Brad Ramsay passes on that Maine PUC Chairman Tom Welch will be stepping down effective April 1 after 12 years as a regulator. Effusive tributes are usually obligatory during such a move, but Tom actually deserves them.

I served as a contemprary while on the Colorado Commission and maintained an acquaintanceship with him since then. Chairman Welch epitomizes the ethos of a serious, dedicated public servant. His intellect has few peers among state, or for that matter, national regulators. And his quiet, respectful way of conducting himself highlights the crucial but underappreciated quality of approaching issues with the proper temperament. He deserves the encomiums to come.