Dive Brief:

• A Colorado watchdog group is opposing an appointee to the three-member Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) because of his ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative lobbying group.
• Last month, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, named former state Rep. Glenn Vaad, a Republican, to the PUC. State rules require that no more than two members on the commission can come from the same party. The chairman and one other commissioner are Democrats.
• The Energy and Policy Institute contends that Vaad's ties to ALEC are a conflict of interest. “There's a real threat that Mr. Vaad will serve ALEC's special interest members instead of Colorado families," Gabe Elsner, the institute's executive director, said.

Dive Insight:

For years, ALEC generally operated under the radar, providing model bills to its members to be introduced in their home state legislatures. The petition to keep Vaad off the Colorado PUC is a sign that ALEC's activities have become more widely known. ALEC is planning to fight against renewable portfolio standards and solar-friendly net metering policies in the coming year.