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Witness urges Senate panel to reject nominee to lead Vermont Department of Public Service over VELCO ties
Summary
A Montpelier telecommunications planner testified Jan. 22 before the Senate Finance Committee urging senators not to confirm the governor’s nominee to lead the Department of Public Service, citing close ties to VELCO and calling for greater oversight of the utility’s fiber and telecom activities.
Steven Whitaker of Montpelier told the Senate Finance Committee on Jan. 22 that the committee should not confirm Governor‑appointed Eric Johnson to serve as commissioner of the Department of Public Service because of what Whitaker described as close ties between Johnson and VELCO, a transmission company with significant fiber and radio assets in Vermont.
“Do we really want the fox guarding the hen house?” Whitaker asked, urging senators to scrutinize the nominee’s ties to a regulated entity and to seek a commissioner with no direct connection to the utilities they will oversee.
Whitaker…
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