Lamont to name four new PURA commissioners. Consumer Counsel lawyer to replace Gillett.

Governor Ned Lamont will name four new members to the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) today, Daily Ructions has learned. The move comes after a tumultuous ten months at the powerful agency. It will be the first time PURA has had a full complement of members since the legislature increased the number of commissioners from three to five in 2019.

The new members, as of Monday morning, are expected to be Jan Beecher, Holly Cheeseman, Everett Smith, and Tom Wiehl. David Arconti, a former legislator and utility lobbyist, will remain a commissioner. Republican Michael Caron will not.

Wiehl, an attorney in the Office of Consumer Counsel, will serve as chair of the agency that has struggled to find balance between a reliable supply of energy at affordable rates. He replaces Marissa Gillett.

Beecher brings decades of experience in energy policy in academia and government, primarily in Michigan. She will bring experience in water regulation, often overlooked, to PURA at a critical moment.

Cheeseman served as a member of the House of Representatives until January. She enjoys a reputation for diligence and practicality in making policy.

Smith, of Greenwich, will arrive at PURA with long experience in energy and infrastructure finance, an area that has often seemed to baffle PURA members. Smith may be the first utility commissioner whose father founded a gas company and a water company.

Published October 20, 2025.