About the LPSC

Briefing Statement How to Engage What does the LPSC do? District 2 Election 2024

Do you live in Louisiana? Do you pay an energy bill to Entergy Louisiana, SWEPCO, Cleco, or one of the 12 cooperative utilities in our state?

If you answered yes, that means the Louisiana Public Service Commission is responsible for regulating your utility and ensuring you are provided with safe, reliable, and reasonably priced services. The LPSC sets utility rates for the majority of Louisiana residents. They also regulate water, gas, telecommunication, and intrastate transportation.

At the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) District 2 seat is up for election this November, 2024. Check out our briefing statement in advance of the 2024 LPSC election that highlights some of the things that anyone interested in serving as a Commissioner should be aware of. Plus, learn more about the LPSC and get up to date on current and past LPSC dockets below.

Louisiana State Dockets

 

Decisions at the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) are generally made through a docketed process, allowing for public involvement. Just about anyone can involved, but there is a process to get on the list.

Get a quick breakdown of who is considered a stakeholder, how to intervene, and more. For reminders and updates about LPSC meetings, visit our Take Action page and follow us on social media @all4energy.

Who Is Considered A Stakeholder?

A Stakeholder is any entity or individual that has a vested interest in the docket. That could include a housing organization concerned about impacts of utility costs on affordable housing, a neighborhood group interested in community solar or opposed to a new gas plant in their community, even an individual utility customer has a vested interest in what their utility is doing, or being required to do by the LPSC.

 

How To Intervene

​Dockets are published in the LPSC bi-monthly Bulletin. These Bulletins are posted on the LPSC website generally on the second and fourth Fridays of the month. Following publishing, stakeholders have 25 days to Intervene unless otherwise noted. Although, don’t be discouraged, late intervention is almost always allowed!

The full rules can be found here, but please feel free to use our Intervention and Cover Letter templates below. Once completed, they will need to be submitted to the LPSC Records & Recording Division by 4:30pm CST, the day of the deadline.

TEMPLATES:

HOW TO SUBMIT INTERVENTIONS & COMMENTS

​Interventions, comments and testimony need to be filed with the LPSC’s Records & Recording Division. They can be submitted via fax, hand delivery or by mail.

  • Fax filing: This option is convenient if a deadline is quickly approaching, and is usually used for comments to maximize work time. With this option, the document needs to be faxed to the LPSC’s Records & Recording Division by 4:30pm on the day of the deadline, and circulated (via email is fine) to the Service List. Following the fax submittal, the original document and two copies must be mailed to the LPSC, along with the fax filing fee (a check to the LPSC for $25) within five (5) business days. NOTE: filings done by fax cannot exceed 25 pages.
  • Mail-in filing: This is the best option for Interventions! Just print out your documents, make two copies, drop it in the mail and circulate to the Service List. Overnight mail with services like FedEx and UPS are accepted as well.
  • Hand Delivery: A self-explanatory option, although accessing the building can be tricky. You’ll need to go to the Galvez Building in Baton Rouge, check in with security and take the elevator up to the 11th floor.

LATE INTERVENTION AND/OR MISSED DEADLINES

​Maybe you missed the deadline, or are new to the LPSC game, you can still jump in!

You’ll just need to Petition the Commission to Intervene Out of Time. Feel free to use these templates below! Depending on the type of docket, the Petition is reviewed and other Stakeholders may be given the opportunity to object within a specified time period. Given no objections, you’ll be granted Intervenor status.

If you missed a comment deadline, you’ll follow a similar process. You’ll need to Petition the Commission to Leave Comment Out of Time, and yes, we have a template for that too! This is used if you miss a deadline by a day or so, not an opportunity to submit comments on something from months ago.

Petition the Commission to Intervene (or Leave Comment) Out of Time can be submitted at the same time as your Intervention or Comments, and the same submittal process used. Note, filing as an Interested Party does not have a deadline.

TEMPLATES:

Interested Party Status

This is a great way to keep up to date on open proceedings. You’ll be added to the Service List and receive emails when documents are filed in the docket, although Interested Parties do not have an opportunity to file comments, ask questions, or submit testimony. Feel free to use our Interested Party template, and follow the same process for submitting.

TEMPLATES:

What is the Service List?

(And other helpful tips for navigating the LPSC website.)

​Each docket has a ‘Service List’ of Intervenors, Interested Parties, LPSC Staff, Commissioners, Consultants, etc. It’s really just a contact list of stakeholders involved. This can be found in each docket, however like many governmental agencies, the LPSC’s website is not exactly user-friendly.

Here are the basics:

  • The right-hand panel posts the most recent updates. This is where the Bulletin & LPSC agendas are posted.
  • The left-hand column is the menu, with links to all sorts of interesting stuff, but we’re focused on the Service List right now, so click on ‘Document Access’. Then click ‘Search for Dockets’ at the top of the page and enter the docket number in the field on the left-hand side. The docket number will be published in the Bulletin, but if you missed it, just ask us! Honestly, I have yet to figure out the algorithms of those other search options.
  • Let’s use the Energy Efficiency Rulemaking as an example, type in R-31106 into the Docket Number field, hit search, then click on the hyperlink with the docket number. You are now in the docket! This is where you can find all of the documents filed into the docket and if you scroll down, you have the Service List.

 

What does the LPSC do?

The companies under the Commission’s jurisdiction must obtain approval before:

The Alliance encourages you to reach out to your utility regulator and let them know what energy issues are affecting you – like how much your utility bill costs, how reliable your power is, and where your power comes from, among other things. We encourage you to give your perspective and to make your particular priorities heard.

 

Who are your Commissioners?

The LPSC consists of five elected Commissioners from five respective districts across the state. Commissioners serve 6-year terms, with a 3-term limit, which can add up to 18 years, making these very powerful positions. District 2 is up for election in 2024, and Districts 1 and 5 will be up for election in 2026.

These public officials are allowed to accept campaign contributions directly from the utilities and common carriers they regulate.

Contact your Public Service Commissioners:

Find your Public Service Commission district:

  1. Go to the Secretary of State Voter Portal
  2. Enter your zip code and physical address & click ‘Submit’
  3. Click ‘My Districts’
  4. Your Public Service Commissioner district will be listed here.​​ ​
LPSC District 2 Election 2024

One of five seats at the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) is up for election this November, 2024.

If you live in District 2 – which includes parts of East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Terrebonne, Lafayette, Lafourche, St. Mary, Iberia, East Feliciana, West Feliciana, Ascension, Assumption, Livingston, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, and St. Martin parishes – your energy bill will be on the ballot.

As always, The Alliance is hosting forums to allow voters an opportunity to hear from the candidates, ask questions, and be heard! Join us to hear from candidates about ideas on how to support grid resilience, clean power, affordability, and public engagement with the Commission. RSVP for our candidate forums and get up to speed on everything you need to know about the LPSC and the upcoming election on our Take Action page.

Get Involved at the Public Service Commission!

Take Action