A JOINT RESOLUTION directing the Public Service Commission to explore measures that would address affordability and the provision of essential utility services and declaring an emergency.
SJR75 is a joint resolution directing the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) to open one or more administrative cases to study how utilities can improve affordability for low-income and fixed-income customers. The resolution focuses on essential utility services, including electric, gas, water, and wastewater service, and asks the PSC to examine ways to maintain consistent access while reducing the risk of delinquency, late fees, and disconnections that could threaten health and safety.
The resolution also directs the PSC to invite participation from jurisdictional utilities, affected communities, and nonprofit advocacy organizations so that the review includes both industry and consumer perspectives. The PSC must report its findings and recommendations to the Legislative Research Commission by September 1, 2027, identifying measures that could be taken by the General Assembly, the PSC, and utilities themselves. The measure declares an emergency and would take effect immediately upon passage and approval, citing rising electricity costs and anticipated reductions in LIHEAP funding as reasons for urgency.
Because SJR75 is a joint resolution rather than a bill creating or amending statutes, it does not directly change Kentucky law or utility rate-setting rules. Instead, it uses legislative direction to require the PSC to open administrative proceedings, gather stakeholder input, and produce recommendations on affordability, rate design, assistance programs, and other regulatory or nonregulatory solutions. Its practical effect is to launch a formal policy review that could influence future legislation, PSC regulation, and utility practices affecting low-income customers and households at risk of disconnection.
The available vote history suggests strong support for the resolution, with the Senate adopting it 35-0 after amendment. The bill’s findings and emergency clause reflect a broadly sympathetic view that utility affordability is a pressing public-interest issue, especially for vulnerable households facing higher bills and reduced federal assistance. No committee transcript was provided, but the text itself frames the measure as a collaborative effort to address a statewide affordability problem rather than a partisan policy fight.
The main policy tension in SJR75 is between keeping utility rates affordable for customers and ensuring that utilities recover enough revenue to maintain service and infrastructure. The resolution acknowledges that utilities, particularly those serving disadvantaged communities, may struggle to meet basic revenue requirements while holding rates down, which suggests potential disagreement over rate design, financial assistance, and who should bear the cost of affordability measures. Another likely point of contention is the scope of PSC involvement and whether the commission should be directed to study broader regulatory and nonregulatory solutions, but no explicit opposition is shown in the available vote record.