The House Resources Committee voted Monday to forward Julie Vogler's nomination to the Regulatory Commission of Alaska to the full House and Senate for confirmation.

The committee held a confirmation hearing for Vogler, whom Governor Dunleavy appointed March 11, 2026, to a six-year term replacing Robert M. Pickett on the five-member commission that regulates public utilities and pipelines statewide.

Vogler has worked at the RCA since 2004, starting as an entry-level utility financial analyst and advancing through supervisory roles to utility master analyst in 2022. She earned bachelor's degrees in finance and accounting from the University of Alaska Anchorage and has over 21 years of regulatory experience.

"I was fortunate early on in my career to have the opportunity to be assigned complex rate filings as advanced-level analysts left the Commission," Vogler said. "I took that as an opportunity and started teaching myself all things rate-making."

Vogler told the committee she has managed the Power Cost Equalization program for non-economically regulated utilities and has served as the commission's lead legislative liaison for the past two years. In that role, she communicates with legislators and staff, presents before committees, and reviews fiscal notes.

Representative Sadler asked whether the RCA has regulatory authority over siting and construction of liquefied natural gas facilities permitted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Vogler said no, FERC has jurisdiction over LNG import facility siting and construction.

Representative Mears told the committee Vogler frequently answered questions online for the House Energy Committee when commissioners were in hearings. "It is a challenging agency to understand," Mears said, noting the RCA plays an important role in consumer protection.

Representative Prox asked about improving the RCA's document filing system, which he called difficult to follow. Vogler said the commission will implement a new case management system to replace the current one and make it more user-friendly.

When asked about her vision for the agency, Vogler said the RCA has focused on building staff after turnover by converting positions to allow internal progression. "Having that diverse group of commissioners and the different skill sets that they add will help in the decision-making process," she said.

Sadler asked whether the RCA has adequate resources to fulfill its mission. Vogler said yes, noting the commission is meeting all statutory timelines despite some vacancies.

No one testified during the public comment period. Co-chair Representative Dybert closed testimony and the committee voted without objection to forward Vogler's name to the full House and Senate. Committee members signed the report, which noted that signatures do not reflect intent to vote for or against confirmation in future sessions.