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House asks PSC to consider preserving Pineville jobs if Cleco is sold
Summary
The House adopted a resolution urging the Louisiana Public Service Commission to consider employee retention and local economic impacts if Cleco, a major utility headquartered in Central Louisiana, is sold. Sponsor said the request is rooted in preserving regional jobs and the company’s historical ties to Central Louisiana.
The Louisiana House on May 7 adopted a resolution urging the Public Service Commission to consider employee retention and the regional economic impact in any approval of a sale of Cleco, the investor‑owned utility based in Central Louisiana.
Speaker Pro Tempore Mike Johnson offered the resolution and asked the House to urge the Public Service Commission to include preservation of local employees as a factor in reviewing any sale. "Central Louisiana Electric Company is 1 of the biggest employers we have in Central Louisiana ... They have been a good citizen in Central Louisiana, employing approximately 1,200 people, and they've grown to serving almost 300,000 households over 24 parishes," Johnson said during floor remarks.
The resolution asks the PSC to employ its authority and consider, under its rules, the impact of any sale on Cleco’s local workforce and the company’s headquarters location. Johnson told members he was asking the body to request that the PSC not approve a sale that would not preserve the roughly 600 permanent employees in Pineville and related service staff. The resolution notes the PSC’s existing authority to attach conditions to approval of utility sales.
Lawmakers voted 81–3 to adopt the resolution. Supporters argued the request is within the PSC’s usual review authority and is consistent with past cases in which the commission has considered employment and service continuity. Opponents did not mount prolonged floor debate; recorded votes show a broad majority in favor.
The resolution is a legislative request and does not change PSC law or create enforceable conditions; it asks the PSC to give employee retention and headquarters location explicit attention during its review of any proposed sale. The House recorded 60 co‑authors for other measures during the day and proceeded to other calendar items after the vote.
