Former consumer advocate attorney appointed as chair of Hawaii Public Utilities Commission

Gov. Josh Green appointed Jon Itomura to chair the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission; the appointment is immediate and is subject to state Senate confirmation with a public hearing.

Gov. Josh Green announced the appointment of Jon Itomura to the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, where Itomura will serve as chair. Itomura previously served from 2003 to 2019 as the supervising attorney for the Division of Consumer Advocacy at the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. In that role, he represented Hawaii ratepayers in PUC cases involving electric, gas, water and telecommunications utilities. The PUC regulates chartered, franchised, certificated and registered public utility companies. Key details: - The governor named Jon Itomura to the three-member Public Utilities Commission and to serve as its chair. - The appointment is immediate and is for a six-year term, but it is subject to state Senate confirmation in a proceeding that will include a public hearing and accepted testimony. - Itomura served as supervising attorney for the Division of Consumer Advocacy from 2003 to 2019 and represented ratepayers in utility cases. - He had been an attorney advising the state Campaign Spending Commission and was a member of that commission until his PUC appointment required his resignation to comply with state law. - The seat had been vacant since Leodoloff "Leo" Asuncion Jr. resigned on Nov. 17; Asuncion was first appointed in 2019 by then-Gov. David Ige and had served as chair since July 1, 2022. Summary: Itomura’s appointment fills the vacancy on the three-member commission and places a former consumer advocate in the chair role. The immediate appointment begins a six-year term that must be confirmed by the state Senate through a proceeding that includes a public hearing and testimony. The commission will continue its oversight of electric, gas, water and telecommunications utilities.