INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Government watchdog groups are questioning the hiring of a top Indiana state energy policy adviser by one of the state's largest utilities.
The Indianapolis Star reports (http://indy.st/xwG2T9 ) that Brandon Seitz started his new job Monday as manager of regulatory affairs for the Northern Indiana Public Service Co. As director of Indiana's Office of Energy Development, Seitz was Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman's top adviser on energy policy.
The state ethics panel ruled that Seitz's employment with NIPSCO didn't violate state law.
But Citizen Action Coalition of Indiana director Kerwin Olson calls the move "murky" and says Seitz should avoid any possibility of conflict of interest because he had helped formulate state energy policy.
Seitz referred requests for comment to NIPSCO, which also said it saw no conflict.
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Information from: The Indianapolis Star, http://www.indystar.com
