Megan Hall: Welcome to Possibly, where we take on huge problems like the future of our planet, and break them down into small questions with unexpected answers. I’m Megan Hall.
In another episode, we talked about a state agency that can play a big role in helping us get more of our energy from renewable sources. Here in Rhode Island, it’s called the Public Utilities Commission. But how do everyday people influence how these commissions work? Juliana Merullo and Janek Schaller are here with some ideas.
Juliana Merullo: Hiya!
Janek Schaller: Hey Megan!
Megan Hall: So remind me what is a Public Utilities Commission?
Juliana Merullo: PUCs, as they’re often called, are state agencies that set rules and regulations for utility companies. This includes making big decisions about renewable energy projects, and helping reduce emissions at the state level. Timmons Roberts, a professor at Brown University who studies PUCs, explains them this way-
Timmons Roberts: Public Utility Commissions are the most powerful important state agencies that you’ve never heard of, a lot of people don’t know even that they exist.
Megan Hall: I get an electric bill every month and I didn’t even know what they were!
Janek Schaller: That’s partly because these commissions aren’t really designed for public input. A lot of their work is quasi-judicial, which basically just means that they operate sort of like a court does.
Juliana Merullo: To find out more, we spoke to Marissa Gillete, who is the chairperson of Connecticut’s version of the PUC.
Marissa Gillete: Everything that we do, every decision we make has to be based on substantial evidence in the record. And it becomes legally binding on the utilities that we regulate.
Janek Schaller: The whole process is pretty formal. There are “cases” and “dockets” and sometimes even oral arguments like in a courtroom.
Juliana Merullo: And the PUC makes decisions based on the evidence that’s presented to them. Marissa explains it this way-
Marissa Gillete: let’s just pretend I opened a docket to figure out what color the sky is. And I know and you know, the sky is blue. But if the utility is the only party in my docket, and sometimes early on, it was just the utility, are telling me and they’ve given me evidence that the sky is green, it does not matter.
Janek Schaller: This can make the PUC decisions pretty one sided if other people don’t participate in this process.
Megan Hall: So how can the public participate and make sure the PUC is hearing all sides?
Janek Schaller: The process can definitely be tricky to navigate. You can submit a public comment, but Marissa told us the most impactful way to take part is to become what’s called an intervenor.
Juliana Merullo: That just means you’re allowed to formally participate in the case and present evidence. But, to do that, you need to hire a lawyer and pay for other legal costs. This can be a huge financial barrier to most people who want to get involved.
Janek Schaller: To combat that, some states already have programs that offer funding so that low-income individuals and community groups can go through that process.
Juliana Merullo: A bill just passed in Connecticut that does the same thing. Timmons Roberts, from Brown, thinks there’s a lot to be done to make Public utility commissions more accessible and understandable. His lab just published a report with recommendations.
Janek Schaller: The report said these PUCs need more funding to make it easier for people to participate, and more outreach and education so more people know what they do!
Juliana Merullo: In Connecticut, they do this by hosting workshops across the state and posting videos on YouTube.
Megan Hall: That’s great! I have to say though, sometimes it feels like there are so many environmental causes to get involved in… why should people care about this one in particular?
Janek Schaller: I had a similar thought at first! But Jared Heern, a researcher at Brown studying PUCs across the US, made this point:
Jared Heern: if you like it when your lights come on, if you have to pay a electric bill every month, already, you’re affected by the decisions the PUCs make.
Janek Schaller: As we electrify more and more of the grid, people are starting to realize how important these commissions will be in order to reach our emissions reduction goals!
Juliana Merullo: It’s definitely worth keeping an eye on what they’re doing.
Megan Hall: Thanks Juliana and Janek! That’s it for today. For more information, or to ask a question about the way your choices affect our planet, go to the public’s radio dot org slash possibly. Or subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.
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Possibly is a co-production of The Public’s Radio, Brown University’s Institute for Environment and Society, and Brown’s Climate Solutions Initiative.