Insider Blog

James Green is running for Northwest Louisiana Public Service Commissioner.

Read his full questionnaire below.

Question 1

What are your top three priorities for the Public Service Commission, and how would those priorities specifically benefit residents, businesses, and communities in Northwest Louisiana?

My top three priorities are affordability, reliability, and responsible growth with accountability.

1) Affordability. Families and businesses need utility rates that are fair and reasonable. I will carefully examine rate increases and major investments to make sure costs are necessary and customers are not paying more than they should.
2) Reliability. Affordable power must also be dependable. I support responsible investments that strengthen our utility systems, improve storm resilience, reduce outages, and provide the capacity our communities and businesses need to grow.
3) Responsible Growth with Accountability. Northwest Louisiana should compete for new jobs and investment, but growth must be fair. Large new customers should pay their fair share of the infrastructure they require without shifting unreasonable costs to families and existing businesses.

Together, these priorities represent my People-First Agenda: affordable service, reliable infrastructure, and responsible growth that benefits the people and businesses of Northwest Louisiana.

Question 2

The Public Service Commission plays a significant role in determining whether utility rates are fair and reasonable. How would you balance the need to keep utility costs affordable for consumers and businesses with the need for utilities to maintain reliable systems and make necessary infrastructure investments?

I do not believe affordability and reliability are competing goals. The Commission’s responsibility is to achieve both. Utilities must have the resources to maintain their systems, strengthen reliability, prepare for future demand, and make prudent infrastructure investments. At the same time, customers should not be expected to provide a blank check. The LPSC itself describes its regulatory responsibility as balancing reliable, reasonably priced service with an opportunity for utilities to earn a fair return.

When an investment or rate increase comes before the Commission, I would ask: Is it necessary? Is the cost reasonable and prudent? Are there more cost-effective alternatives? Who benefits from the investment, and who should pay for it? My approach is straightforward: utilities deserve a fair return, but consumers and businesses deserve a fair deal. We can invest in a reliable, resilient utility system without losing sight of the families and businesses that ultimately pay the bill.

Question 3

Northwest Louisiana businesses and residents depend on reliable electric, natural gas, telecommunications, and other regulated utility services. What policies or investments would you support to improve system reliability, resilience, and recovery following severe weather or other disruptions?

I would support investments that make our utility systems stronger, more dependable, and better prepared for severe weather and other emergencies. That means maintaining and upgrading aging equipment, strengthening the electric grid, keeping trees and vegetation away from power lines, and making sure utilities have strong plans in place to restore service quickly when outages happen.

I also believe communication matters. When the power or other essential services go down, customers should receive clear and timely information about what happened and when service is expected to be restored. This is simple, when power goes off, it should come back on in a reasonable time frame. For Northwest Louisiana, reliable utilities are important to both our quality of life and our economy. Families need dependable service, and businesses need confidence that they can operate without unnecessary disruptions. My goal would be to support necessary improvements while making sure the costs are reasonable and customers are not being asked to pay more than they should.

Question 4

Energy and utility costs can influence whether companies locate, expand, or invest in Louisiana. How would you use your role on the Public Service Commission to support economic development and help Northwest Louisiana remain competitive for new and expanding businesses?

Affordable and reliable utilities are important to attracting and keeping businesses in Northwest Louisiana. As Commissioner, I would support responsible infrastructure investments that help businesses grow and create jobs.

I also want to make sure growth is fair. When new development requires major utility investments, we need to ask who benefits and who pays. My goal is to help Northwest Louisiana compete for new opportunities without placing unfair costs on the families and businesses already here.

Question 5

Louisiana's energy needs are changing as industrial development, technology, data centers, manufacturing, and population trends affect electricity demand. What approach should the Public Service Commission take to ensure Louisiana has sufficient, reliable, and competitively priced energy to meet future demand?

It is simple, we must plan ahead. As demand grows, the Public Service Commission should make sure utilities are preparing for what we will need five, ten, and twenty years from now, not simply reacting when demand arrives. Louisiana’s current resource-planning rules require utilities to evaluate future demand, reliability needs, available resources, transmission needs, and costs.

I support a balanced approach to energy that looks at all reasonable options and focuses on what is reliable and cost-effective. New industries and large energy users should also pay their fair share of the infrastructure needed to serve them, rather than shifting those costs to families and existing businesses.

The goal is simple: have enough reliable energy to grow Louisiana's economy while keeping utility costs fair
and competitive.

Question 6

Major utility infrastructure projects can require significant capital investment. What criteria should the Commission use when deciding whether an infrastructure project is necessary, who should bear the cost, and over what period those costs should be recovered from customers?

Before approving a major infrastructure project, I would want to know three things: Is it needed? Is the cost reasonable? And who benefits from it?

If a project is necessary to provide reliable service, the utility should have a reasonable opportunity to recover its costs. But the people who benefit from the investment should pay their fair share. Large new customers should not create costs that are unfairly shifted to families and existing businesses.

Finally, the time allowed for recovering those costs should consider both the useful life of the investment and the impact on customers' monthly bills. We need necessary investment, but we also need to keep utility bills affordable.

 

Question 7

What specific steps would you take to promote transparency, accountability, and public confidence in Public Service Commission decisions, including rate cases, utility expenditures, contracts, and interactions with regulated industries?

Transparency starts with making sure people can understand what the Commission is doing and why. This industry is technical, but it is important to make sure the ratepayers understand. I support making information about rate cases, utility spending, contracts, and Commission decisions easy for the public to find and understand.

I would also expect utilities to clearly explain and justify the costs they want customers to pay, and I would ask tough questions before voting on major expenditures or rate increases.

Finally, I believe Commissioners should be accessible, follow strong ethical standards in their interactions with regulated industries, and explain important decisions to the public. People should know how decisions are made, who benefits, what they will cost, and why they are in the public interest.

 

Question 8

Northwest Louisiana includes communities with different economic, geographic, and infrastructure needs. How will you engage with local governments, businesses, chambers of commerce, rural communities, and individual ratepayers to ensure their concerns are represented before the Public Service Commission?

I believe you have to go where the people are and listen. During this campaign, I have traveled to all 24 parishes in District 5, meeting with residents, business owners, local officials, and community leaders and hearing firsthand about the issues that matter to them.

That will not stop after the election. I intend to continue visiting communities throughout the district, listening to ratepayers and staying connected with local governments, chambers of commerce, businesses, and rural communities.

I want people to know that their Commissioner is accessible, that their concerns matter, and that their voices will be heard when decisions are being made.