Metairie Republican Eric Skrmetta has been re-elected to a third and final six-year term on the Public Service Commission, which regulates utility companies. Skrmetta says his goal is to keep utility rates in Louisiana the lowest in the nation.
“When I first came into the commission, we were 26th in the nation in rate ratings and now we have the lowest utility and industrial rates in the country and I want to try and maintain that status,” said Skrmetta.
Skrmetta says other goals for the next six years include improving wastewater issues and making sure every household has high-speed internet.
The hurricanes that hit the state this year caused at least two-billion dollars to the electricity delivery system. This could result in higher bills for Entergy and Cleco customers. Skrmetta says they are hoping for federal dollars and looking at other ways to keep any hurricane restoration fees low.
“With the help of our consultants and our legal team, we feel that we could bring balance to the request and we’ll be able to work this out in a fair and meaningful way for the ratepayer,” said Skrmetta.
Skrmetta defeated Democrat Allen Borne, a lawyer from New Orleans, in Saturday’s run-off election.
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