Voting is free. Your utilities aren’t.

03.05.2026

Democracy & Elections

Utility Regulation

Louisiana Public Service Commission

Entergy Louisiana

Cleco

SWEPCO

Cooperative Utilities

Consumer Protection

Renewable Energy

Energy Efficiency

Bills & Economics

Transmission

Reliability & Resilience

Most Louisiana residents and businesses buy their power, water, and other utilities from privately owned monopolies.

Because these utilities have no competition, voters elect five people to the Louisiana Public Service Commission to protect our interests.

There are two PSC seats up for election this year, in District 1 (Southeast Louisiana) and in District 5 (North Louisiana).

The PSC is supposed to set “just and reasonable” rates to generate a fair profit for utility companies in exchange for reliable service for customers.

In practice, the Commissioners:

Approve requests for rate increases from utilities with little public input
Accept campaign donations from utility lobbyists and businesses they regulate
Raise your bills without considering options to keep costs down

Voting is free, your utilities aren’t.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) elections in May and November are your chance to elect commissioners that will prioritize people over utility companies profits.

The Alliance has put forth recommendations for reform at the PSC intended to help inform voters and PSC candidates about the most pressing energy issues and actionable solutions to address them.

Affordability & Ending Disconnections

Ban utility disconnections due to inability to pay, especially during winter and summer months, and prioritize medically vulnerable residents
Give people more options to manage energy costs, including through investments in energy efficiency, demand response, and community solar
Add more wind and solar power to our energy mix to lessen dependence on natural gas and reduce risk associated with volatile gas prices
Require utilities to use the lowest-cost energy available and ban utilities from charging us for uneconomic coal-fired power
Improve the value of electricity generated by rooftop solar so customers are fairly compensated for the solar power they produce and share with the grid.

Good Governance & Transparency

Prohibit candidates for the PSC, as well as incumbent commissioners from accepting campaign contributions from the companies they regulate and their lawyers, consultants, and other agents
Conduct a thorough investigation and audit into Delta Utilities billing accuracy
Develop a clear process for customers to dispute bill charges
Invest in Commission’s in-house staff to reduce its reliance on costly outside lawyers and consultants, which add millions of dollars to Louisiana energy and water bills
Expand public participation and transparency by allowing online public comment, offering meetings at more accessible times, and improving public communications so residents can meaningfully engage in decisions that impact their energy bills and service

Equitable Grid

Require utility companies to make measurable improvements in the reliability of our electricity grid to reduce the number of power outages we experience
Invest in regional transmission lines to increase our access to reliable and affordable power sources available nearby
Strengthen investment and participation in regional transmission organizations that help plan for and manage the flow of electricity across states
Require data centers operators to pay for all new costs associated with building and powering data centers. Require utilities to follow the Commission’s Market-based Mechanism that electric companies choose the best and lowest-cost options for generating power. Setting aside that requirement, which the commission did in 2025, is inviting the utilities to enrich their shareholders and force Louisiana ratepayers to pay for expensive new power plants

The Alliance is not here to tell people in North or Southeast Louisiana who to vote for.

We are here to make sure that voters know what is at stake and provide opportunities for community members to hear from candidates about their positions and how they intend to serve their constituents.

Whether you are concerned about costs-of-living issues, economic opportunities like renewables, climate change and the environment, or the power of monopolies in state politics, the PSC election is incredibly important.

The more residents know, the better they will be served by their elected regulators and by the utility companies.

The New Party Primary System

Power over your bills starts with your vote.

Here are some key dates

April 15 – Voter registration deadline for primary
May 16 – Party Primary Elections
November 3 – General Election

Sign up for our newsletter to stay in the know and learn more about the PSC and what’s at stake at an upcoming event or in our previous blogs below.

Register to Vote

We’ll be hosting a Community Bill Workshop in North and Southeast Louisiana this April to talk about why bills are so high and what the PSC can do about it.

Metaire
Tuesday, April 7 from 6pm – 7:30pm
Jefferson East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W Napoleon Ave

Shreveport
Thursday, April 9 from 6pm – 7:30pm
Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church, 5340 Jewella Avenue

Learn More & RSVP