Jeff Ono served his final day as state consumer advocate on Wednesday.
Ono, 61, stepped down after serving in the post for more than five years. Gov. Neil Abercrombie appointed him as executive director for the Division of Consumer Advocacy in 2011.
During his time as consumer advocate, Ono participated in the review of the proposed sale of the state’s largest electric utility to Florida-based NextEra Energy Inc. State regulators rejected NextEra’s application to buy Hawaiian Electric Industries in July.
Ono said that he planned to serve until his agency’s review of NextEra’s proposed $4.3 billion purchase of HEI was complete.
“I’m certainly proud of the work we did in the NextEra merger,” Ono said.
Ono said he told Gov. David Ige he planned to step down in August.
“He knew that my intention was to leave after the NextEra merger was completed,” Ono said. “I talked to him sometime in mid-August and let him know formally.”
Ono said encouraging community involvement is going to be very important as the future consumer advocate makes decisions regarding the state’s renewable energy transformation.
“It’s not just representing consumer interest,” Ono said. “Especially with more and more renewable energy. The generation is going out to places beyond typically where you find central station power. … You have solar farms and wind farms out in the community. And we are going to see battery installations out in the community as well.”
Dean Nishina, Ono’s predecessor, will take over as acting consumer advocate today. Nishina served as consumer advocate from December 2009 to January 2011.
Catherine Awakuni Colon, director of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and Ige will decide who will fill Ono’s shoes.
By statute, the DCCA director appoints the consumer advocate, but traditionally it has been an appointment made by the governor.
Ono said he plans to go back to private practice after taking time off in September.
Ono practiced law for more than 30 years. He was a partner at the law firm of Galiher DeRobertis Ono.
