Machiavellian utility regulation?

Timing is everything, especially when it comes to the latest appointment to the three-person Public Utilities Commission.

Gov. David Ige named Tom Gorak to replace the outgoing commissioner Michael Champley, just before a decision on the controversial proposal to merge Hawaiian Electric Industries with Next-Era Energy Inc.

There is debate over whether Gorak should serve as an interim voting member since he’s yet to be confirmed by the state Senate, which convenes in January.

Ige, an outspoken opponent of the deal, insists he is not trying to influence the vote of his appointee, who as the PUC’s chief counsel is well versed on the issues.

Who knew there could be such intrigue in utilities regulation?

Deal for campus seems a win-win

Castle Medical Center’s proposal to buy the Hawaii Pacific University’s Windward campus raises questions:

>> If the sale goes through, what will happen to the university’s programs based there?

>> How will Castle divide its operations between its existing property 2 miles away and this larger area?

These considerations aside, the deal sounds like a win-win for the school, which needs capital to pursue plans for its downtown campus, and Castle, which could do a lot with more space.

For the community, this could be a welcome addition, too — one that could preserve some of the pastoral setting of the place — better, certainly, than outsized development.