Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman is being actively considered for the top spot at the Long Island Power Authority.
Published reports during the past week have cited unnamed sources in declaring Kaiman’s appointment as chief executive of LIPA a done deal.
But no official word on an appointment to the post by Gov. Andrew Cuomo has yet been issued from Albany and Kaiman has remained mum on the subject.
Kaiman, 50, declined this week to comment on reports of an imminent appointment to the LIPA post.
Repeating comments he made when rumors about the move surfaced before, he said he was “honored that people think I can take on these other roles.”
A spokesman for Cuomo declined to comment. LIPA spokesman Mark Gross did not return phone calls seeking comment.
Kaiman, a former lawyer and district court judge, said in January after winning re-election that he was considering a race against Edward Mangano for Nassau County executive as well as other career possibilities.
LIPA is a non-profit municipal electric provider that owns the retail electric transmission and distribution system on Long Island and provides electric service to more than 1.1 million customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens, according to its Web sigte. LIPA is the second largest municipal electric utility in the nation in terms of electric revenues, third largest in terms of customers served and the seventh largest in terms of electricity delivered.
Published reports in August said Cuomo’s wanted to change LIPA and its structure, and shrink its authority. Included was the possibility of returning LIPA to its initial incarnation, not as an overseer of the electric grid, but as a means for issuing tax exempt debt.
Cuomo controls nine of the 15 seats on its board of trustees, including the position of chairman. LIPA trustees must vote for any new trustees the governor might nominate for the chief executive post, but the governor has historically selected candidates for open seats.
The LIPA chief executive position has been vacant for more than two years, since former chief Kevin Law left to become head of the Long Island Association in 2010.
The chief executive has responsibility for all operations decisions, including deployment of emergency crews during storms.
LIPA’s short list of candidates last year reportedly included LIPA’s Chief Operating Officer Michael Harvey, LIPA Vice President of Power Markets Paul De Cotis and an unnamed PSEG official. But no action has been taken by the governor’s office or the LIPA trustees on those candidates as rumors tying Kaiman’s name to the position have persisted.
State Sen. Charles Fuschillo, (R-Merrick) a member of the Senate Energy Committee that will confirm any LIPA chief executive, has reportedly not been briefed on any appointment to the LIPA post.
Nassau County Legislator Wayne Wink (D-Roslyn), who has said he would be interested in the North Hempstead supervisor post, is considered a top prospect to succeed Kaiman if the supervisor is tapped to take over as LIPA CEO. A successor to Kaiman would be selected by the town board which has a 5-2 Democratic majority.
Reach reporter Richard Tedesco by e-mail at rtedesco@theislandnow.com or by phone at 516.307.1045 x204. Also follow us on Twitter @theislandnow1 and Facebook at facebook.com/theislandnow.
