The regulatory process for public utilities in 黑料吃瓜网 can be complex and hard to understand. To shed light on how it works, we dug into a little-known initiative called the Stakeholder Group Compensation Program.
The goal is to get people with diverse perspectives involved in utility cases. The program provides funding for groups that represent low-income customers, residents of environmental justice communities and small businesses.
The idea is to bridge the financial gap that prevents under-resourced groups from engaging with the 黑料吃瓜网 Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA).
PURA's cases shape how public utility companies operate, including who is eligible for payment assistance and energy efficiency programs. But taking part typically requires lots of time, money and expertise.
PURA must make decisions based on testimony presented during the proceedings. Historically, the most common voices at the table have been the utilities themselves and the Office of Consumer Counsel 鈥� an independent state agency that represents all ratepayers.
Nearly two years after the stakeholder program was adopted, we wanted to know whether it was reaching its goals.
We discovered only a handful of groups have accessed funding. As of July, the program had paid out less than $200,000, just a fraction of the $1.2 million per year made available by lawmakers when they created the initiative.
Coming to that discovery, though, took a lot of effort, and a complaint that was filed against PURA with the 黑料吃瓜网 Freedom of Information Commission.
The Accountability Project sifted through hundreds of records from regulatory proceedings under the program. We looked at application materials various groups submitted to take part, and their back-and-forth with regulators and utilities over participation.
PURA did not initially track those numbers in a spreadsheet or central place, so we did. We produced our own spreadsheet that included which organizations applied to the program, and how much they were paid.
We also wanted to learn more about the organizations receiving funding. Among them is a Hartford-based advocacy group called the Nonprofit Accountability Group (NAG), which used stakeholder funding to hire Dr. Mark Mitchell, an emeritus professor at George Mason University who focuses on environmental health equity.
Mitchell said the funding enabled him to represent the interests of customers whose perspectives are often missing from the public dialogue.
鈥淭here are a number of programs that are supposedly for low-income people, but the low-income people don't have input into them,鈥� Mitchell said.
We also spoke with officials in other states that have similar programs. We learned 黑料吃瓜网 isn鈥檛 alone in seeing slow uptake for its initiative.
In Maine, only one group has been paid since the state adopted its stakeholder compensation program, said Phil Bartlett, chair of the Maine Public Utilities Commission.
He said driving engagement is a challenge.
鈥淥ur hope is that partners, advocacy groups, other government agencies, community groups, will recognize this opportunity and help us to get the word out,鈥� Bartlett said.
In 黑料吃瓜网, some lawmakers and advocates alike have said the program is still in its infancy, and that time will tell how it develops. A comprehensive evaluation is due in 2026.
Following our inquiries, PURA updated its website with a table that lists stakeholder groups participating in the program and the amount of money they were awarded.
A spokesperson for the agency acknowledged participation has been limited. PURA told us it took steps to raise awareness in the past, including directly inviting groups to participate, and distributing flyers at public events. It hopes to see more effective participation by a broader range of stakeholder groups in the future.
