State Sen. Jean-Paul Coussan of Lafayette will become one of Louisiana’s top utility regulators after beating out two other candidates vying for office.
Three candidates ran for the open seat on the Public Service Commission after incumbent Commissioner Craige Green decided not to run for re-election. Green has served on the commission for eight years.
The five-member Louisiana Public Service Commission is charged with ensuring public utilities across the state provide safe, reliable and “reasonably priced” service. The powerful agency is one of the least known across the state, despite how much it shapes residents’ lives.
By regulating public utilities, the commission helps shape water and energy bills statewide.
Coussan received 54% of the votes, winning the election outright without going to a runoff. Democrat and political newcomer Nick Laborde received over a quarter of votes while Republican challenger Julie Quinn received just 20% of the vote.
Coussan ran a conservative campaign, championing the continued use of natural gas in Louisiana’s energy mix and against the expansion of renewables in the state. He argued the rise of renewables would “drive out oil and gas jobs,” opposing federal incentives designed to promote solar and wind development. Coussan far outraised his opponents throughout the raise, accepting more than half a million dollars in donations.
Currently, the commission is comprised of three Republicans and two Democrats. As the only moderate Republican, Green held great influence. He served as the swing vote on some of the board’s most contentious issues. Earlier this year, he cast the deciding vote to pass new energy efficiency standards that had been delayed for more than a decade, siding with the commission’s two Democrats.
With Coussan representing District 2, the commission will lean more conservative than it has in the past two years.
Historically, most Public Service Commission candidates have accepted campaign donations from the utilities and companies they will regulate if elected. Coussan accepted money from utilities and the oil and gas industry from the start. Neither of Coussan’s opponents accepted money from lobbyists or companies that they would oversee for the majority of the race. Quinn began accepting utility donations in the waning months of her campaign. Laborde was the only candidate to refuse to accept campaign donations from utilities.
