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Juan Alvarado, the gas industry official that Gov. Wes Moore (D) picked last week to serve on the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC), has withdrawn his nomination.
In a statement released Tuesday morning by Moore鈥檚 office, Alvarado said he was withdrawing for 鈥減ersonal reasons.鈥�
But Alvarado鈥檚 nomination was controversial from the start 鈥斅爈argely due to his association with the natural gas industry at a time when state leaders are trying to move policy away from fossil fuels. Lawmakers, environmentalists and community leaders in Silver Spring were also scrutinizing Alvarado鈥檚 record as a staffer at the PSC, particularly probing what the agency did before and after a 2016 natural gas explosion at an apartment complex in the Long Branch neighborhood of Silver Spring that killed seven people and injured dozens of others.
Sen. Will Smith (D-Montgomery), a member of the Senate Executive Nominations Committee, which was slated to consider Alvarado鈥檚 selection in the weeks ahead, on the nomination. He represents the Long Branch.
In his statement, Alvarado, the senior director of energy analysis at the American Gas Association in Washington, D.C., expressed his commitment to fighting climate change.
鈥淚 was honored to be nominated for the Public Service Commission,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y 12 years of service to Maryland as a member of that institution gave me the highest reverence for the work it does each and every day to address climate change, improve service to ratepayers, and ensure families have access to reliable telecommunications, gas, and electricity.
鈥淐limate change is the fight of our lives, and I believe that we have real and substantive challenges to meet Maryland鈥檚 goals while ensuring continuous and equitable service at fair rates. Those challenges mean all stakeholders need to be at the table executing the state鈥檚 vision towards a sustainable future.鈥�
The PSC is a five-member body that regulates electric, gas and certain water utilities in the state. It has increasingly become in the state, and policy and regulatory debates at the commission are frequently contentious.
Shortly after taking office, Moore rescinded two recess appointments to the PSC that his predecessor, former Gov. Larry Hogan (R), made last summer, and on top of that, the term of the current PSC chair, Jason Stanek, is due to expire on June 30 鈥� giving Moore a prime opportunity to recast the commission.
nominated Alvarado to serve on the PSC and Fred Hoover, a former director of the Maryland Energy Administration, to be PSC chair.
Alvarado isn鈥檛 the first of Moore鈥檚 high-profile nominations to run aground. Earlier this month, Charles 鈥淐hip鈥� Stewart, his nominee to serve as director of the state鈥檚 information technology officer, of his handling of a cyber attack on the Maryland Department of Health during the Hogan administration.
Alvarado鈥檚 nomination drew criticism and bewilderment from environmental groups, which have high hopes for the new governor鈥檚 commitment to fighting climate change. Several leaders of green groups said they were not consulted about Moore鈥檚 PSC nominees.
In a statement Tuesday, Moore reiterated that his administration 鈥渋s fully committed to achieving Maryland鈥檚 bold and necessary climate, energy, and resilience goals.鈥�
鈥淚 want to thank Juan Alvarado for raising his hand to serve our state as a member of the Public Service Commission,鈥� Moore said. 鈥淛uan shares our conviction that addressing climate change is the defining challenge of our time, and his deep understanding of the Public Service Commission was knowledge that would have served Maryland well. I understand this was a difficult decision for Juan, but respect his decision to withdraw from the confirmation process.鈥�
