Republican State House leadership has recommended several candidates for Gov. Kay Ivey to consider for two of the new spots on the expanded Public Service Commission PSC.
Governor Kay Ivey signed legislation into law in April, expanding the PSC from three to seven members.
The law expands the PSC from its current three seats to seven, with seats elected by the public in each congressional district. The bill also creates a new cabinet-level secretary of energy, who would control the commission's administrative functions.
All three Public Service Commissioners are currently elected by a statewide vote. The new law initially appoints four additional members.
Ivey appoints two members from a list of recommendations submitted by House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville), Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, and State Sen. Pro-Tem Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman). She appoints the other two members from a list of candidates submitted by House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville) and Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro).
Eventually, all seven commissioners will be elected to their positions by congressional district.
The deadline to make their recommendations to Ivey was Monday. Ivey has until July 15 to officially appoint someone from the lists.
"Speaker Ledbetter has shared his recommendations for the PSC with Governor Ivey. Both candidates are highly qualified and widely respected, bringing decades of experience in the utilities industry. We look forward to Governor Ivey's decision," Charles Murry, a spokesman for Ledbetter, told 1819 News on Monday.
Gudger provided to 1819 News the list of recommendations sent to Ivey on Monday. Attempts to obtain copies of Daniels' and Singleton's recommendations were unsuccessful.
Ledbetter, Ainsworth, and Gudger recommended Fred Johnson, Morgan Murphy and William Newman for the two-year open commissioner seat in a joint letter to Ivey on Monday.
Johnson retired in July 2025 after spending the previous 23 years as the CEO of Farmers Telecommunications in Rainsville.
Murphy is a former Trump administration official and former Tuberville staffer who unsuccessfully ran for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in 2026. He is a captain in the Navy Reserve.
Newman is deputy chief of staff for Ainsworth and a former governmental affairs director for the Business Council of Alabama.
Ledbetter, Ainsworth and Gudger recommended Ronald Burgess Jr., John Olshefski and Rickey Steele for the four-year open commissioner seat.
Burgess is a retired lieutenant general in the U.S. Army. He also serves as the chairman of the McCrary Institute advisory board at Auburn University.
Olshefski is a retired U.S. Army colonel who served as senior vice president of customer care at Huntsville Utilities from 2013 to 2023. He also served as a Huntsville City Councilman from 2010 to 2014.
Steele is an operations manager at Day & Zimmerman.
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