Energy Policy and Certificate of Need Laws

In this episode of Arkansas 1st Reports, host Kandi Cox sits down with Dallas Guynes Green, Grassroots Engagement Director for Americans for Prosperity, to discuss two critical issues impacting Arkansans: energy policy and healthcare access.

In the first segment, Kandi and Dallas dive into Entergy’s proposed Strategic Investment Rider bill, which could allow utilities to recover costs for infrastructure projects without full oversight from the Public Service Commission. They explore how this bill could lead to rate increases, reduce accountability, and prioritize profit over efficiency. Dallas outlines better alternatives, including maximizing existing assets, implementing competitive market mechanisms, and ensuring consumers only pay for necessary and reliable energy investments.

In the second segment, they shift gears to analyze Arkansas’s Certificate of Need (CON) laws. These regulations, intended to control healthcare expansion, have been criticized for limiting access to care, especially in rural areas and for mental health services. With Arkansas ranking 48th in the nation for mental health, Dallas highlights the unintended consequences of CON laws, including higher costs, reduced competition, and fewer options for families in need. They discuss how repealing these laws could open the door to innovation, lower costs, and improved healthcare access for Arkansans.

Tune in to hear a thoughtful, solution-oriented discussion on how free-market principles could transform energy and healthcare policy in Arkansas for the better.

Guest: Dallas Guynes Green, Grassroots Engagement Director, Americans for Prosperity

Host: Kandi Cox