The election on November 3 will decide the District 5 seat on the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Republican John Atkins and Democrat James Green are running for a six-year term. The Commission currently has a partisan makeup of 3 Republicans and 2 Democrats. There is also an election this year for District 1.
The Commission consists of five members who serve staggered six-year terms, each representing one district in the state. The Public Service Commission is tasked with regulating all public utilities and common carriers, except for utilities owned and operated by cities and towns. This means that the Commission regulates and sets rates for electricity, water, natural gas, and other services including telecommunication. State law has also granted the Commission additional regulatory powers, including executing the “Telephonic Solicitation Relief Act,” known as the Do Not Call program. The Louisiana Public Service Commission is established by Article IV, Section 21 of the Louisiana Constitution.
The Commission conducts administrative hearings and monthly meetings to gather the needed information to make their final determinations. In recent years, the Commission has ended net metering, reducing the incentive for households to install solar panels. It also approved a new rate plan for Magnolia Water, along with an audit into the company’s business practices, approved a large grid resiliency plan to be executed by Cleco Power, and fast tracked the construction of seven new natural gas power plants to power a new Meta data center.
Here’s background on the candidates’ public statements, actions, backgrounds, and publicized endorsements. Follow our links to get further information.
John Atkins is currently serving his third term on the Caddo Parish Commission. He earned a bachelor’s degree in geology from Washington & Lee University, a master’s degree in geological sciences from The University of Texas at Austin, and an MBA from Northwestern University. He started his career working as a geophysicist at Conoco, Inc. and then as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company focusing on energy companies. He currently works as a principal at Atco Investment Company LLC in Shreveport, focusing on oil and gas and timberland, among other assets. He also works as a co-founder and partner at Louisiana Timber Partners LLC.
Atkins’s endorsements include: U.S. Senator John Kennedy, the Republican Party of Bossier Parish, and the Republican Party of Caddo Parish, among others.
James Green is currently a member of the Shreveport City Council representing District F, where he has served since 2014, and is a former Chairman of the City Council. He has also worked as a church pastor and a business owner. He began preaching at age 19 and was ordained in 1971. He has led Union Mission Baptist Church #1 in Shreveport for over four decades.
Green’s endorsements include: the Louisiana Democratic Party among others.
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