Long-time public utility regulator John W. "Jack" Betkoski III announced Thursday he will retire from the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority at the end of the year.

Gov. Ned Lamont said he is nominating former state lawmaker David A. Arconti Jr. of Danbury to fill the vacancy that will be created on the three-member PURA board. The state agency regulates the services of Connecticut's investor-owned utilities, including electric, natural gas, water, and telecommunications companies.

Arconti will begin serving at PURA on an interim basis starting Aug. 5, according to Lamont's office. Arconti's name will be put forth in nomination for a permanent position at the start of the 2025 regular legislative session where lawmakers will vote on the appointment. PURA commissioners serve four-year terms.

The transition comes after more than a year of discord between some the utilities that PURA regulates and state officials, including commission Chairwoman Marissa Gillett. Several utilities have launched court challenges against PURA rulings, claiming some decisions, particularly on rate schedules, were unfair to their businesses and threaten their livelihood.

House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, said Thursday that "severe issues of unaffordability and instability in our state's energy sector should be the most pressing concerns for the governor, yet he treats the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority like a hobby that can be picked up whenever he feels like it."

"While I am hopeful that David Arconti's background as both a legislator and a utility industry professional will foster more in-depth discussions about the impact General Assembly policy decisions have on ratepayer bills, my immediate worry is the lack of transparency associated with a regulatory authority that is, in essence, being run out the governor's office," Candelora said in a statement. "His failure to present a semblance of a long-term strategy on energy policy will keep ratepayers under financial pressure for the foreseeable future and discourage much-needed investments by utility companies who are finding it increasingly difficult to do business here."

Candelora represents the 86th District serving residents of North Branford, Durham, East Haven and Guilford.

Betkoski has been a utility regulator since 1997, when he was appointed as a commissioner of what was then-known as the Department of Public Utility Control and was named vice chairman of that body in 2007. When DPUC was dissolved and PURA was established in 2011, Betkoski was appointed to serve as a director and vice chair of that entity.

"It has been an honor and a privilege for me to have served the State of Connecticut," Betkoski said in a statement announcing his retirement. "I have been blessed to work with so many great people over the years, including four governors." He added that Arconti, who served as chairman of the Energy and Technology Committee while in the legislature, would "be a fine addition to the Authority; I have always found him to be genuine, eager, and knowledgeable about the issues we deal with here at PURA."

Lamont said Arconti is deeply interested in energy policy, particularly when it comes to matters concerning the promotion of clean energy and the enactment of policies that will reduce energy costs for consumers.

"He is going to bring a fresh perspective to PURA, and I know that from his experience he will be able to work with lawmakers and utilities to develop strategies that advance our goals of bringing cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable power to consumers," Lamont said. "I also must applaud Jack Betkoski for his many years of public service to the people of Connecticut. In addition to his many years with PURA, he served for several years in the General Assembly and has worked with various human services agencies over the course of his career."

Arconti is now vice president of state government relations for United Illuminating, a position he has held since Sept. 2023. In that role, he works with lawmakers and other state officials to develop policies related to the utility company's general operations. Prior to that he was the director of community engagement for Danbury-based Fuel Cell Energy, where he engaged with state and local government officials and community partners on strategies to deliver affordable and clean energy solutions to communities throughout Connecticut.

Arconti served five consecutive terms as a state representative for the 109th District, starting in January 2013, before deciding not to seek reelection in 2022.