Sullivan retires after 25 years on Alabama PSC

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The president of the Alabama Public Service Commission, Jim Sullivan, attended his last commission meeting Tuesday and ended a 25-year career on the utility regulatory board.

The 62-year-old Sullivan says he anticipates doing consulting work now that he is retired. He has talked with several utilities, alternative energy companies and law firms, but has not made a decision.

"Hopefully I'll have a job before too long," he said.

Sullivan will be replaced by the winner of Tuesday's election between Democrat Lucy Baxley and Republican Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh. Under Alabama law, the winner will take office immediately.

Sullivan said his successor will face a growing global demand for energy and that will drive fuel prices higher. That, he said, will translate into higher utility prices.

"Not just this commission, but every commission in the country is going to be looking at what I call 'serial rate increases,'" he said.

Sullivan was appointed to the commission by Gov. George Wallace on Feb. 2, 1983, to fill the unexpired term of Billy Joe Camp.

Sullivan said he planned to serve a couple of years and then return to practicing law. But he found he enjoyed utility work and made a career of it.

He won an election to a full term in 1984 as a Democrat and won re-election in 1988 and 1992.

In 1995, he switched to the Republican Party. The following year, he became Alabama's first party switcher to win re-election to a statewide office.

"Then everybody else started changing," he said.

Sullivan won re-election again in 2000 and 2004, but decided not to run again this year.

Sullivan, the commission's only male member, is often teased during commission meetings by his two fellow commissioners, Democrats Jan Cook and Susan Parker. The two women didn't let up Tuesday simply because it was his last day.

Sullivan arrived at the meeting to find his name plate covered with a piece of paper saying "Baxley/Cavanaugh."

Sullivan got back at his fellow commissioners by recounting how he had received several retirement presents, including a box of shotgun shells.

"I know where I'm going to use the first two," he said.

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