CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon announced today, December 16th he has accepted the resignation of Wyoming Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman Kara Fornstrom.
Fornstrom was appointed to the Commission by former Governor Matt Mead in March 2013 and reappointed by Governor Gordon in 2019. Her last day at the Commission will be January 15, 2021.
The PSC is responsible for ensuring that monopoly utilities in Wyoming including electricity, natural gas, and telephone provide safe and reliable service to customers at just and reasonable rates. In addition, the PSC also regulates some commercial water utilities and intrastate pipelines.
“I want to thank Kara for her dedication to Wyoming and her diligence and commitment to the ratepayers of the state,” Governor Gordon said. “During her tenure, she addressed a number of challenging issues and helped to set an agenda to provide reliable, consistent, affordable electricity to Wyoming consumers, while also recognizing our ability to do all of that and help reduce C02 emissions with carbon capture.”
“My nearly eight years at the Commission are truly the highlight of my professional career,” Fornstrom said. “I am grateful to Governor Gordon for his confidence as I served as Chairman for the past two years. I have been blessed during my time at the Commission to work with an incredibly dedicated team of public servants. They, and all the professionals associated with the Commission, have taught me so much and I will miss interacting with them on a daily basis. My life is richer because of my time at the Commission and I’ll forever be grateful for the opportunity to serve the state I love.”
The Governor is expected to announce a replacement shortly to fill the remainder of Fornstrom’s term, which expires in 2025.