Two longtime members of the Florida Public Service Commission are poised to leave the utility regulatory panel in the coming months after not seeking reappointment.
Commissioners Art Graham and Andrew Fay, both former chairmen of the commission, were not among 16 people who applied before a Monday deadline for two seats on the panel, according to applications obtained Thursday by The News Service of Florida. The current terms of Graham and Fay will expire in January.
President Donald Trump last month nominated Graham, who has served on the PSC since 2010, to become a member of the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors. Fay, an attorney, has served on the commission since 2018.
Attempts to obtain comments Thursday morning from Graham and Fay were not immediately successful.
Gov. Ron DeSantis will make two appointments after he receives a list of finalists from the Florida Public Service Commission Nominating Council. Commissioners, who serve four-year terms, are paid $158,094 a year.
The highest-profile applicant for the seats is former state Rep. Bobby Payne, a Palatka Republican who left the House last year because of term limits. Payne worked from 1981 to 2019 for Seminole Electric Cooperative, according to his resume, and was heavily involved in utility issues in the Legislature.
“I have 37 years of work experience with an electric utility generation and transmission cooperative, working in diverse management roles that include manager of plant operations, business manager, engineering and project coordinator, and electric transmission and distribution project development,” Payne wrote in his application.
In 2024, Payne sponsored a wide-ranging energy bill (HB 1645) that included eliminating parts of state law about reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. It also barred offshore wind-energy generation.
Among the other applicants is Ana Ortega, a PSC employee since 2011 who is chief policy adviser to commission Chairman Mike La Rosa.
“My background encompasses the full scope of the commission’s work, blending technical expertise, policy leadership and stakeholder collaboration to achieve balanced results that serve the public interest,” Ortega wrote in her application. “With more than a decade of experience in Florida’s utility regulatory framework, I bring the depth of knowledge and practical insight necessary to ensure a smooth and effective transition into the role of commissioner.”
The commission makes high-stakes — and often closely scrutinized — decisions about utility regulation. It is scheduled Monday to start a multi-day hearing on a proposal by Florida Power & Light to raise base electric rates.
In addition to Graham, Fay and La Rosa, the other members of the commission are Gary Clark and Gabriella Passidomo Smith. Terms are staggered, so La Rosa, Clark and Passidomo Smith can continue serving past January.