Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. v. Public Service Commn. of New York
United States Supreme Court
447 U.S. 557 (1980)
Relevant factsFree
During a fuel shortage, New York's Public Service Commission (defendant) banned electric utilities from advertising to promote electricity use; even after the shortage ended, the PSC extended the ban following public comment, and utility Central Hudson (plaintiff) challenged the prohibition on First Amendment grounds, losing in state court and the court of appeals before seeking Supreme Court review.
IssueFree
Whether a state's complete ban on promotional advertising by a utility, adopted to serve an energy-conservation interest, violates the First Amendment when the ban is broader than necessary to achieve that interest.