Michael Picker is an experienced hand at shepherding public engagement in complex policy and program decisions. His experience spans from serving a Sacramento mayor, as a SMUD director, to two governors and now as president of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Having recently assumed the latter post, he is forthrightly moving ahead with reforming CPUC deliberations and decisions to enhance public transparency and accountability. He is personally managing employee and public safety issues. Both are sensitive undertakings that demand all of his wisdom and accumulated talents. A Los Angeles Times story from this past Sunday records “a promising signal the commission is turning itself around.” An administrative law judge turned down a utility’s plan to buy electricity from a natural gas power plant instead urging the purchase of more renewables. There are legitimate differences of opinion on how to manage California’s globally-precedential renewable energy portfolio and the devil’s in the details on how to achieve 2020 climate goals and beyond. But these decisions, reinforced by the strong stance of Mr. Picker, are rightly made in the public eye. We wish President Picker full and speedy success.
