Alaska Regulatory Commission
| Alaska Regulatory Commission | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Nonpartisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $124,449 |
| 2024 FY Budget: | $10,225,200 |
| Total Seats: | 5 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | Six years |
| Authority: | Alaska Statutes, Title 42, Chapter 4, Section 20 |
| Leadership: | Keith Kurber |
| Selection Method: | Appointed by the governor |
| Other Alaska Executive Offices | |
| Governor•Lieutenant Governor•Attorney General•Comptroller•Education Commissioner•Revenue Commissioner•Agriculture Director•Insurance Director•Natural Resources Commissioner•Labor Commissioner•Regulatory Commission | |
The Alaska Regulatory Commission is a quasi-executive regulatory agency in the Alaska state government. The commission, which consists of five appointed members, licenses and regulates the state's public utilities.
Current officeholder
The current officeholders are:
- Robert Doyle (nonpartisan)
- John Espindola (nonpartisan)
- Keith Kurber (nonpartisan)
- Robert Pickett (nonpartisan)
- John Springsteen (nonpartisan)
Authority
The authority of the commission derives from state statute.[1]
Alaska Statutes, Title 42, Chapter 4, Section 10
| (a) There is created within the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development as an independent agency of the state the Regulatory Commission of Alaska.
(b) The commission shall annually elect one of its members to serve as chair for the following fiscal year. |
Qualifications
Alaska law does not set any particular requirements for regulatory commission members. Commissioners must be a member of the Alaska Bar Association or have a degree from an accredited college with a major in one of several fields. In lieu of a degree in a required field, commissioners may substitute five years of work experience in law, engineering, finance, or several other disciplines.[2]
Alaska Statutes, Title 42, Chapter 4, Section 20
| To qualify for appointment as a commissioner, a person must be a member in good standing of the Alaska Bar Association or have a degree from an accredited college or university with a major in engineering, finance, economics, accounting, business administration, or public administration. Actual experience for a period of five years in the practice of law or in the field of engineering, finance, economics, accounting, business administration, or public administration is equivalent to a degree. |
Appointments
Commissioners are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the legislature in joint session.[3] Commissioners serve six-year terms.
Alaska Statutes, Title 42, Chapter 4, Section 20
| The commission consists of five commissioners appointed by the governor and confirmed by the legislature in joint session. |
Term limits
There are no term limits associated with the office of regulatory commissioner.
Vacancies
In the case of a vacancy of the chair, the commissioners elect one of their number to serve the remainder of the term.[1]
Alaska Statutes, Title 42, Chapter 4, Section 10
| When a vacancy occurs in the office of chair, the commission shall elect one of its members to serve the remaining term as chair. |
Duties
The chair's duties are largely managerial. The chair coordinates the other members of the commission and supervises the commission's staff. Title 42 of the Alaska statutes set out the chair's duties in detail:[4]
Alaska Statutes, Title 42, Chapter 4, Section 70
| (a) The chair of the commission shall
(1) employ the commission staff; (2) establish and implement a time management system for the commission; (3) assign the work of the commission to members and staff of the commission so that matters before the commission are resolved as expeditiously and competently as possible; when assigning a matter, the chair shall also set a date by which time the matter should be completed. (b) The chair of the commission may appoint a hearing examiner or an administrative law judge to hear a matter that has come before the commission; a member of the commission may serve as hearing examiner or, if qualified, as an administrative law judge. (c) The chair of the commission shall request the attorney general to participate as a party in a matter when the commission believes that it is in the public interest for the attorney general to do so. |
More broadly, the Regulatory Commission of Alaska licenses and regulates utility companies in the state of Alaska. The commission may mandate rates, practices and facilities, prescribe the system of accounts of a utility and investigate complaints. It also determines the subsidy support provided for low-income energy consumers under Alaska's Power Cost Equalization program.
The commission holds quasi-judicial hearings regarding proposed regulations or investigations where representatives of various stakeholder groups are allowed to testify and bring witnesses.
Divisions
As of January 6, 2021, sections within the Regulatory Commission of Alaska included:[5]
- Advisory
- Administrative Law
- Administrative Support
- Consumer Protection and Information
- Commission Support
- Common Carrier
- Engineering
- Information Systems
- Finance
- Records and Filing
- Tariffs
State budget
- See also: Alaska state budget and finances
The budget for the State Regulatory Commission in Fiscal Year 2024 was $10,225,200.[6]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
The chair of the commission receives a monthly salary equal to Step C, Range 27 in Alaska's governmental salary schedule, while ordinary commissioners are paid based on Step C, Range 26.[7]
2022
In 2022, each commissioner received a salary of $124,449, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2021
In 2021, each commissioner received a salary of $114,426, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2020
In 2020, each commissioner received a salary of $137,664 according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2019
In 2019, each commissioner received a salary of $133,332 according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2018
In 2018, each commissioner received a salary of $133,332 according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2017
In 2017, each commissioner received a salary of $129,132 according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2016
In 2016, each commissioner received a salary of $129,132, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2015
In 2015, each commissioner received a salary of $130,716, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2014
In 2014, the commissioners salaries increased to $129,420, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2013
In 2013, the commissioners were paid an estimated $109,428, according to the Council of State Governments.
Historical officeholders
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the Alaska Regulatory Commission has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
- Jan Wilson 2006-2024
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Alaska Regulatory Commission. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact info
Physical address:
701 West Eight Avenue, Suite 300
Anchorage, AL 99501
Phone: (907) 276-6222
Fax: (907) 276-0160
See also
| Alaska | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Alaska Legal Resource Center, "Alaska Statutes 42.04.010," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ Alaska Legal Resource Center, "Alaska Statutes 42.04.020," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ Alaska Legal Resource Center, "Alaska Statutes 42.04.020," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ Alaska Legal Resource Center, "42.04.070. Powers and Duties of Commission Chair.," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ Regulatory Commission of Alaska, "Staff Directory," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ Alaska.gov, "HB 39," accessed December 7, 2023
- ↑ Alaska Legal Resource Center, "Alaska Statutes 42.04.020," accessed June 6, 2011
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed January 5, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 5, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 5, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 5, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed November 14, 2014
| |||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
 |
State of Alaska Juneau (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2024 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
