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Former Public Service Commissioner Craig Greene often cast the swing vote deciding controversial issues that divided the other two Republicans from the two Democrats.
Sometimes, Greene sided with the Democrats, and many in the GOP were happy he decided not to run for reelection. Former state Sen. Jean-Paul Coussan, a Republican, was elected in November to replace him, and the commission has already altered its approach to certain issues.
The current PSC will confront numerous technical problems that can make a non-expert’s eyes water, but the overarching question is simple to state, if not easy to address: How do we meet the rapidly rising demand for electricity without allowing the prices residents and businesses pay to skyrocket?
As Commissioner Foster Campbell points out, utilities get a guaranteed profit when they build new plants and infrastructure, so it’s up to the commission to scrutinize those decisions to ensure that cheaper options are pursued when possible.
PSC Chair Mike Francis says the current system works pretty well. Rates in Louisiana are among the lowest in the country, and he’s confident that will remain the case, even if we see higher costs nationwide.
“Nothing is off the table to add value to our industry,” he says. “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”
But Commissioner Davante Lewis, an outspoken Democrat who upset three-time incumbent Lambert Boissiere in 2022, would like to see the commission take a closer look at alternatives, such as battery storage and virtual power plants, to lessen the need for building expensive power plants and transmission infrastructure.
“We have to put some more flexible options on the table, or we’re going to ensure a gradual rate increase,” Lewis says.
He notes that the PSC has ended major initiatives that Greene supported, such as an energy efficiency program and a “customer-centric option” docket that may have led to the commission rethinking the monopolies that utilities currently enjoy.
“Craig was quote unquote the moderate, so we have to undo all of his work,” Lewis laments. “I think it’s been detrimental to the commission and to the people of Louisiana.”
Asked about Lewis’ contention that the commission has become more partisan since he joined, Coussan responded by text: “Hi kettle, meet pot.”
—They said it: “Did AI help you write the amendment?” –Speaker Pro Tem Mike Johnson to Rep. Mark Wright about Wright’s House Resolution 317, which creates a subcommittee to study artificial intelligence, blockchain and cryptocurrency
