Rhode Island General Laws Title 39. Public Utilities and Carriers § 39-26.2-11. Composition and appointment

(a) The board shall consist of ten (10) members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate; seven (7) members shall be voting members, and the governor shall give due consideration to appointing persons with knowledge of: (1) Energy regulation and law; (2) Large commercial/industrial users; (3) Small commercial/industrial users; (4) Residential users; (5) Low-income users; (6) Environmental issues pertaining to energy; and (7) Construction of renewable generation. Three (3) members shall be ex officio, nonvoting members, one representing an electric distribution company, one representing the commissioner of the office of energy resources, and one representing the commerce corporation. From the seven (7) voting members, the governor shall appoint one person to be chairperson of the board and one person to be vice chairperson of the board; the commissioner of the office of energy resources shall be the executive secretary and executive director of the board.

(b) With the exception of the representative of the commissioner of the office of energy resources, and the representative of the commerce corporation, the initial appointment of the other ex officio, nonvoting member shall be for a term of two (2) years, to be thereafter reappointed or replaced by a nonvoting member with terms of two (2) years. Of the initial appointments of voting members, three (3) voting members shall be appointed for a term of two (2) years, to be thereafter reappointed or replaced by three (3) voting members with a term of two (2) years, and four (4) voting members shall be appointed for a term of one year, to be thereafter reappointed or replaced for each of the following three (3) years by four (4) voting members with a term of one year.

(c) A simple majority of the total number of voting members shall constitute a quorum.

(d) A vacancy other than by expiration shall be filled in the manner of the original appointment but only for the unexpired portion of the term. The appointing authority shall have the power to remove its appointee only for just cause.

(e) The members of the board shall not be compensated for their service but shall be reimbursed for their actual expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to the executive secretary/executive director.