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1001 South Broad Street, Ste. 202, New Orleans, LA 70125 Phone: 504-208-9761 Fax: 504-208-9768  

Louisiana Public Service Commission
District 1 Election Update

On October 4, voters will have the opportunity to chose a new Louisiana State Public Service Commission (LSPC) member for District 1, which includes the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain to the Mississippi border, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes, most of Jefferson Parish, and parts of the Lakeview and Uptown neighborhoods in New Orleans.

The LPSC is a state regulatory agency “dedicated to serving the public interest by assuring safe, reliable, and reasonably priced services for the public utilities and motor carriers” (from the LPSC website ). In its role as a regulator the LPSC plays an important role in setting policy that determines the energy future of our state, and is responsible to the citizens of the state.

In order to better inform our members and the public about the positions of the candidates, we at the Alliance for Affordable Energy have both sent out a questionnaire to all four candidates and have made an independent assessment of candidates’ stands on important issues based on their answers and public records.

While conventional wisdom holds that this election is a race between former Commissioner Schwegmann and Mr. Skrmetta, we urge voters to look carefully at the positions of all candidates.

Our brief analysis of the LPSC candidate positions

Responses by all four candidates to the questionnaire

Not sure if you are in District 1?
Here are two ways to find out.

LA Department of State Locator

Maps!

 

Important New Orleans City Council Energy Efficiency Hearing June 25, 1 PM

A new city-wide proposal to address rising energy costs through energy efficiency will come before the City Council Utility Committee in a public hearing on Wednesday, June 25th at 1pm in the City Council Chambers. Your voice is important - please come to share your concerns and show your support for energy efficiency.

The cost of energy, rising for years, has been one of the more vexing issues for New Orleans residents and businesses since Katrina. Entergy New Orleans has just announced that natural gas prices are set to spike once again this summer. These costs will be passed on to us in the form of higher bills, through a fuel adjustment charge for metered electricity use and metered gas. In the face of this daunting situation, we are not powerless.

The solution is energy efficiency. A great deal of what we pay on our utility bill is essentially wasted energy. Improving the energy performance of our homes dramatically reduces energy bills. Unfortunately, a twisted catch-22 stands in the way for those struggling to afford their energy bills: while efficiency could save money on energy costs, high monthly bills leave nothing left over to make the necessary efficiency improvements.

The Energy Smart program currently before the City Council solves this problem with:

  • Direct consultation on high impact energy efficiency options based on a detailed inspection of the energy issues in your home or business.
  • Financing for efficiency improvements paid directly out of the energy savings, which requires no upfront money.
  • A list of qualified contractors and an independent quality assurance inspection once the work is done.

    • The program is supported in two ways. A system benefit charge of 1 mil / kWh (one tenth of a cent) is paid by all utility customers, which provides for the creation and administration of the program, consultations and quality assurance, contractor training and certification, and low income services. For the average residential customer, the cost works out to be about $1 / month (equal to the savings from replacing one frequently used incandescent light with a compact fluorescent bulb). The energy efficiency home improvements use private capital financing paid directly out of the energy savings. The program is designed to improve 2,800 homes each year with individual expected energy savings between 20-30%.

    The substantial savings for improved homes is further enhanced by the city-wide savings from reducing use of high price energy during times of peak demand. All customers in the city benefit from lower peak energy prices when total consumption drops. Instead of throwing our money down a hole, with the utility company reaping the benefits, we should be lowering our utility bills while investing in the value of our homes.

    Please show your support for the Energy Smart program on Wednesday, June 25th at 1pm in the City Council Chambers.

    The BuildSmart Expo at the New Orleans Home & Garden Show
    The Alliance for Affordable Energy
    & The Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans present the
    2nd Annual BuildSmart Expo
    at The New Orleans Home & Garden Show.
    click for more information

    When: February 28 – March 2
    Where: Louisiana Superdome

    SUCCESS!
    Step It Up and
    SecondLine to the Superdome! Step It Up!

    Arial photograph of the day's message: No New Coal!
    Arial photograph of the marcher's message at the Superdome.

    *****

    Entergy wants to
    convert their Little Gypsy power plant to
    Burn dirty coal and
    make you pay for it!!

    Entergy wants you to pay
    for their new power plant in advance
    Normally a utility would build their generating plant and then charge the consumer for the electricity they produce. Entergy wants to charge their customers in advance for their $1.5 billion power plant.

    Entergy will cause even more Global Warming
    By burning dirty coal instead of natural gas, Entergy will produce more Global Warming pollution which means more powerful hurricanes, rising seas, droughts and hotter weather.

    Entergy's new coal plant will pollute
    By burning dirty coal instead of natural gas as it does now, Entergy will put out more pollutants that cause heart and lung damage, cancer, and nerve damage in children.

    You can tell the
    Public Service Commission to say NO to Entergy
    The Public Service Commission is elected to see that utilities safely provide reliable electricity at a reasonable price, and guarantees them a profit. By switching to dirtier fuels like coal, Entergy makes you & your family less safe by harming our health and by causing more Global Warming. Entergy puts us at risk for higher future prices because Congress will pass carbon taxes and other ways of coping with Global Warming. The PSC can tell Entergy to switch to clean renewable energy like wind and solar instead of to dirty coal.

    Call them at (800) 256-2397
    and 225-342-4404 or 225-342-2831 (Fax)
    Say, “Tell the commissioners to say no to Dirty Coal Power!”

    Write them via the web at www.SayYesToCleanEnergy.org

    First report!
    From the Event oposing Entergy's application in Baton Rouge October 11
    Karen Wimpleberg waits to speak to the press Ocotber 11, 2007
    Karen Wimpleberg, Chair of the Alliance for Affordable Energy waits to speak to the press. The event was held to oppose Entergy's application to convert their Little Gypsy power plant from burning natural gas to burning coal. (A fuller description will follow.)

    For More Info, call the Alliance (504) 208-9761

    		Click Here To Donate

    Our Story
    The Alliance is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to creating fair, affordable, and environmentally responsible energy policies. Founded in 1985 in New Orleans, the Alliance conducts community education campaigns on energy issues, helps citizens and businesses become more energy efficient, and promotes sustainable energy policy solutions. As the only Louisiana consumer advocacy/environmental organization, the Alliance plays a pivotal role in providing citizen input on energy-related issues. Since its inception, the organization’s mission has evolved to cover energy issues affecting citizens from reducing energy bills to being the state's lead organizer in the fight to stop global warming. In the wake of the devastating 2005 hurricanes, the Alliance is using its regulatory, policy development, networking and outreach skills to ensure that New Orleans and the region utilize available sustainable technologies and smart planning choices as reconstruction occurs.

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