Governor Meyer Announces New Public Service Commission Nominees

DOVER - Governor Matt Meyer has announced four new nominees to serve on the Delaware Public Service Commission (PSC), pending confirmation from the Delaware State Senate. After more than a decade, the PSC will have new commissioners, joining current commissioner, Harold Gray, who Governor Meyer reappointed last May.

"Families and small businesses should not be crushed by outrageous spikes in energy bills just because our power grid hasn't kept pace with the demands of a modern economy. We must protect ratepayers today and invest aggressively in the reliable, affordable energy infrastructure that tomorrow's economy requires," said Governor Matt Meyer. "I'm grateful to the outgoing commissioners for the time and attention they dedicated to the PSC and look forward to the State Senate's consideration of the new nominees."

The nominees are:

• Dr. Anthony DePrima
• Regina A. Iorii
• Michael Richard
• Robert C. Wheatley

In his conversations with the nominees, Governor Meyer has conveyed his hope that they will work as a unit to have a more engaged role in where and how essential public utilities operate in Delaware. This means offering insights to inform decisions about proposed utility projects and facilities, defining how project costs should be evaluated, and resetting regulatory guidelines that do more to balance the profits utilities need to reliably serve and what customers can afford to pay.

BIOS OF THE NOMINEES

Dr. Anthony J. DePrima ("Tony") is a seasoned public sector and energy leader with more than four decades of experience in municipal management, planning, and clean energy policy. He most recently served as Executive Director of the Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility, where he led statewide initiatives to expand energy efficiency, renewable energy, and electric vehicle adoption while overseeing multiple programs, staff, and financial operations. Prior to that, he served for a decade as City Manager of Dover, Delaware, managing a $165 million budget and overseeing municipal electric and water utilities, public services, and economic development. Dr. DePrima holds a Ph.D. in Urban Affairs and Public Policy from the University of Delaware. He has lived in Dover for 35 years with his wife Janet DePrima.

Regina A. Iorii ("Gina") has more than 30 years' experience representing the Public Service Commission and the Public Advocate in utility matters at both the state and federal level. A Delaware native, Gina attended St. Mark's High School, the University of Delaware, and the Delaware Law School of Widener University. Gina spent almost 22 years in private practice, but her interest in public utility law and public service led her to accept a position as a deputy attorney general for the Commission when the state sought her out. Gina and her husband John McDaniel live in Wilmington.

Michael T. Richard is a former two-term Maryland Public Service Commissioner and past Director of the Maryland Energy Administration, with extensive experience in utility regulation and national energy policy. He currently serves as a Senior Fellow and Policy Advisor at Colorado State University's Energy Institute and the Center for the New Energy Economy, where he leads initiatives on grid modernization and clean transmission. A graduate of the University of Maryland and Brigham Young University, Mr. Richard draws on a decades-long career across federal and state government as well as the private sector.

Robert C. Wheatley ("Bob"), a real estate and land use consultant, resides in Laurel, Delaware. Bob has 30 years of direct regulatory experience in land use, planning, and public policy. Oversight experience in the financial sector, including lending and compliance. He has served on the Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission, Coastal Zone Industrial Control Board, and Delaware Association of Professional Engineers and has an extensive record of balancing complex stakeholder interests, applying regulatory frameworks, and guiding decision making related to public and private interests. A graduate of Salisbury University, Mr. Wheatley understands the importance of properly planned, deployed and regulated public utility services.