Energy business organization Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) has launched an online database of information about bodies responsible for energy regulation in the U.S. The AEE says the site also includes key energy data for each state and a comparison tool that allows users to analyze states side by side.
According to the AEE, each state has its own commission – typically made up of three to seven commissioners – with most appointed by governors to terms of varying length and some elected. All told, there are nearly 200 public utility commissioners nationwide, the group says, adding that the turnover rate among them is about 25% a year.
The Public Utility Commissioners (PUC) Portal, developed by the Advanced Energy Economy Institute, the AEE’s charitable and educational affiliate, provides the names and biographies of each commissioner, along with political affiliation, method of selection, term of office and requirements for qualification. The site also provides information on other key players in state energy policy, such as executive branch officials and key legislative committees, and data on electricity prices and in-state power generation. Up to four states can be selected for comparison side by side.
“For making our energy system more secure, clean and affordable, state public utility commissions are the most important institutions most people don’t know anything about,” says AEE and AEE Institute CEO Graham Richard. “The new PUC Portal will help our members, policymakers, media and the public better understand how electric and natural gas utilities are regulated at the state level and get key information on the energy circumstances in each state.”
The PUC Portal can be found here.