NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The New Orleans Office of Inspector General released a new report on the city’s unique energy utility setup.
New Orleans is the only city in the United States to regulate an investor-owned energy utility where there is a state-level agency in place.
Inspector General Ed Quatrevaux’s report, released just after midnight Wednesday, says the city council has been wasting money hiring consultants for years to do work that could just as easily be done locally.
For example, Quatrevaux says, the city council spent about $3.8 million per year on four lawyers and four consultants between 2011 and 2013.
Quatrevaux also says the system currently in place isn’t transparent enough–and he also found issue with the “lack of a publicly-funded public advocate” who would be in a position to fight on behalf of residents and small businesses.
You can read the full report for yourself at the OIG’s website (opens in new window).