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Public Utilities Commission warns of staffing shortfalls as commissioners urge legislative consideration
Summary
Interim PUC Chairman Mark D'Elefano and Commissioner Pradeep Chaturpittai told the committee the commission is understaffed, constrained by hiring rules and limited training budgets; they urged legislators to account for staffing and funding implications before expanding commission duties.
Interim Public Utilities Commission Chairman Mark D’Elefano and Commissioner Pradeep Chaturpittai briefed the Science, Technology and Energy Committee on the commission’s current resource constraints and regional engagement.
D’Elefano said the commission is operating with two commissioners (a third appointment is pending), about 13 staff on hand versus an authorized complement of roughly 15, and a small training budget. He said the commission lost positions when functions split from the Department of Energy and now faces recruiting challenges for experienced utility attorneys and analysts because many such positions pay better in the private sector and classified/unclassified hiring rules limit outreach: "we are significantly underfunded for what we need to do," he said.
Commission staff noted recruiting friction when internally advertising unclassified roles (candidates in the classified system may decline transfer), and explained that the commission’s primary non‑general‑fund revenue source is utility assessments; they suggested the legislature consider non‑general‑fund approaches (assessments) to support additional technical staffing tied to any new statutory responsibilities assigned to the PUC.
Commissioner Chaturpattai presented EIA/BLS data showing New Hampshire’s residential electricity price trends and stressed affordability as a region‑wide concern. The commissioners described ongoing regional collaboration (NARUC, NECPUC) and said they will open an investigative docket on incentive‑ or performance‑based ratemaking structures to evaluate whether those tools are appropriate for New Hampshire.
Committee members pressed the PUC on whether staffing limits will affect docket timelines; D’Elefano said the commission will manage with existing staff but urged legislators to factor resource requirements into bills that assign new PUC responsibilities. Members also asked about transmission versus distribution jurisdiction, default service procurement, and the distinct federal role over transmission rate tariffs handled by FERC.
What’s next: PUC offered to provide docket‑specific details where not in active appeal and requested committee awareness of the resource implications of proposals that expand the commission’s workload.
