Author

Ashley C. Brown

Ashley C. Brown served for 10 years as a PUCO Commissioner. He recently retired after 28 years as Executive Director of the Harvard Electricity Policy Group at Harvard University’s Kennedy School. He is co-author of The World Bank’s Handbook on Evaluating Infrastructure Regulation, and has advised governments and conducted training in more than 25 countries on energy markets and regulation.

COMMENTARY

Ohio energy policy: Incoherent, asymmetrical, and special interest driven

By: Ashley C. Brown - March 16, 2023

The lack of coherent state energy policy and asymmetrical alignment of risks and rewards left a vacuum that made Ohio fertile ground for the HB6 bailout and bribery scandal. The national debate over energy policy in recent years has revolved around two quite different, although not irreconcilable policy objectives: transitioning the energy sector into a […]

COMMENTARY

PUCO: A case study in regulatory passivity and failure in the face of crisis

By: Ashley C. Brown - March 15, 2023

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has had to deal with two very consequential crises within the scope of its jurisdiction, the House Bill 6 Scandal in electricity, and the Norfolk Southern derailments, particularly the one in East Palestine in transportation. In both cases, the commission posture has been one of passivity and minimal intervention. […]

COMMENTARY

Analysis: Where are Ohio’s guardrails against corruption?

By: Ashley C. Brown - March 14, 2023

This is the first of three analysis pieces from former PUCO Commissioner Ashley C. Brown analyzing the failures and deficiencies in Ohio’s utility regulation and anti-corruption guardrails. Perhaps the most notable — but least commented on — aspect of the House Bill 6 bribery scandal is the almost complete absence of any meaningful state guardrails […]

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