By Charlotte Lane, Public Service Commission chairman
The Public Service Commission staff suffers through the same concerns that many people do about the cost of gasoline, water and power bills, groceries, and every other budget item. The commission wants to hear one’s concerns, and it takes the comments very seriously.
There are simple means for a person to express one’s thoughts. Comments can be mailed to the Public Service Commission at 201 Brooks St., Charleston, WV 25301. But the easiest way is to simply use a computer.
Take a look at the commission’s website at www.psc.state.wv.us. Look in the yellow field to the left of the pictures of the commissioners. Under the first section, titled “Inside the PSC,” one will see a highlighted section that says “Submit a Comment.” Click on that. The next screen offers an easy way to submit one of two types of comments.
The first is a general comment or suggestion. Click on that and it will open a form. It looks busy, but it is fairly simple. At the bottom is a place for a person to type in one’s comments and a submit button. The information will be directed through the commission’s internal system and will reach the proper people who are concerned with a person’s issues.
This site also has a second button. This can be used if one is interested in a formal case already before the commission. Because this involves a specific case, the commission requires that one be properly identified as a legitimate person. Again, the commission wants one’s comments, but it wants to ensure that those comments come from a person with an interest in the case.
Fill out this form and add one’s comments, then staff will verify who one is. Once the verification process is completed, the comments will be added as an activity in the formal case process. Crude or crank remarks won’t be included, but legitimate comments in any case are welcome.
So, here are two different ways a person can get involved in the process and explain one’s position on issues before the commission. The commission cannot guarantee one’s complaints will be fully satisfied, but a person can know that one’s words will be heard by the commission.
The commission has tried to make this process as simple as possible for one’s convenience and hope one will give it a try.