An environmental activist nominated to serve on Colorado's powerful Public Utilities Commission is drawing fire for his record of attacks on a key sector of the state's energy economy. Lawmakers are challenging Environment Colorado Executive Director  Matt Baker's fitness for his new post given his lengthy history of fighting coal-fired power plants--which generate fully 80 percent of Colorado's electricity.

Baker's nomination by Gov. Bill Ritter must get Senate approval and goes before the Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee today.

"Mr. Baker's record is very troubling to me and many of my colleagues," said Senate Republican leader Andy McElhany of Colorado Springs.

"Appointments to the commission are in some ways supposed to be like appointments to the judiciary," McElhany said. "You want experience in areas like energy, the environment and consumer protection, but you do not want someone on board who is driven by an overarching political agenda."