AL SB268

Alabama Public Service Commission members would transition from elected to appointed positions beginning in November 2028, with the Governor appointing the president and the Speaker of the House and Senate President Pro Tempore each appointing one associate commissioner, all subject to Senate confirmation

Commissioners would serve four-year terms and must have relevant experience in areas such as utility regulation, energy policy, economics, law, engineering, finance, or accounting, with appointments required to reflect the state's racial, gender, geographic, and economic diversity

Conflict of interest prohibitions would expand beyond utilities to include nonutility entities participating in matters before the commission, barring commissioners from owning stock in, being employed by, or accepting gifts from such entities

The commission must hold at least annual public meetings with utility representatives to provide information on cost trends, reliability, infrastructure investment plans, and regulatory issues

Lobbying expenses would be prohibited from being charged to utility ratepayers, with the commission required to implement accounting requirements to enforce this restriction