Public utilities commission

So I think I learned different skills at each environment.

And probably even to this day, I think the toughest was threading the needle at my very first job where I I was the lawyer for five commissioners at the Public Utilities Commission.

And the most terrifying moment would come when there'd be a public open meeting, two lawyers are arguing their case, and five commissioners would look at you and say, what is the attorney general advice on this?

Mm-hmm.

A border county official and a security specialist are cautioning that a proposed extra-high-voltage transmission line project could provide opportunities for the Mexican cartel to exploit.

At issue is a transmission line project before the Public Utility Commission that would stretch nearly 370 miles across south and west Texas, from San Antonio to the Fort Stockton area.

It would pass through Kinney County, which borders Mexico.

That area was considered the front line of the immigration crisis caused by the Biden administration.

I want to ask to, you know, we just had, and this is an area that includes both utilities.

So, you know, the Public Utilities Commission has power over it, but also insurance, which is this deal that kind of fell apart the governor was pushing for.

essentially to try to shift some liability away from utilities when they cause things like wildfires onto insurers.

And he at first wanted to end the subrogation process where essentially a home insurer could sell the claim after, you know, they pay out maybe me for a disaster.

I, I got this.

You know, you know what? I'm not, because Otis is also a proud state worker for the Public Utilities Commission in San Francisco.

Let's go, baby.

Look at that.

Well, one piece I found especially interesting recently is a piece the Federation of American Scientists released that essentially takes a look at whether state public utility commissions are fit for purpose and whether they have the authority capacity and tools to sort of implement modern day affordability and climate agendas.

The piece kind of looks at PUC's history and how they were originally built to review utility rate cases.

But today, you know, they're expected to do a lot more.

They're expected to navigate AI driven electricity demand.

They're expected to, um, you know, oversee electrification and grid modernization and, and answer to data center growth.

Um, and a lot of that has happened without fundamentally changing how they're staffed or how they operate.

Um, and that mismatch really resonated with me because it just goes back to a broader lesson about state capacity and just a good reminder that, um, And this is like for PUCs, but also for government more broadly, that modernizing our institutions is upstream to addressing larger policy challenges, you know, like, for instance, modernizing the grid itself.

Fascinating.

Twice.

Earlier this year, the Public Utility Commission sent out a survey asking for details about each data center's water use.

At a recent Texas House committee hearing, State Rep. Mary Gonzalez asked a data center industry representative,

How many of your member entities filled out the survey sent out by the state?