The most important election in Louisiana that many don't even know about

By Nov. 5, over a half-million Louisiana residents will get the chance to vote someone new into one of the most powerful political offices in the state, though the candidates say most people don’t realize it.

The race in question is for the District 2 seat on the Louisiana Public Service Commission, an elected regulatory body that can directly impact the pocketbooks of Louisiana residents through the cost of energy. Early voting begins Friday and ends Oct. 29.

As all three candidates interviewed for this report said in slightly different ways, the Public Service Commission (PSC) is probably the state’s most powerful political body that people haven’t heard of or know little about. It oversees utility companies that provide electricity, water, natural gas and telecommunications services for most of Louisiana. These include investor-owned utilities such as Cleco and Entergy, as well as member-owned rural power cooperatives such as SWEPCO. It also regulates pipelines and tow truck services.

The commissioners can create certain energy policies and represent the residents in their districts in any disputes with utility companies.




https://lailluminator.com/2024/10/18/the-most-important-election-in-louisiana-that-many-dont-even-know-about/