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PUC's Hanson joins regional regulatory executive committee

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Public Utilities Commissioner Gary Hanson was elected as treasurer of the 15-state Organization of MISO States (OMS) at the group's annual meeting in December. His term as treasurer will extend through 2008.

The OMS is a regulatory oversight and advisory group made up of state public utility officials from the 15 states and one Canadian province served by the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator (MISO). The organization represents the interests of its members on issues before the MISO board of directors, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and other governmental agencies. OMS members primarily focus their discussion and advice on electrical transmission issues relating to pricing, market monitoring, generation and transmission needs within the region.

Hanson has represented South Dakota in the OMS since 2003. "As a member of the OMS, I have been involved in working through the challenges of the region's electric transmission capacity availability while keeping rates low and reasonable," Hanson said. "Now, as a member of the executive committee, I look forward to being even more active, particularly as transmission issues for wind power are examined," he stated.

Other OMS officers elected at the meeting include John Norris of the Iowa Utilities Board as president, Dan Ebert of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission as vice president, and Valerie Lemmie of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio as secretary.

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