Robert S. Kenney, chairman of the Missouri Public Service Commission, announced on Monday, June 8 that he will step down from the commission, effective August 7, following the expiration of his six-year term.
Kenney was appointed to the Public Service Commission on July 29, 2009 by Governor Jay Nixon. He was unanimously confirmed by the Missouri Senate on January 10, 2010. He was named chairman of the PSC by Governor Nixon on March 1, 2013.
“Since my appointment, we have worked proactively to enhance the quality of regulation at the commission, and I am especially proud of our efforts to increase consumer outreach and education,” Kenney said in a statement.
Under Kenney’s leadership, the commission created a Speakers Bureau, the annual Public Utility Law Symposium and a new position for a dedicated Consumer Outreach and Education Specialist.
“The business of providing utility services is undergoing a profound evolution. Challenges and opportunities associated with this evolution require an increased emphasis on consumer education and outreach,” Kenney said.
“These challenges and opportunities also require continued examination of our regulatory processes and willingness to craft creative policy solutions to increasingly complex issues.”
Kenney also was instrumental in leading the commission’s response to impending EPA rules under Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Power Plan.
A nationally recognized leader in public utility law and regulation, Kenney serves on the boards and advisory boards of several organizations, including Electric Power Research Institute, the Critical Consumer Issues Forum and the National Regulatory Research Institute.
“During my time on the commission, we have faced unique challenges and many complex issues,” Kenney said. “I am proud of what we’ve done and what we continue to do every day for Missourians, balancing the interests of all who appear before us.”
As a member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, Kenney serves on its Board of Directors and on a number of committees. He is chair of the Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment and serves on the Consumer Affairs Committee, the Subcommittee on Utility Market Place Access and the International Relations Committee.
Prior to his appointment to the commission, Kenney served as Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster’s chief of staff. Before joining Koster, Kenney was a partner at Polsinelli Shalton Flanigan Suelthaus PC, where he chaired the diversity committee.
Kenney is a native St. Louisan. He attended DeSmet Jesuit High School, graduating in 1989, then Hampton University. Kenney also has worked as a substitute teacher in the St. Louis Public Schools and as a community organizer for the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.
