Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission

09/04/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/04/2024 16:12

UTC Commissioner Rendahl Appointed to FRI Advisory Board

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UTC Commissioner Rendahl Appointed to FRI Advisory Board

LACEY, Wash. - Commissioner Ann Rendahl of the Utilities and Transportation Commission has been appointed to the advisory board of the Financial Research Institute (FRI), a national leader in promoting research and education in public utility regulation. Commissioner Rendahl's appointment underscores her extensive experience and commitment to the utility sector.

Commissioner Rendahl has been a member of the UTC since her initial appointment in December 2014 and is currently serving her second six-year term. Her role at the UTC has been marked by a commitment to ensuring fair and effective regulation of utility and transportation services in Washington state.

As part of her new role, Rendahl will join other FRI advisory board members in providing professional advice, setting strategic direction, and organizing topics and speakers for various FRI programs. Established in 1988, the FRI advisory board is a key component of the institute, which brings together regulatory, industry, and consumer stakeholders from across the United States.

In addition to her role with FRI, Commissioner Rendahl serves as the second vice president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). She actively participates in key committees, including those focused on electricity and critical infrastructure. Her leadership extends to the NARUC executive committee and board of directors, and she is a former chair of the Committee on Electricity.

Rendahl's expertise is further recognized through her involvement with the Southwest Power Pool's Markets+ States Committee, her past service on the Body of State Regulators for the California ISO's Energy Imbalance Market, and her role on advisory councils for both the Electric Power Research Institute and the Center for Public Utilities at New Mexico State University.

Before becoming a commissioner, Rendahl held various roles within the UTC, including director of policy and legislation, director of the Administrative Law Division, administrative law judge, and assistant attorney general. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and holds a master's degree in public policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, and a law degree from UC Law San Francisco.

The UTC regulates the rates and services of telecommunications companies, investor-owned electric utilities, natural gas and water companies, solid waste collection companies, household goods movers, passenger transportation companies, commercial ferries, pipeline companies, marine pilotage, and a low-level radioactive waste repository. The commission does not regulate the rates of broadband services, cellular, cable, or internet services.