On Monday, May 11, 2026, at 9:40 a.m., the Council's Committee on Transportation and the Environment, chaired by Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, held a public oversight budget hearing for the Public Service Commission (PSC) in room 412 of the John A. Wilson building and via Zoom. This was the committee's final budget oversight hearing for the FY27 budget. The hearing focused on the PSC's proposed FY27 operating budget of $20.8 million (a 0.2% increase from FY26), funded almost exclusively by special purpose revenue from utility assessments. The committee heard from two public witnesses and then from PSC Chairman Emil Thompson and staff.
Good morning, everyone. My name is Charles Allen. I'm the Ward 6 Council member and chair of the Council's Committee on Transportation and the Environment. Today is Monday, May 11, 2026, and we are meeting in room 412 of the John A. Wilson building as well as over the Zoom virtual platform. The time is now 9 40 a.m. and I'm calling to order this public oversight budget hearing of the committee. This is the committee's final budget oversight hearing for the FY27 budget. And today we're going to hear from public and government witnesses for the Public Service Commission. The Public Service Commission, often referred to as the PSC, or simply the Commission, was established to ensure that every public utility doing business within the district provides safe and adequate service, and the charges imposed by utilities are reasonable, just and non-discriminatory. The commission has general supervision of all gas companies and electrical companies and is responsible for reviewing proposed rate increases or other surcharges. Given the role the commission plays an influential role in electric grid modernization, gas pipeline infrastructure and safety in advancement of the district climate policy commitments and environmental preservation goals. The Commission is governed by three commissioners who are appointed by the mayor and then confirmed by the council. The mayor's proposed FY27 operating budget for the Public Service Commission is 20.8 million dollars, which is a nominal increase of 0.2% from the FY26 approved budget. The Commission is funded almost exclusively from special purpose revenue that is generated from an assessment placed on utilities. The PSC does not have a capital budget. While today's hearing is going to focus on our testimony, please note the committee will be accepting written testimony from the public until the close of business on May 14th, 2026, and individuals are encouraged to submit testimony through the council's hearing management system, which can be found on the council's website at Limbs.dc Council.gov backslash hearings. We have a panel of two public witnesses, and then we're going to turn to the commission itself. We have Barbara Briggs, who's a the member in the FMW piece of social concerns, who's joining us online via Zoom, and Fritz Mulhauser, who's a public witness who's here in person. So Mr. Mulhauser, I'll go ahead and pull you up to the table. We're going to move Ms. Briggs onto the Zoom, and it looks like she is there. All right, Miss Briggs, we'll turn to you for your testimony first, then Mr. Mulhauser, and then we'll turn to some questions. Good morning, Councilmember Allen. Sorry not to be able to join you in person today. My name is Barbara Briggs. I am a member of Friends Meeting of Washington and convener of the Beyond Gas Climate Faith Initiative, in which our Quaker meeting is deeply involved. It's obviously truly an awful budget year. But while the proposed FY27 budget would result in the Department of Energy and the Environment losing 34 staff positions, the Public Service Commission is to keep all 90 of its current positions. That is all well and good as long as the Public Service Commission does the job we are paying it to do, including playing a leading role in managing DC's transition off fossil fuels to clean renewable electric energy in DC homes and buildings. Managing this once in four generations shift is a big job, and we should insist on adequate funding and leadership expertise. We also need to assure that the resources invested are being used to implement a fair and managed transition off to uh modern to a modern energy system. Given limited time, I will focus on one action. Our Public Service Commission has the authority to take now that will both move DC in the right direction and help make rates more affordable. The PSC should move immediately to end the practice of forcing existing customers to pay for new gas lines. As the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, their PSC did last year, joining California, New York, Oregon, Washington State, and Maryland. It's been Washington Gas' practice to cover the cost of new line extensions and to pass those costs to existing customers, raising their rates. That practice no longer makes sense in the present circumstances. That is, we know that to meet DC's commitment to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 under the carbon-free DC plan and our legal obligations under climate the Climate Commitments Act and other legislation passed by council. We must wind down DC's reliance on natural gas and transition to modern electricity-based energy system. We also know that the technology is ready and terrific. High efficient, high efficiency electric heat pumps, and water heaters are safer. They don't pollute the air, they use less energy. Users find induction stoves far superior to gas. Solar panels and network networked geothermal can provide heating costs down, can bring key heating costs down to a fraction of the old gas bill. As the owner of a new building, if the owner of a new building insists on a gas hookup, let them pay for it. Let the expense become part of their mortgage and not ours. The Public Service Commission's duty is to represent the District of Columbia and its residents in our relationship with the utilities.