The chairwoman of a key committee involved in confirming Gov. David Ige’s controversial nominee for the state’s Public Utilities Commission indicated she will allow the governor’s choice to move ahead.

Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection and Health Chairwoman Rosalyn Baker (D, West Maui-South Maui) initially voiced disapproval of Ige’s decision to appoint Tom Gorak to the three-member commission.

But on Thursday, Baker said she would set a hearing for her committee to rule on Gorak’s appointment.

Gorak has been serving as interim member of the PUC since Ige appointed him in June. The PUC regulates companies such as Hawaiian Electric Co. and Young Brothers Ltd.

When Ige originally chose Gorak to take over for Mike Champley, Baker said she was disappointed. Ige put Gorak on the commission in June, without Senate approval, weeks before the PUC announced its decision to reject Florida-based NextEra Energy Inc.’s $4.3 billion offer to purchase Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. The PUC rejected the controversial deal 2-0, with Gorak abstaining.

At the time of the interim appointment Baker said Champley should see the NextEra decision through because he was the acting commissioner when NextEra filed to purchase HEI. Baker also said Ige should have followed the process of including the Senate in finalizing who becomes a commissioner.

To be confirmed for a full term, Gorak has to be approved by Baker’s committee and the full Senate within the next three weeks.

The Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection and Health has to file its report on Gorak’s approval by May 1. The full senate must vote by May 4 before Gorak is confirmed to serve alongside commissioners Lorraine Akiba and Chairman Randy Iwase.

His confirmation has yet to be scheduled for a hearing date with Baker’s committee. Baker did not say when she plans to schedule Gorak’s appointment for a hearing, but that the hearing will “have to work around conference meetings.”

Ige submitted Gorak’s name to the Senate in March for “consideration and confirmation” to the PUC for a term to expire June 30, 2022. If Gorak is not scheduled a hearing, he will continue to serve as interim until the end of session and then Ige will have to look for another interim appointment.

Ige said Thursday he is confident the Senate will give Gorak a fair deliberation.

“I believe that those senators, if they look at his resume and background, will find him very qualified to serve on the Public Utilities Commission,” Ige said.

Before his appointment as interim commissioner, Gorak was chief counsel of the PUC, serving since 2013. Gorak has been working in public utility regulation for 37 years.

Ige said he encouraged Gorak to meet with senators to respond to any questions they might have about his ability to serve on the commission.

“I know that he is going around meeting with the senators,” he said. “So that’s part of the process, we’ll see how that proceeds.”

Ige said he has not considered a replacement for Gorak.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” he said. “I really believe Gorak is very qualified to serve on as a public utilities commissioner.”