Public utilities commission

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A public utilities commission is a quasi-governmental body that provides oversight and/or regulation of public utilities in a particular area (locality, municipality, or subnational division), especially in the United States and Canada.

The utilities in question may be owned by the consumers that it serves, a mutual utility like a public utility district, a state-owned utility, or it may be a stockholder-owned utility either publicly traded on a stock exchange or closely held among just a few investors. These utilities often operate as legal monopolies, which means that they do not compete in a marketplace but are instead regulated by commissions to ensure fair pricing.

Canada[edit]

In Canada, a public utilities commission (PUC) is a public utility regulator, typically a semi-independent quasi-judicial tribunal, owned and operated within a municipal or local government system under the oversight of one or more elected commissioners.[1] Its role is analogous to a municipal utility district or public utility district in the US.

Below are the PUCs in Canada:

Former commissions in Ontario include:

United States[edit]

  Appointed by governor
  Appointed by legislature
  Election by single-winner district
  Election at-large for all members
  Election at-large from residency districts; suspended as of 19 August 2022

In the United States, a public utilities commission (PUC), utilities commission, utility regulatory commission (URC), or public service commission (PSC) is a governing body that regulates the rates and services of a public utility, such as an electric utility. In some cases, government bodies with the title "public service commission" may be civil service oversight bodies, rather than utilities regulators.

The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners[9] is the national association representing the interests of the public utilities commissions in all 50 states. The Interstate Commerce Commission and Federal Communications Commission perform similar functions in their respective fields in the United States.

The first state utility regulator was the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, founded in 1907 under Governor Robert M. La Follette to set minimum standards and regulate rates of monopoly utilities.[10]

PUCs in the US by state[edit]

Jurisdiction Organization Members Selection of commissioners
 Louisiana Louisiana Public Service Commission[11] 5 Elected by district
 Mississippi Mississippi Public Service Commission[12] 3 Elected by district
 Montana Montana Public Service Commission[13] 5 Elected by district
 Nebraska Nebraska Public Service Commission[14] 5 Elected by district
 New Mexico New Mexico Public Regulation Commission[15] 3 Elected by district
 Alabama Alabama Public Service Commission[16] 3 Elected at-large
 Arizona Arizona Corporation Commission[17] 5 Elected at-large
 Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia Public Service Commission[18] 5 Elected at-large from residency districts
 North Dakota North Dakota Public Service Commission[19] 3 Elected at-large
 Oklahoma Oklahoma Corporation Commission[20] 3 Elected at-large
 South Dakota South Dakota Public Utilities Commission[21] 3 Elected at-large
 South Carolina South Carolina Public Service Commission[22] 7 Legislative appointment
 Virginia Virginia State Corporation Commission[23] 3 Legislative appointment
 Alaska Regulatory Commission of Alaska[24] Appointed by the governor
 Arkansas Arkansas Public Service Commission[25] 3 Appointed by the governor
 California California Public Utilities Commission[26] 5 Appointed by the governor
 Colorado Colorado Public Utilities Commission[27] 3 Appointed by the governor
 Connecticut Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority[28] Appointed by the governor
 Delaware Delaware Public Service Commission[29] 5 Appointed by the governor
 DC District of Columbia Public Service Commission[30] 3 Appointed by the mayor
 Florida Florida Public Service Commission[31] 5 Appointed by the governor
 Hawaii Hawaii Public Utilities Commission[32] 3 Appointed by the governor
 Idaho Idaho Public Utilities Commission[33] 3 Appointed by the governor
 Illinois Illinois Commerce Commission[34] 5 Appointed by the governor
 Indiana Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission[35] 5 Appointed by the governor
 Iowa Iowa Utilities Board[36] 3 Appointed by the governor
 Kansas Kansas Corporation Commission[37] 3 Appointed by the governor
 Kentucky Kentucky Public Service Commission[38] 3 Appointed by the governor
 Maine Maine Public Utilities Commission[39] 3 Appointed by the governor
 Maryland Maryland Public Service Commission[40] 5 Appointed by the governor
 Massachusetts Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities[41] 3 Appointed by the governor
 Massachusetts Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable[42] Appointed by the governor
 Michigan Michigan Public Service Commission[43] 3 Appointed by the governor
 Minnesota Minnesota Public Utilities Commission[44] 5 Appointed by the governor
 Missouri Missouri Public Service Commission[45] 5 Appointed by the governor
 Nevada Nevada Public Utilities Commission[46] 3 Appointed by the governor
 New Hampshire New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission[47] 3 Appointed by the governor
 New Jersey New Jersey Board of Public Utilities[48] 5 Appointed by the governor
 New York New York Public Service Commission[49] 7 Appointed by the governor
 North Carolina North Carolina Utilities Commission[50] 7 Appointed by the governor
 Ohio Public Utilities Commission of Ohio[51] 5 Appointed by the governor
 Oregon Oregon Public Utility Commission[52] 3 Appointed by the governor
 Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission[53] Appointed by the governor
 Rhode Island Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission[54] Appointed by the governor
 Tennessee Tennessee Public Service Commission (1897-1996)

