Economically-Rational Regulators–Not an Oxymoron Anymore

by on September 15, 2004

The “Federation for Economically Rational Utility Policy“, or FERUP, held a sort of coming-out conference yesterday at Washington’s Williard (the hotel that put the “lobby” in “lobbyist”). The name may be a mouthful–but the group promises to shake up the rather staid PUC world.


Founded earlier this year by Florida commissioner Chuck Davidson and California commissioner Susan Kennedy, FERUP is a bipartisan association of pro-market state PUC members (yes, they DO exist!). Up til now, NARUC (the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners) has had a monopoly on this particular market. No more.

Yesterday’s conference, billed as the group’s 1st Annual DC Summit, featureed some 60 speakers, including SBC CEO Duane Ackerman, telecom subcommittee chair Cliff Stearns, and FCC Michael Powell. more. Overall, a strong start to what hopefully will be a strong organization.

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James Gattuso / James Gattuso is a Senior Research Fellow in Regulatory Policy in the Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation. Gattuso also leads the Enterprise and Free Markets Initiative at Heritage, with responsiblity for a range of regulatory and market issues. Prior to joining Heritage, he served as Vice President for Policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute and also as Vice President for Policy Development with Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE). From 1990 to 1993, he was Deputy Chief of the Office of Plans and Policy at the Federal Communications Commission. From May 1991 to June 1992, he was detailed from the FCC to the office of Vice President Dan Quayle, where he served as Associate Director of the President's Council on Competitiveness. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife Dana, 8 year-old son, Peter (whom he relies upon to operate his VCR), and his four year-old daughter Lindsey (who does the DVD player.) He has no known hobbies, but is not nearly as boring as he seems.

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