For two years, the Legislature has been unable to reach agreement on changes to the commission that decides utility rate applications. Those decisions can translate into millions of dollars in extra consumer costs. The Legislature needs to restore credibility to the process.

Last year, both House and Senate approved bills to remake the PSC, but failed to reach an agreement over their differences in conference committee.

Potential reforms include barring informal communications between public service commissioners and regulated industry representatives, requiring educational standards for commissioners, and adoption of a nepotism clause to keep the relatives of legislators from running for the well-paid posts.

Commissioners, who receive $78,000 a year, are elected by the Legislature.

Essential to bringing credibility to the process are commission and administrative changes that will ensure the consumer is given more consideration from a commission that has frequently been described as a captive of the regulated industries: electric, natural gas and telephone. A related issue for the Legislature to consider is increased support of the state's Consumer Affairs Commission, which represents the public in rate cases. It should have the staff to effectively prepare for rate hike requests.

The Legislature's repeated failure to deal with the reform of the PSC has allowed commissioners whose terms expired in 2002 to continue serving on the board, despite the sharp criticism directed at the commission and its diminished credibility.

The rate-paying public -- a group that is fairly equivalent to the tax-paying public -- should expect changes in the commission that will benefit them, and not the regulated industry or the legislative kin applying for PSC positions.

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