Questions For Eric Skrmetta
The lone voice of sanity on the Public Service Commission
A couple weeks back, Commissioner Skrmetta and I traded some messages through Facebook. I asked if I could swing by his Metairie office at any day and time convenient to him to discuss the dire situation with the PSC.
Though he refused to meet - I cannot know why - he volunteered to take written questions from me. I’m submitting these questions to Mr Skrmetta by email:
Mr Skemetta, you expressed to me that you are “keenly aware” of problems at the PSC and this past weekend you briefly spoke to the state Republican leadership group about this. From your unique vantage point, what problems are unfolding with the addition of the newest commissioner on the PSC?
The PSC in its current iteration is over 100 years old. Do you believe the commission is up to the challenge of the “Energy Revolution” happening right now, both technically and politically? Do you believe the PSC needs to be rethought? If so, how? In other words, how would you solve the problems at the PSC?
Last month, one commissioner awarded $1.2 million dollars to a state college. This money has all the look of a “slush fund.” Is it? Despite the source of the money - we’re curious about that, too - is there a process for awarding these large sums that guarantees they are dispensed not for individual (commissioner) benefit? In other words: how ripe is this program for corruption and vote-buying? It seems fully vulnerable to corruption.
You are the only commissioner to have spoken of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors. In fact, you hosted a conference of state utility regulators recently and dedicated an entire session to SMRs. What is the status of SMR technology? How can we get them built here in Louisiana?
To conclude: the political Left has targeted the PSC as a point of vulnerability in our state system. The Left spent almost $40 per ultimate vote for the newest member. (Roughly $2MM for 50,001 votes in the runoff election over Lambert Boissiere.) How do the Republican Party and state leadership protect/defend the PSC from this targeting, which will occur over and over until the Left secures yet one more seat on the PSC, which is especially gratifying to them because of the six year terms of commissioners? The message of “Green Energy” will resonate with people of many demographics, and the Left is very skilled at tailoring their messaging.
We’ll keep everyone posted on his replies, should they arrive.
the bec