Chair Presley on Commission’s Role

In Mississippi PSC Chair Brandon Presley’s interview in November’s PUF, he talked about the Commission’s role:

“Across every sector. Electricity, gas, telecommunications, water, and sewer, we are every day becoming more interconnected and interdependent.

Anyone who says today that you are not going to have to have a modern electric grid that has a component of communications, fiber optic cable, and have the ability for that grid to be nimble and resilient, has got their head in the sand. My job for the rest of my time in office is to make sure that we are ahead of that curve.

This goes back to that mayor’s experience. One of the things I’ve always found the most frustrating is, not only regulatory lag that affects the company, but regulatory lag in policy. We should not be reactionary. I do not view this job as a Commissioner as being an umpire, just calling balls and strikes.

The Commission has a role in being a coach and a quarterback. We have a role in saying, here’s the public policy. Here’s where we want to see things move. Of course, the company should come in and comment, but much of that policy should be driven by the regulators.”

See the complete interview here.