American Gas: Commissioner Presley, you have an impressive list of achievements: You were elected as one of the youngest mayors in Mississippi history at age 23 and the youngest commissioner in state history at age 30; you have served as president of the Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners; and you are a longtime member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and, now, NARUC president. What do you hope to achieve as president, and what do you envision as your theme for the coming year?
Brandon Presley: I hope that the next year at NARUC will be focused on an all-hands-on-deck approach to make sure that all Americans, regardless of their ZIP code, have access to the most modern aspects of utility service—whether that is a more modernized grid, a modern gas system, telephone service and, most particularly, broadband service. NARUC can play an integral role in bringing the issues facing Americans to the forefront and help state regulators go back home with tools and education to protect the public interest and improve the quality of life in their respective states. Along with many of my fellow commissioners, I am very passionate to see services expanded to better serve our fellow citizens in all aspects of the industries that we regulate.
AG: You’ve long had an interest in the expansion of natural gas into rural and underserved areas in Mississippi. Your roles as co-vice chair on NARUC’s Committee on Gas and as vice chair of the Natural Gas Access and Expansion Task Force furthered that work. Even as some cities are looking at policies to reduce access to natural gas, what is your response on the vital role of natural gas and why our energy mix must remain balanced?
BP: People in rural areas should have access to the same utilities that folks in cities have, period. They should have the same quality of life in every way. Bringing natural gas to citizens gives those individual customers true energy choices, and with the abundant national supply of natural gas, I feel this is also an economic development tool to advance America while helping her people. Not only is gas expansion important for homes, but it is vital for economic development. For instance, when companies are looking for a site to build a manufacturing plant, one of the boxes they must check on their list is natural gas availability for their processes. For example, areas in rural Mississippi with access to natural gas are far more competitive than those without it. There has been no economic development project to come across my desk in the past several years that did not ask about natural gas availability. In my 11 years as a commissioner, I can attest personally to the vital need for gas expansion.
AG: You also served on NARUC’s Committee on Consumers and the Public Interest, including chairing that committee. When then-NARUC President Collette Honorable tapped you for that role, she said, “Throughout his tenure on the Mississippi Public Service Commission, Commissioner Presley has proven to be a true champion for consumers.” From your Hire Mississippi rule to your initiative to provide utility bill discounts to families with members in the armed forces, you have a history of looking out for the little guy. Can you talk about how NARUC will continue to champion the rights of consumers while keeping in mind our essential need for energy?
BP: Protecting the public interest means making tough decisions that sometimes involve issues viewed by some as pro-utility, such as necessary rate increases, and some that are viewed as pro-consumer, like when a commission exercises its core regulatory functions, such as official inquiries of different matters. To me, it all begins from the vantage point of protecting the public interest and working daily to balance the individual facts of each case. Consumer interests and utility interests are not always separate things, and in many ways they are often completely tied together. Regulators have the great opportunity to lead, and rather than always holding a “yes” or “no” role, they can also find—and look for—those places where regulatory action or involvement makes sense for both the utilities and consumers.
AG: You have said, “My vision is to deliver services. I want to do for rural Mississippi in the terms of internet service, high-speed internet service, and natural gas, and others. I want to do for rural Mississippi what Franklin Delano Roosevelt did for the Tennessee Valley.” How do you plan to apply this vision on a national stage through your role as president of NARUC?
BP: In 1934, in the back room at McPeters’ Furniture Store in Corinth, Mississippi, a small group of people got together, and they formed the first electric power cooperative in America to bridge the divide of their time and bring our people out of the dark. They realized the need to work together toward a common goal, with neighbor helping neighbor, and had the courage to think in a new, different way that benefited the whole community and eventually the whole nation. What I want is to work with commissioners from across the country to tackle the issues we all face together and be innovative in our collaboration, working both with the constituents we serve and the companies we regulate. I will always keep in mind the enduring spirit of those men and women in Corinth who dared to work collectively and try something new to tackle their issues.
“What I want is to work with commissioners from across the country to tackle the issues we all face together and be innovative in our collaboration ... ”
AG: Most recently, you have strongly advocated for the ability for rural electric providers to bundle internet into their services, with two cooperatives recently announcing their plans to offer high-speed internet plans. Bundled services make sense since our nation’s critical infrastructure is necessarily intertwined. Where do you see this heading into the future, particularly when it comes to natural gas?
BP: In Mississippi, this partnership just made sense—use a model that has worked before to provide a critical service to those who couldn’t receive it. There is plenty of room for innovation and ingenuity to solve a host of issues. As for natural gas, I think there is plenty to explore when it comes to smart homes and the need for high-speed internet service to power the modern home and keep utility costs affordable for consumers. We should also look toward the needs of an ever-changing natural gas supply system. I want to see as much focus on the safety, reliability and efficiency of our natural gas systems as we do in electricity. There is no doubt that there are mutual areas of concern for both gas distributors and the general public’s need for modern services such as broadband; we should seek out ways to do both and not let any opportunities pass us by.
AG: Finally, with the last name Presley, you’re often asked if you’re related to Elvis Presley. And you are: You’re a distant cousin born about 15 miles down the road from where he was born in Tupelo. What Elvis song or lyrics might provide some additional insight into your goals and plans during your tenure as NARUC president?
BP: I hate to choose any particular Elvis song because I like them all, but I think the line from the song My Way seems fitting. It states, “Regrets, I’ve had a few, but then again, too few to mention. I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption …”
At the end of the day, I don’t want to forget the great heritage of NARUC, but at the same time I hope to carry us through to the next generation and innovate the organization. I’ll do what I have to do and see it through without exemption. Above all, I hope I can make an impact during my year as NARUC president.