Thus the commissioners have large constituencies (bigger, e.g., than Congressional districts), long terms (6 years), and close involvement with issues of intense consumer interest (such as electricity bills); consequently membership in LPSC has been known to serve as a springboard to even higher public office, as in the cases of Huey Long, Jimmie Davis, John McKeithen, and Kathleen Babineaux Blanco — LPSC members who became governors of Louisiana.
The LPSC is frequently in the news in Louisiana, largely because of its regulatory authority over investor-owned public utilities which offer electric, water, wastewater, natural gas, as well as telecommunication services.
Thus, not surprisingly, four LPSC members have been elected governor of Louisiana: Huey Pierce Long, Jr., in 1928; James Houston "Jimmie" Davis in 1944; John Julian McKeithen in 1964 and 1968; and Kathleen Babineaux Blanco in 2003.
Early in 2009, the LPSC consisted of commissioners Foster L. Campbell, Jr., Jimmy Field, and Eric Skrmetta and a vacancy resulting from the resignation of Dale Sittig.
[9] In replacing Democrat Sittig, Holloway's addition to the LPSC (even including the forerunner Louisiana Railroad Commission) developed the body's first-ever Republican majority.
The typically obscure election was fiercely contested and colored by controversy over a firebombing incident targeted at Wright's campaign treasurer, Mario Zervigon.
Incumbent Commissioner Skrmetta had enforced a limited cap on the number of homeowners in Louisiana who can install home solar panels and provide excess energy back to the grid under net metering.
[11] On December 10, 2022, newcomer Davante Lewis defeated incumbent Lambert Boissiere for a seat on the Public Service Commission.
[12] The Louisiana Public Service Commission has enabled and enforced a limited cap on net metering, preventing many homeowners from across the state from installing solar panels on their homes.
The cap, which is lower than almost any other state in the country, has faced criticism from homeowners who want the ability to go solar to save money on their electric bills.