JEFFERSON CITY—Missouri Public Service Commission Chairman Ryan Silvey Wednesday named three members to the Task Force on Distributed Energy Resources and Net Metering recently established by the Missouri legislature (Section 386.885, RSMo).
“I am pleased to announce the appointments of Mark Gardner, James Owen and Jacqueline Hutchinson to the Distributed Energy Resources and Net Metering Task Force,” said Chairman Ryan Silvey. “I am also honored that the Commission has been given a seat on this important task force.”
The task force is charged with conducting public hearings and research and delivering a report to the Missouri General Assembly no later than December 31, 2023.
The report will include a distributed energy resources study and potential legislation recommendations regarding community solar operated by nonutility entities, rate setting between distributed and non-distributed generation consumers and changes to the net metering and easy connection act that would promote the overall public interest.
Mark Gardner has been selected to serve as the retail distributed energy resources industry representative. Through his companies, he has developed a significant number of utility-scale solar projects in Missouri. Gardner has also served on the Missouri Tax Credit Review Commission and as Chairman of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Subcommittee.
James Owen will fill the advocate for policy supporting renewable energy development position on the task force. He is currently the Executive Director of Renew Missouri, which functions to promote and advocate for renewable energy and energy efficiency policies before the Missouri General Assembly and the Missouri Public Service Commission as well as before county and municipal governments around the state. Owen has also served as the Acting Public Counsel for the Office of the Public Counsel and as a Missouri Associate Division Judge.
Jacqueline Hutchinson has been appointed as the advocate for the interests of low-income customers on the task force. She has more than 30 years of progressive executive-level experience implementing community action programs and service for low-income individuals and communities. Jacqueline Hutchinson currently works with Missouri Consumers Council and is Vice President of Operations and Compliance with the People’s Community Action Corporation. She previously worked as the Director of City Services with the Community Action Agency of St. Louis City-City Service and as Director of Special Programs with the Human Development Corporation of Metropolitan St. Louis.
Representatives from the Missouri House and Senate, a representative from the Office of the Public Counsel and the Missouri Division of Energy will join the Commission representative on the task force.