Baton Rouge Reporter

At a candidate forum, State Sen. Jean-Paul Coussan (R-Lafayette) said that if he is elected the next District 2 Commissioner on the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) he plans to prioritize lowering energy costs, restoring utility service after storms, and working with state and federal partner to protect the state’s power grid from cyberattacks from foreign adversaries. 

"My main priorities are to: fight for lower energy costs; to ensure that utility companies are accountable after storms and that we get people back up and running as quickly and affordably as possible; and third to ensure that we have state and federal partners working to harden our grid in the technology sector so that we can’t be hacked by the Russians and the Chinese," Coussan said during a candidate forum event. 

Coussan stated at the forum that the threat from foreign cyberattacks is “real” and stated that “ratepayers bear the risk” and cost, in terms of higher utility bills, if federal and state partners don’t assist in efforts to harden the power grid.

As WBRZ reported on October 7, Coussan's campaign has placed an emphasis on his support for the natural gas industry and, in turn, natural gas consumers. "I am going to be coming at a perspective of our natural gas capabilities and production in Louisiana to make so our energy prices stay low our jobs are protected, and we can provide cheap affordable domestic energy," Coussan told WBRZ.

Coussan recently told the Louisiana Illuminator that his "business-friendly" outlook would "result in more affordable utility bills for household consumers." Coussan said he was running to be a "conservative watchdog in the utility space.” 

In 2023, then-Rep. Coussan was recognized by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) as an "All-Star," having received a term score of 94 out of a possible 100 percent. In 2020, he received a session score of 96 percent, and in 2021, he received a session score of 94 percent. In 2022, he was named an "MVP" with a session score of 100 percent.

Coussan will face Julie Quinn, a lawyer and former State Senator, and Democrat Nick Laborde, a human resources consultant, for the District 2 seat on the Louisiana Public Service Commission during the November general election. If no candidate reaches the 50 percent threshold, the top two vote receivers will advance to a runoff.