CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The 12-member nominating council that screens candidates for appointment to the five seats on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has chosen a long-time utility lobbyist among the names it has sent to Gov. Mike DeWine.

He is Samuel Randazzo, a recently retired lawyer who has represented utilities before the PUCO and served as legal counsel to the Industrial Energy Users of Ohio, a trade group representing industry on power issues before the commission, as well as the state legislature. Randazzo is a political independent.

Randazzo is a 1967 graduate of Cuyahoga Falls High School, then the University of Akron, and Capital University Law School. He has been a leading opponent of renewable energy mandates that were first incorporated into Ohio law in 2008.

During an annual energy conference in Akron, sponsored in part by FirstEnergy, Randazzo once likened state rules requiring utilities to sell or generate a percentage of power from renewable technologies to be as ridiculous as requiring airlines to use hot air ballon technology for a percentage of their flights.

Sam Randazzo

His law firm, McNees, Wallace & Nurick in Columbus, notified the PUCO earlier this month that Randazzo had retired, effective Dec. 31, and his name would be withdrawn from 27 pending cases in which he represented the Industrial Users of Ohio.

A bio on the PUCO website states Randazzo “has worked on public utility matters addressing issues affecting the price and availability of communications, natural gas, electricity and other regulated services for the past five decades.”

The Energy and Policy Institute, a San Francisco-based analytical group, pointed to the McNees firm’s letter in an article this week to suggest that as a commissioner, Randazzo would be required to recuse himself frequently. The institute further argued that Randazzo had often used a similar recusal argument against candidates friendly to renewable power when he sat on the nominating council.

There were concerns among consumer groups weeks ago that the PUCO should not have any additional commissioners that had formerly represented utilities.

Jon Blackwood, a spokesman for the Ohio Consumers' Counsel suggested at the time that the governor should consider someone with a residential consumer background.

“Already, two of the five PUCO commissioners are former utility representatives. That is more than enough. The next commissioner should be someone who has been a bona fide advocate for the hard-working people of Ohio," he said.

The three others chosen by the nominating council for DeWine’s consideration are:

Gene Krebs, outgoing chair of the Governing Board of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel and a former Ohio state representative. Krebs is a Republican, considered a maverick and pro-consumer on utility issues.

Bryce McKenney, a native of North Canton, currently an assistant Consumers' Counsel and a former administrative law judge at the PUCO, is considered to have the most experience with the commission and has said he can bring the change DeWine wants without creating instability. McKenney is also a former attorney for the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Dennis Deters, a judge on the Ohio 1st District Court of Appeals since 2017, former Hamilton County commissioner and former township trustee.

The governor has until April to make the appointment. He can reject all of the candidates and ask for additional names. The salary of a PUCO commissioner is between $73,715 and $190,00.