News & Events
Jean-Paul Coussan Discusses Regulation, Growth & Ratepayer Protection on FUELED

News & Events

Jean-Paul Coussan Discusses Regulation, Growth & Ratepayer Protection on FUELED

September 3, 2026

FUELED: Powering Louisiana’s Future continues its exploration of Louisiana’s evolving energy landscape with a closer look at the regulatory decisions that help determine how the state prepares for growth while protecting the public interest.

In Episode 6, Kathryn Fenstermaker sits down with Jean-Paul Coussan, Vice Chairman of the Louisiana Public Service Commission and Commissioner for District 2, to discuss the Commission’s role in overseeing the utility proposals, infrastructure investments, and rate structures that shape Louisiana’s power system.

The conversation comes as Louisiana faces extraordinary new electricity demand from major industrial and technology investments. Coussan explains why meeting that demand requires not only building enough generation and transmission infrastructure, but also determining whether those investments are necessary, prudent, and structured so that the risks and costs created by large new loads do not fall unfairly on existing customers.

Episode Highlights

How the Louisiana Public Service Commission evaluates major utility proposals and infrastructure investments.
The Commission’s responsibility to balance reliability, affordability, economic development, and the public interest.
Why prudency review and regulatory accountability continue beyond the initial approval of a project.
Preparing Louisiana’s electric system for extraordinary new demand from industrial development and data centers.
Protecting existing ratepayers from costs and risks created by large new power users.
Why major new projects should demonstrate measurable benefits for the broader electric system.
Coussan’s position that data center growth should “pay their full freight” for the demand and infrastructure it requires.
How accelerated regulatory review can help Louisiana move faster without sacrificing scrutiny or accountability.
The roles of natural gas, solar, nuclear, transmission, and long-term planning in building a reliable and defensible energy strategy.

As Season 6 continues, FUELED moves from the economic opportunity surrounding Louisiana’s growing power demand to the responsibility that comes with it. Through conversations with leaders across the energy, utility, industrial, economic development, and regulatory sectors, the series examines how Louisiana can build enough, move quickly, preserve reliability, protect consumers, and make decisions capable of serving the state for generations.