1 Regulatory Participation & Communication Workshop General Overview: The Regulator’s Public Information Process Steve Gaw Commissioner Missouri Public Service Commission

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3 Public Trust “Government is a trust, and the officers of the government are trustees. And both the trust and the trustees are created for the benefit of the people.” -- Henry Clay, 1829 U.S. Senator

4 Government “No government is perfect. One of the chief virtues of a democracy, however, is that its defects are always visible and under democratic processes can be pointed out and corrected.” -- President Harry S. Truman Address to Congress -- March 12, 1947

5 “It is the public policy of this state that meetings, records, votes, actions, and deliberations of public governmental bodies be open to the public unless otherwise provided by law.” Section RSMo Open Meetings Law

6 Benefits of Open Government  Allows constituents to see that government is working on their behalf.  Allows constituents to better understand the rationale underlying decision making.

7 Open Decision-Making  All decisions made in public Agenda Meeting twice a week.  All vote results are public and a record (Minutes) kept.  Decisions are made with full Report and Order which sets out legal basis and factual rationale of decisions.

8 Public Meetings  Notice  Location  Minutes

9 Public Presentations

10 Public Records o Tariffs o Testimony o Complaints o Applications o Annual Reports

11 Public Hearings

12 Local Public Hearings Why have them:  Give consumers an opportunity to voice their opinions on cases pending before the Public Service Commission (PSC or Commission).  Gives the Commission information regarding service issues and other problems experienced by customers.

13 Local Public Hearings  Public Information and Education Department holds an information session prior to the actual local public hearing. Staff, Public Counsel, and utility are present for the purpose of answering consumer questions and assisting customers. Commissioners are not present for this portion.  Second portion of the local public hearing provides consumers an opportunity to be sworn, provide testimony, and be subject to questions from parties and Commissioners.

14 Local Public Hearings  Information sheets and other consumer information materials are available.  Consumers are be encouraged to follow the case through hearings that are webcast or reading the testimony filed electronically.

15 Public Information and Education Department  Press Releases  Media Contacts  Information Sheets  Consumer Newsletters  Official Publications  Outreach & Education (PowerTOWN®, State Fair Booth)

16 Press Releases Issued By The Commission  Commission decisions.  Hearing dates for cases before the Commission.  Setting of the intervention deadline in a case.  Consumer alerts---potential for high natural gas bills, storm outages, etc.  Distribute press releases to Capitol press corps.  Available on Commission website.  Various media outlets and consumer groups receive releases via Commission listserve.

17 Media Contacts  Work with the state and national media on stories regarding activities at the Commission.  Visit various newspapers across the state (editorial board meetings) to inform them of Commission issues.  Radio call-in shows.

18 Information Sheets  Cover a wide range of topics (Establishing Service, Budget Billing, Cold Weather Rule).  Appear on Commission website.  Sent, through Commission listserve, to interested consumer groups such as AARP, Senior Citizen Centers, Social Service Agencies, Colleges.  Weekly hearing schedule.

20 Consumer Newsletters  Quarterly publication providing articles on various utility related topics (ways to cut down on heating bill, summer energy saving tips).  Wide distribution list, over 1,000 of these are currently sent out to consumers and/or consumer groups.

21 Official Publications  PSC Annual Report contains a great deal of information about the agency as well as its activities during the most recent fiscal year.  PSC Reports: Volumes contain key Commission decisions (valuable research tool for attorneys following a case or practicing before the PSC).

22 Official Publications  Pamphlets on various subjects: A Guide To The PSC The PSC Cold Weather Rule What You Should Know About Your Natural Gas Bill Electric Restructuring

23 Outreach and Education  PowerTOWN®  State Fair Booth

24  Program designed to give school students information on how to be safe around electricity.  Provides a visual display of what can happen when you come in contact with a power line.  Informational materials on how to be safe around electricity. PowerTOWN®

26 State Fair Booth

27 Advancements for the 21 st Century  Conscious decision to move to a more electronic based environment.  Establishment of the Electronic Filing Information System (EFIS), an internet based, publicly available database, so consumers can access PSC information.  Webcast of PSC Hearings.

28 PSC Internet Site   Press Releases  Access to EFIS  Access to web broadcast of hearings

29 PSC Internet Site

30 Information Available Through EFIS  Case Filings  Commission Decisions  Utility Tariffs  Utility & PSC Annual Reports  Commission Agendas & Minutes  List of Missouri Utilities

31 EFIS (Case Filings)

32 EFIS (Commission Decisions)

33 EFIS (Utility Tariffs)

34 EFIS (Annual Reports)

35 EFIS (Commission Agenda & Minutes)

36 EFIS Missouri Utilities Search

37 PSC Hearings Webcast

38 Summary  Open government is a fundamental tenet of U.S. democratic system.  Missouri PSC has taken great steps to fulfill this expectation.  Missouri PSC has utilized technology to make its processes and procedures more transparent to Missouri citizens.

39  Questions  Contact: Missouri Public Service Commission P.O. Box 360 Jefferson City, MO Thank You