The agency said it is requesting level funding to restore the previously requested budget and that the current reduction primarily reflected vacancy savings while the office was temporarily displaced by a building flood.
On consultants, the staff member said utilities typically pay consultant costs for cases that concern them, but there are circumstances — such as new utility filings where a payment agreement is not yet in place — where the office covers consultant expenses temporarily. The regulator said much of the office’s extra contract work is tied to the AWS project and the agency has reduced some outside contracting over time as staff come on board.
Why it matters: Restoring staff positions and preserving consultant capacity affects the pace at which the commission can review new rate cases and filings, which in turn affects utilities, municipalities and customers. The subcommittee asked for a break‑out of consultant spending and vehicle inventory and said it would follow up as part of the appropriations process.
No vote occurred during the hearing.
