PUC member takes job at UH

By Frank Cho
Advertiser Staff Writer

David Morihara has resigned from the Public Utilities Commission after just five months on the job to become the University of Hawai'i's chief lobbyist.

Morihara, who served as a state representative from Maui from 1990 to 2000, started his new job yesterday. He had been chair of the House Higher Education Committee for four years and will now serve as the university's director of government affairs.

"My term was fairly short there, but I thought it would be a great time to leave," said Morihara, whose term was set to expire in June.

Morihara said University of Hawai'i President Evan Dobelle asked him to fill the position right away to help with next week's special legislative session. Dobelle is hoping the Legislature will provide money to pay for some of the $700 million in capital improvement projects he wants to construct.

Morihara was appointed By Gov. Ben Cayetano in May to replace Commissioner Rae Loui, a former deputy to the chairman of the state Commission on Water Resource Management. The other members of the commission are Dennis Yamada, a lawyer and former state representative; and Gregory Pai, a former state planning chief.

The three-member Public Utilities Commission is an influential but little-noticed body that, among other things, regulates electric, gas and telephone companies and accepts, modifies or rejects the utilities' requests for rate increases.

A replacement for Morihara has not been named. A new commissioner has to be nominated by Cayetano and approved by the state Senate.

Reach Frank Cho at 525-8088 or fcho@honoluluadvertiser.com.