The transition of Wisconsin’s former top utility regulator into a senior executive role at a major energy company is renewing criticism of the state’s long-standing “revolving door” between Democratic administrations and regulated industries.
Rebecca Valcq, who chaired the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin under Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, will become president of Alliant Energy’s Wisconsin utility business and vice president of energy delivery on Jan. 5. She will succeed outgoing executive David de Leon, whose total compensation reached $1.37 million in 2024 according to WPR.
Valcq was appointed to the PSC by Evers in 2019 and led the commission while also overseeing the state’s energy, broadband, and energy innovation offices. She stepped down in February 2024. By August, she had joined Alliant Energy as assistant vice president of regulatory affairs. Less than a year later, she is set to run the company’s Wisconsin operations.
To watchdog groups, the sequence exemplifies a system where Democratic administrations recruit regulators into powerful oversight roles, only for those same officials to later take lucrative positions with the companies they once regulated.
“That’s the concern, when we see this revolving door pattern, that regulators may be affected in their work by their assessment of their future opportunities,” said Karlee Weinmann of the Energy and Policy Institute. “It’s very fair for people to be concerned about the dynamic that the revolving door tradition in Wisconsin creates for regulators during their time on the commission.”
During Valcq’s tenure, the PSC approved billions of dollars in utility projects and rate cases. While the Evers administration has highlighted clean energy gains—including approval of 3.9 gigawatts of solar power—critics note that utilities also secured rate increases that directly affect household energy bills.
Weinmann described Valcq’s record as mixed. “She did join her colleagues in challenging utility profit hikes in some scenarios but also supported overall raising rates in other scenarios,” she said. (RELATED: AI Critics Secretly Bankrolled Newsroom Coverage to Skew Public Perception)
Alliant Energy defended the appointment. CEO Lisa Barton said the company has “full confidence” in Valcq and cited her experience in public service and the energy sector. Valcq said she was “humbled” by the role and committed to maintaining safety and reliability.
Valcq is far from the only example. Former PSC commissioner Ellen Nowak left the commission for American Transmission Co. in 2023. Since the mid-1990s, multiple PSC commissioners—under both parties, but frequently Democratic administrations—have gone on to work for utilities or firms that represent them.
State law imposes a 12-month cooling-off period barring former commissioners from appearing before the PSC. But critics argue that restriction does little to address incentives that may exist before regulators leave office. (RELATED: Tony Evers Vetoes Bill Cracking Down On Fake Service Animals)
