Innovation: The Path for Smaller Utilities
Nurturing Ideas
The regulatory model for electricity supply generally does not incent utilities to innovate.
Perspective
Affordable Utility Service
Advice to Regulators
One notion of fairness is the affordability of utility services to all households, including those living in poverty.
NARUC's Gas Committee
Two Staff Subcommittees
Conversation with New York PSC commissioner and gas committee chair Diane Burman, plus comments by vice chairs, subcommittee chairs and vice chairs.
Hawaii's Consumer Advocate and a State Representative
Unique Renewable Goals
Conversations with the division of consumer advocacy’s executive director Dean Nishina and state representative Chris Lee.
Hawaii PUC: Jayson Kauwenaole
Head of Compliance and Consumer Affairs
“Our goal is to get them in compliance. We’re not there to shut down any business.”
Hawaii PUC: Gina Yi
Interim Chief Engineer
“I review applications from such utilities as Hawaiian Electric, reviewing its application for major projects, which includes electric diagrams.”
Hawaii PUC: Jodi Endo Chai
Executive Officer
“If it takes us months to issue them a certificate, they’re unable to legally operate and earn income all that time.”
Hawaii PUC: Dave Parsons
Chief for Policy and Research
“We don’t testify, generally. Our Staff is advisory, so we’re an extension of the Commissioners. Our job is to investigate the issues before the Commission and advise them.”
Hawaii PUC: Caroline Ishida
Chief Counsel
“The state Supreme Court has looked at some novel issues raised by some of the parties related to environmental considerations like greenhouse gases.”
Hawaiian Electric: Leland Cockcroft and Robert Kaneshiro
Hawaii Electric Light subsidiary
“We have four cross-island transmission lines of 69 kV. During that storm, three of them got affected, so we only had one transmission line remaining across the island.”