State Senate fires Public Service Commission member

The Republican-controlled state Senate has voted to reject Gov. Tony Evers’s nomination of Tyler Huebner to the Public Service Commission — the tenth rejection of an Evers’ appointee — but the chamber confirmed Lisa Strand, who joined the commission in March.

Strand’s 27-5 confirmation paves the way for her to become the Public Service Commission (PSC) chairwoman in March. Current chairwoman Rebecca Cameron Valcq is stepping down.

Republicans say the difference between Huebner and Strand, both Democrats, was like night and day, and one senator essentially called Huebner a woke liar.

“I believe Summer Strand and Tyler Huebner have two fundamentally different philosophies when it comes to their roles as Public Service commissioners,” state Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine) said.

Wanggaard said he had met with Huebner for several hours on several different occasions.

“Although he appears to be a nice man, his answers to questions were completely lacking in substance,” the senator said. “At times he was evasive, and at times he outright lied.”

What’s more, at least twice, Wanggaard said, Huebner decided to ignore the law as commissioner. 

“He illegally authorized utility rates based on income, instead of usage, as required by law,” he said. “He authorized a third-party solar arrangement in Stevens Point, despite a bill authorizing third-party solar arrangements being introduced and failing in the Legislature six or eight years in a row.”

And despite promising to recuse himself from decisions on which he had lobbied, Wanggaard said Huebner had not done so.

“He required utility companies provide Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) information to the Public Service Commission without any authority to do so,” he said. “The reasons to reject commissioner Huebner are not political, they are about following the law. Huebner has failed to do so.”

In complete contrast, Wanggaard said, Strand has promised to follow the law.

“ I spoke to her about these issues and more,” he said. “Her answers were direct. She was straightforward. She criticized previous decisions and her reasoning for doing so. She is a Democrat, and I don’t expect to agree with all, or any, of her decisions. But I am confident she will follow the law. Unlike commissioner Huebner, who has demonstrated he would not follow the law.”

Evers blasts decision

Meanwhile, Evers slammed Senate Republicans for firing Huebner, calling it another escalation in an ongoing effort by legislative Republicans to baselessly fire his appointees or leave them indefinitely unconfirmed. 

In October, Evers said, Senate Republicans fired seven of his appointees to the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board, Wisconsin Elections Commission, Wisconsin Medical Examining Board, and the Governor’s Council on Domestic Abuse, citing little to no justification for doing so.

“Commissioner Huebner is an exemplary public servant who’s dedicated to serving the people of Wisconsin and building the sustainable future we want for our state,” Evers said. “The decision by Senate Republicans to fire him defies justification and logic. It’s my job to appoint the best and most qualified people to serve our state — that’s what I have been and will continue doing, regardless of the apparent Republican position that every appointee must agree with them 100 percent of the time to earn their support.”

Evers said his appointees were qualified and hard-working and should be celebrated for their service and experience, not bullied, vilified, and fired for doing their jobs.

“Republicans’ ongoing efforts to harass, disparage, and fire dedicated public servants is a serious threat to the basic functions of our government and democracy in our state,” he said. “Wisconsinites are sick of Republicans’ nonsense, and I don’t blame them.” 

With Huebner’s removal, Evers announced a new appointment to the PSC — Kristy Nieto, a division administrator for energy regulation and analysis at the PSC.

“Having been a dedicated public servant at the PSC for more than a decade, Kristy is uniquely qualified to serve as commissioner, and I look forward to her bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to this new role at the commission,” Evers said. “We have important work to do to continue building upon our administration’s efforts to expand high-speed internet, among other key priorities, and I know Kristy’s years of experience at the PSC will be critical in guiding the commission’s important work moving forward.” 

Huebner was appointed by Evers to be a commissioner at the PSC in March 2020 and was re-appointed to a six-year term, which began in March 2021. 

For his part, Huebner said he was proud of the work he put in and the decisions he made to balance safety, reliability, and affordability in the delivery of utility services, get people connected to high-speed internet, remove lead service lines, and ensure clean drinking water. 

“I am especially grateful for the opportunity to elevate Wisconsin’s reliability and energy planning needs within our region by serving as the Vice President of the Organization of MISO States last year and being unanimously elected to serve as president for 2024 by my colleagues,” he said. “I am moving forward, and I plan to build on my work at the commission and throughout my career to tackle some of the big challenges of our times in a different capacity.”

Nieto said that, with more than 10 years of experience at the PSC, she was confident that her knowledge of the industry, leadership skills, and commitment to public service will successfully guide her and help move the agency forward.

Nieto has worked for the state since 2013, starting at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and then at PSC. 

At the PSC, her bio states, she has worked as an advanced consumer analyst, assistant division administrator for telecommunications and consumer affairs, deputy division administrator of business and program management, division administrator of digital access, consumer and environmental affairs, and, most recently, serving as division administrator of energy regulation and analysis. 

Nieto earned her master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She will take over in the new role on Feb. 2, for a term expiring March 1, 2025.

Moore is the author of “Dark State” and may be reached at richardd3d.substack.com.