LANSING – Steven Transeth, lead attorney in drafting many of the recent changes in utility law, was named Friday by Gov. Jennifer Granholm to the Michigan Public Service Commission.
The appointment gives the commission a quorum for its meeting in two weeks, but still leaves it without a chair. Officials said Granholm would name a chair, who would be the third member of the commission as well, in the coming days.
Transeth, of Lansing, was most recently assistant director and legal counsel to the Legislative Service Bureau, where he has worked since August 1986. He has been involved in drafting many of the changes to the state’s telecommunications and energy laws during that time.
Granholm selected him for the post because of his “in depth knowledge of utility issues and the law,” said spokesperson Liz Boyd. “He’s been deeply involved in all the changes in statute relating to telecommunications and electricity and other issues that come before the PSC.”
Transeth, also an adjunct professor at his alma mater Cooley Law School, met one of Granholm’s unofficial requirements for at least one of the appointees: being an attorney.
Few utility representatives could be reached for comment late Friday after the appointment was announced and few of those reached had comment, as Transeth was not on many short lists of appointees to the post.
Transeth was appointed as an independent, succeeding Chair Peter Lark, who had resigned effective Friday. Most observers had expected Lark’s successor to be a Democrat and the successor to former Commissioner Laura Chappelle to be a Republican (The three-member commission can have no more than two members from one political party).
“We look forward to working with Transeth,” said DTE Energy spokesperson John Osterbury. “We know that his wealth of experience in drafting legislation will be an asset in this position.”
“He’s immensely qualified,” said Joe Steele, spokesperson for AT&T. “He definitely has a firm grasp of the issues before the commission.”
The Senate has 60 days to take action on the appointment or Transeth is automatically confirmed.
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