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Regular Session, 2010
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 146
BY SENATOR DUPLESSIS
UTILITIES. Creates and provides for the Utility Consumer Advocate Study Group.
A RESOLUTION1
To create and provide for the Utility Consumer Advocate Study Group to explore the2
establishment of a utility consumer advocate office to act as a residential ratepayer3
advocate that would operate independently from the regulatory commissions.4
WHEREAS, forty states and the District of Columbia have established and provided5
funding for utility consumer advocates to represent utility consumers; and6
WHEREAS, Louisiana has a bifurcated system with the City Council of New Orleans7
and the Louisiana Public Service Commission which provides regulatory oversight of the8
utility companies located in Louisiana; and9
WHEREAS, both regulatory bodies are faced with the challenge of regulatory10
balance of ensuring just and reasonable rates, while allowing utility companies the11
opportunity to earn a fair rate of return on their investment; and12
WHEREAS, competing interests of different classes of consumers and the utility13
companies require representation independent of any regulatory body; and14
WHEREAS, industrial and commercial consumers have legal counsel to represent15
their best interests before state and federal regulatory bodies and throughout the judicial16
process if necessary; and17
WHEREAS, residential consumers find it difficult to pool their resources and secure18 SR NO. 146
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independent legal counsel to represent their best interests before state and federal regulatory1
bodies and throughout the judicial process if necessary; and2
WHEREAS, it would be beneficial to explore the possibility of establishing a utility3
consumer advocate to represent the best interests of the residential class who represent a4
majority of utility consumers.5
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana6
hereby creates the Utility Consumer Advocate Study Group to explore the establishment of7
a utility consumer advocate office to act as a residential ratepayer advocate which would8
operate independently from the regulatory commissions.9
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study group created herein shall consist of10
the following members:11
(1) The chair of the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International12
Affairs Committee, or the chair's designee, who shall serve as chair of the study committee.13
(2) The attorney general or his designee.14
(3) The executive secretary of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, or the15
secretary's designee.16
(4) The chair of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, or the chair's designee.17
(5) The mayor of New Orleans, or the mayor's designee.18
(6) The chair of the New Orleans City Council Utilities Committee, or the chair's19
designee.20
(7) A representative of AARP.21
(8) A representative of the Alliance for Affordable Energy.22
(9) A representative of the Sierra Club, Delta Chapter.23
(10) The director of the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency, or the director's24
designee.25
(11) A representative of Louisiana Budget Project.26
(12) A representative selected by the investor-owned utility companies operating27
within Louisiana.28
(13) A representative of the Association of Louisiana Electric Cooperatives, Inc.29
(14) A representative of the National Federation of Independent Business.30 SR NO. 146
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the chair of the Commerce, Consumer1
Protection, and International Affairs Committee shall convene the first meeting of the study2
group no later than October 1, 2010.3
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all departments, boards, agencies, officers, and4
institutions of the state and all subdivisions thereof shall cooperate with the study group in5
providing information to assist the study group to carry out its mission.6
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study group shall make a written report of7
its findings to the Senate of the Louisiana Legislature by April 1, 2011.8
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Alan Miller.
DIGEST
Duplessis SR No.
Creates the Utility Consumer Advocate Study Group to explore the establishment of a utility
consumer advocate office to act as a residential ratepayer advocate that would operate
independently from the regulatory commissions.
The chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International
Affairs is to convene the first meeting no later than October 1, 2010.
Requires a written report to the Senate by April 1, 2011.