Commissioner Dan Esty will run the new Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
The Department of Public Utility Control will shrink from five commissioners to three when it merges with the Department of Environmental Protection later this year, according to several sources familiar with legislative negotiations.
Former Republican state Representative Kevin DelGobbo is the current DPUC chairman. His term is set to end June 30 unless he is reappointed.
The terms of Commissioners Anthony Palermino and Amalia Bzdyra also end June 30.
Commissioner John Betkoski’s term lasts until June 30, 2013 and Anna Ficeto has until June 30, 2014.
Palermino and Betkoski are Democrats. Bzdyra, who was arrested on charges of shoplifting during work hours last year, and Ficeto have no party affiliation listed on the DPUC website.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell appointed or reappointed all of the current DPUC commissioners.
Commissioner Dan Esty will lead the new entity – the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection or DEEP.
Under Esty utility regulation will be handled by three people instead of the current five and the regulators would lose the title ‘commissioner.’ Sources suggest ‘adjudicator’ and ‘director’ are being considered for the new title.
Rumors have been circulating at DPUC and the Capitol that some or all of the commissioners had been asked to resign. DPUC spokesman Phil Dukes put those rumors to rest Friday.
“It’s completely untrue,” he said.
“None of the commissioners have been asked for their resignation,” said Dukes. “None of them have resigned.”
Dukes said he could not comment on the proposed legislation.
“We’re not included in the negotiations,” he said, because Esty represents DPUC at the table.