Advocating For Change; Keeping the Lights On

By Mark Hollis
AARP Texas

AUSTIN, Texas -- If you’re Janee Briesemeister, the frequent flyer miles add up quickly. In nearly three decades of advocacy for American consumers, Alaska and Hawaii are the only states Briesemeister hasn’t visited for her work.

An undisputed national expert on energy, telecommunications and other utility issues, Briesemeister is a well-traveled, Austin-based champion for a host of consumer causes like making utility bills easier to understand and home energy costs more affordable.

The former radio news reporter spent 19 years with Consumers Union before coming to AARP, where she earned the Association’s Lyn Bodiford Award for Excellence for Advocacy.

On her last day of work at AARP, Briesemeister recently shared a few thoughts about her career and the future of consumer activism. The following are excerpts from the conversation:

Do you think many people have any idea of the extent of the important work you’ve done?

Briesemeister: Well, there are a lot of people who care about what these issues mean to them and I think they probably appreciate the [advocacy] work that’s been done. But people are busy and don’t always have time to read the fine print.

So, your job has been to make it all simple?

Briesemeister: Consumers understand that they don’t want to pay any more than necessary for utilities. They may not have the time or inclination to follow how a piece of legislation or a utility company’s rate filing is going because it’s wonky, it’s complicated and it’s shrouded in a bunch of terms no one uses in real life.

How do you characterize the work that you’ve done?

Briesemeister: I never like calling myself a lobbyist. People think of lobbyists as all steak dinners and campaign contributions. I’m a consumer advocate at heart. When I look at issues and legislation, I think about how it’s going to affect real people.

Have you ever felt like the odds are against you? Over the years, you’ve gone head to head with well-funded special interests.

Briesemeister: Even with the resources of AARP, we can’t possibly match the resources of the big utility companies. There have been instances when they go on the attack with us. Not a lot of organizations can withstand that. But thankfully, AARP has.

What’s kept you going?

Briesemeister: As a consumer advocate, as long as you’re fighting and showing the people that you are fighting for what’s important to them, they respect you for that. And that’s a win. It’s not the big win, but it’s a win.

Share with me one of your big victories and the tactics you used?

Briesemeister: In Iowa and Missouri we were able to stop [legislation] that would have allowed nuclear power companies to charge consumers directly for the costs of building power plants before they’re even constructed.

Is that like the nuclear cost recovery issue that has also been waged in Florida?
Briesemeister: Yes, pretty much. In Iowa, environmental groups were opposing the bills because of opposition to nuclear. Well, AARP is not for or against nuclear. We just don’t think the power companies should make consumers be the bank. That’s what shareholders are supposed to do. The [utility companies] were wanting consumers to take the risks that shareholders should bear.

What did you do?

Briesemeister: We helped bring this issue to the public. And it worked. There were lots of calls from AARP members to legislators in Iowa. We were able to bring all that together by moving it from an environmental issue to a pocketbook issue.

There are battles still undone, right?

Briesemeister: Across the country, we really feel it’s important for there to be consumer advocates with statutory authority at work inside state government and the utility oversight agencies. These offices give consumers a voice. You need this kind of office in every state.

What do you think generally of utility deregulation in Texas?

Briesemeister: It has not lived up to its promise for consumers. The term “Wild West” is used a lot, and I think it’s accurate. There’s not enough places for people to bring their complaints. There are some bad actors out there in the industry and consumers have to do more homework.

Here in Austin, the municipal-run utility company, Austin Energy, faces scrutiny for its diversity of fuel sources, which some say may be holding consumer prices too high. What do you think?

Briesemeister: Diversity in fuel sources is good, to a point. Diversity is what helps with stability of prices. I explain it to people like this: It’s like your retirement portfolio. You don’t have all your investments in one type of fund. Some of them should be very steady and some might jump up and provide a lot of earnings. But you try to come up with something that’s a balance. It’s the same thing with energy. Fuel prices change. Gas may go up. Renewables are pretty steady. That’s why you want a diversity of sources for stability. A utility can’t always be chasing the cheapest thing on the market.

What are the big challenges ahead for those who continue this work?

Briesemeister: I think there’s still heavy lifting in the area of utility rate cases. Utilities are getting a whole lot smarter about how they structure utility bills. There’s a big trend toward formula rates and alternative rates, and changing utility charges without going to a rate filing case.

So, it’s going to be harder for consumers to have a say in what they pay?

Briesemeister: I think it’s becoming way too difficult for consumers. Some think technology will give consumers more power and control. But, in fact, it makes it more confusing and forces them to spend more time figuring out when they’re using energy and how it is priced. People don’t have time for just one more thing to deal with in their lives.

What’s your next move? What are you going to do now?

 Briesemeister: I really don’t know. I’ve never had a period in my life like this before. I’m going to travel. I’m going to run a marathon in Chicago. But when I get back [home to Austin] after all that, I’m not sure. I’m going to come home do some weeding around the house. I just don’t know. It’s scary and exciting at the same time. I do want to just rest my brain for a while.

 

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