The Senate, last Thursday, confirmed John Norris to be the newest member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Norris is currently serving as chief of staff for Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. He served as the chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board from 2005 to 2009. He has also served as a member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) where he was the Co-Chair of the 2009 National Electricity Delivery Forum.

There is still one vacant seat at the five-member Commission, after Suedeen Kelly recently left the Commission.