Commissioner
Gary Clark is a Commissioner for the Florida Public Service Commission.
PUF: What does a Commissioner do?
Commissioner Clark: The Commission basically acts as a surrogate for competition. We are the force of competition that is applied to a monopoly business to make sure that consumers are getting fair value for their dollar.
On a daily basis, I spend most of my time reading and researching. The amount of information that is presented to the Commission is very large. There is testimony and data from utilities, intervenors and staff that must all be reviewed and studied prior to our hearings and agenda conferences.
It's about understanding the case that is being presented, looking at it from all perspectives and then trying to find the right balance of consumer needs and utility needs. In my mind I am always asking, what is the logical solution to the problem being considered.
PUF: What do you look for?
Commissioner Clark: You're really looking for the truth, and sometimes it's a real search. You have two sides of an argument, two perspectives, two opinions, and getting it boiled down to the essential elements relative to the problem is critical.