Public utility forum set April 22

Dramatic shifts in policies and attitudes toward competition in the public utility industries will be explored at an upcoming public utility forum, “Executive Perspectives on Restructuring Policies in Energy and Telecommunications,” on April 22 at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison.

Offered by the Wisconsin Public Utility Institute at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Business, the forum has invited executives and public policy-makers to give their perspectives on current public policy issues toward competition in the electric, gas and telecommunications industries.

While Wisconsin consumers are already experiencing increased competition and more choices in utility services, the State Legislature and Public Service Commission are developing policies to advance competition while considering public values toward customers, economic development and the environment. Several major pieces of legislation affecting competition – such as proposed legislation on electric reliability in Wisconsin and on low-income and environmental policies – are pending before the State Legislature.

The April 22 forum will provide a dialog among executives from energy and telecommunications service providers, commissioners from regulatory agencies, and consumer advocates. Panelists from a variety of regions and industries will address similarities and differences in issues and policy approaches across the electricity, gas and telecommunications industries.

Although the forum features specialists from public utilities and related organizations, the organizers stress that the event will provide useful insights for a general audience. The presenters have been asked to provide the information necessary to understand their perspectives.

Panelists include Cheryl Parrino, chair of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin; Senator Brian Burke, Wisconsin State Legislature; Barry Allen, executive vice president, Ameritech; Erroll Davis, president and CEO, WPL Holdings Wisconsin; Mark Williamson, senior vice president, Madison Gas & Electric. Some other panelists are Jolynn Butler, president, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissions; Susan Clark, chair, Committee on Electricity, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners; Robert Atkinson, senior vice president, TCG; Mark Cooper, Research Director of the Consumer Federation of American in Washington, D.C.; Rick Shapiro, vice president, Enron; and Lisa Zaina, vice president and general counsel of the Organization for the Protection and Advancement of Small Telephone Companies.

Cost to attend the all-day session is $145 or $85 for non-profit or governmental agency representatives. Registration deadline is April 14.

The Wisconsin Public Utility Institute, located at the UW–Madison School of Business, is dedicated to creating an environment of constructive dialog among all parties involved in public utility issues.

For more details on the upcoming seminar, visit the Wisconsin Public Utility Institute’s web site: www.wisc.edu/bschool/wpui/1998.htm or call (608) 263-4180.