AUGUSTA (AP) — Republican Gov. Paul LePage says he has hired a former energy executive as his new energy chief.

LePage said Tuesday that former Downeast Energy Corp. Chief Financial Officer Steven McGrath began his tenure as director of the governor’s energy office in late August.

The governor said McGrath for the past four years has worked as a financial adviser and a part-time CFO for several Maine small businesses.

McGrath was responsible for oil and propane supply and hedging while at Downeast. The company was acquired in 2012 by NGL Energy Partners LP.

Former utility regulator Angela Monroe has been serving as LePage’s acting energy director since former energy chief Patrick Woodcock left in 2016. State records show that Woodcock’s salary and benefits totaled about $136,000 in 2016.

Maine State House is the state capitol of the State of Maine in Augusta, Maine, USA.

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