Candidate Launched Utility Infrastructure Reporting Site
Louisiana PSC candidate Chris Justin is asking business owners to submit photos of aging utility poles.
Updated on Oct. 7, 2026 in Utilities
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Public Service Commissioner candidate Chris Justin has launched a campaign website to collect user-submitted images of neglected utility infrastructure across Louisiana. The initiative seeks to highlight maintenance gaps and identify potential wasteful spending in the state's power grid.
Why it matters
Operators face significant business disruption from grid unreliability, and this campaign signals a growing focus on utility infrastructure maintenance as a key election issue. The effort aims to link aging equipment directly to systemic inefficiencies in utility spending.
Candidate Chris Justin claims there are $12.8 million in annual ghost charges in utility spending. He brings 15 years of professional background in engineering and energy policy to the race.
The players
Chris Justin
An independent candidate for Public Service Commissioner with 15 years of experience in energy policy and engineering.
Shell Norco Refinery
A major industrial facility and the former place of employment for the candidate.
The details
Justin, formerly an engineer at the Shell Norco Refinery and an energy policy consultant, launched the portal servicemypole.org to build a database of compromised electrical infrastructure. The site invites the public to upload photos of aging poles, which the campaign intends to use to advocate for grid upgrades and cost-reduction measures if he is elected to the commission. The strategy focuses on translating visual evidence of decay into a platform for regulatory change regarding utility maintenance and operational oversight.
Timeline
October 7, 2026: Coverage published regarding the campaign.
Market Landscape
This initiative attempts to alter the enforcement strategy surrounding the Louisiana Public Service Commission infrastructure oversight mandates. It follows a pattern of candidates using digital crowdsourcing to challenge established utility maintenance trends.
Business owners should review their own facility's utility connection points and track local power reliability data. Documenting recurring equipment failures may provide leverage if local utility infrastructure policies become a central regulatory topic in the coming months.
The takeaway
The campaign highlights the operational risk posed by aging infrastructure and the potential for regulatory pressure to address it. Operators should monitor candidate proposals for specific changes to maintenance budgets and infrastructure funding requirements.
Further reading
For broader trends in grid regulation, see our Utilities coverage.
More information
Submit photos of infrastructure concerns at the campaign utility pole reporting website.
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