Expert panel meets in Nashville to discuss commercial, military customer engagement

A discussion panel of members from the Critical Consumer Issues Forum (CCIF) convened in Nashville on Tuesday to examine various ways commissioners can engage with commercial and military customers on their priority issues and related regulatory challenges and opportunities.

At the forefront of the discussion, titled “Consumer Solutions: Meeting Consumer Needs on All Levels,” were the various challenges commissioners and consumer advocates have met regarding appropriate rates, reliability and service quality, resiliency and security, choice and control, and customer service for businesses of all sizes.

“I think it’s important for us to focus on wants versus needs when trying to manage customer expectations,” Robert Nelson, a member of the CCIF executive committee, said. “I think it’s pretty easy to reach agreement on some of these things — things like safety and reliability and service quality.

“Secondly, I think there’s a need to focus on communication between utilities and customers on topics like data availability, specifically regarding demand-side management (DSM) programs.

“Thirdly, I think we need to emphasize the increasing divergence of customer interests and expectations, although those are a little bit more difficult to deal with.”

The panel, which also included Aakash Chandarana, regional vice president of rates and regulatory affairs for the Northern States Power Company; John Evans, a small business advocate for the Pennsylvania Office of Small Business Advocates; Barbara Lockwood, vice president of regulation for the Arizona Public Service; Katrina McMurrian, executive director for the CCIF; Nick Wagner, commissioner for the Iowa Utilities Board; and Stan Wise, commissioner for the Georgia Public Service Commission, agreed that communication was lacking between many providers and the customers they serve.

The panel also examined problems and solutions for small business and how they can improve their relationships with local commissioners.

“I think what struck me was I had people come up and say ‘we’ve never had a discussion with a real live commissioner before,’ which is pretty important,” Wagner said.

John Evans offered suggestions on how commissioners can become more engaged with small business interests in their areas.

“I would say small business people are just very busy at running their own businesses,” Evans said. “They don’t necessarily have the time to be at the state capitol working with legal counsel to help litigate cases and testify before the commission. That’s really not at the top of their to-do lists. I must say when I come to these conferences, I get struck when people ask me ‘what the heck is a small business advocate?.’ We’re fortunate in Pennsylvania because we’re the only state in America that has a small business advocate organization. We find a lot of the time those classes are overlooked. You get strong industrial and consumer input — but what happens to the guys in the middle?”

Evans added that commissioners should share their messages with groups that represent small businesses, like the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB).

The panelists agreed that state regulators, consumer advocates, electric utility representatives and commercial customers worked together to develop consensus principles as well as provide a roadmap on a number of key issues. Each recognized that those principles themselves didn’t solve all issues with respect to such an expansive topic.