Joline Price and Josie Pickens from Community Legal Services of Philadelphia give attendees an energy affordability lens with which they can reflect on the presentations that they've viewed (and the future conversations they'll have) around clean energy.
Joline Price
As a Supervising Attorney in the Energy Unit at Community Legal Services, Joline Price represents low-income Philadelphians struggling to access and afford gas, electric and water service. In addition to individual representation, she also does systemic advocacy and community education on utility access and affordability. Joline previously worked as a staff attorney at the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project, focusing on bill affordability and access to water, gas and electric service across the Commonwealth. Ms. Price also worked as an attorney at the Pennsylvania Health Law Project focusing on access to publicly funded health insurance and medical services. For tweets about energy policy, anti-poverty work, and random musings, follow Joline at @jolinetweets1.
Josie Pickens
Josie B. H. Pickens is a Supervising Attorney and Co-Director of the Energy Unit at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia (CLS). She represents low-income residential utility consumers in disputes to maintain and afford utility service. Her practice includes systemic advocacy and litigation to reform energy and water affordability policy.
Thanks for joining us for this closing keynote about the role of energy affordability in a clean energy transition. Would love to hear your thoughts and questions! Over the course of the conference, I'll post some links and information about the topic and the work that we do. Here is an article about how the racial justice dynamics of some of our work: https://www.penncapital-star.com/civil-rights-social-justice/this-puc-rule-on-utility-shutoffs-unfairly-impacts-black-and-brown-people-it-must-be-repealed-opinion/
Joline and Josie, thank you so much for laying these issues out so clearly. You covered so much in 23 minutes, so I'm eager to re-watch and learn even more! I love the term "affordable just transition."
Near the end, Josie, you mention some of the impacts COVID-19 has had on this work, and you said that some things were still in motion. I've been trying to track all the local news articles about shutoff moratoriums, bill assistance and relief, and expanded programs, but I don't yet feel like I have a clear sense of where things stand. Could you say more about the current status of protections and assistance for customers, and what you're watching to make sure customers fair as well as possible during this time? Thank you so much.
Hi Ryan, the Public Utility Commission is considering whether to lift its order prohibiting shutoffs today (9/17), so I will add a comment when I know what is happening next. At the moment, regulated utilities (in Philly, that is PECO and PGW, and across the state includes the major electric and gas companies, as well as private water companies and the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority) cannot shut customers off. The Philadelphia Water Department currently also has its own voluntary prohibition on shutoffs, through the end of September, though it may be renewed again. At the moment, there are no new protections or assistance for customers if shutoffs were allowed to proceed. We have been pushing the PUC to develop a comprehensive plan to ensure customers can address their arrears - flexible payment arrangement terms and enhanced termination protections (should the PUC allow shutoffs). There is a bill (SB1234) in the legislature to provide additional utility assistance but it is currently in committee.