Tennessee Regulatory Authority (since 1996)

3 Appointed by the governor
 Texas Railroad Commission of Texas[55] 3 Elected at-large
 Texas Texas Public Utility Commission[56] 5 Appointed by the governor
 Utah Utah Public Service Commission[57] 3 Appointed by the governor
 Vermont Vermont Department of Public Service[58] Appointed by the governor
 Vermont Vermont Public Utility Commission[59] 3 Appointed by the governor
 Virgin Islands Virgin Islands Public Services Commission[60] Appointed by the governor
 Washington Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission[61] 3 Appointed by the governor
 West Virginia West Virginia Public Service Commission[62] 3 Appointed by the governor
 Wisconsin Public Service Commission of Wisconsin[63] 3 Appointed by the governor
 Wyoming Wyoming Public Service Commission[64] 3 Appointed by the governor

Local PUCs[edit]

Jurisdiction Organization Members Selection of commissioners
 San Francisco San Francisco Public Utilities Commission[65] 3 Nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by the SF Board of Supervisors

Other countries[edit]

Americas
Others

References[edit]

  1. ^ Alleckna, Matthias (2020-02-10). "A Guide to All Provincial Utility Commissions in Canada". EnergyRates.ca. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  2. ^ "Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities". www.pub.nf.ca. Retrieved Sep 15, 2022.
  3. ^ "Welcome to the British Columbia Utilties Commission | British Columbia Utilities Commission - BCUC". www.bcuc.com. Retrieved Sep 15, 2022.
  4. ^ "Province of Manitoba | v1 - PUB". www.pubmanitoba.ca. Retrieved Sep 15, 2022.
  5. ^ "New Brunswick Energy & Utilities Board - Home". nbeub.ca. Retrieved Sep 15, 2022.
  6. ^ "Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board | Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board". nsuarb.novascotia.ca. Retrieved Sep 15, 2022.
  7. ^ "Home | Ontario Energy Board". www.oeb.ca. Retrieved Sep 15, 2022.
  8. ^ Toolkit, Web Experience (Jan 11, 2018). "Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission". www.princeedwardisland.ca. Retrieved Sep 15, 2022.
  9. ^ "Home". NARUC.
  10. ^ "Utility monopolies still reign in the South". Southern Environmental Law Center. January 29, 2024.
  11. ^ "LPSC - Home". www.lpsc.louisiana.gov. Retrieved Sep 15, 2022.
  12. ^ "Home | MISSISSIPPI PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION". www.psc.ms.gov. Retrieved Sep 15, 2022.
  13. ^ http://psc.mt.gov/
  14. ^ "Nebraska Public Service Commission". psc.nebraska.gov. Retrieved Sep 15, 2022.
  15. ^ "Home". www.nm-prc.org. Retrieved Sep 15, 2022.
  16. ^ "APSC – New Alabama PSC Website". psc.alabama.gov. Retrieved Sep 15, 2022.
  17. ^ "Arizona Corporation Commission". cc.state.az.us. 2010-03-22. Archived from the original on 2010-03-23. Retrieved 2022-08-13.
  18. ^ "Home | Georgia Public Commission". psc.ga.gov. Retrieved Sep 15, 2022.
  19. ^ "Home: Public Service Commission, North Dakota". psc.nd.gov. Retrieved Sep 15, 2022.
  20. ^ http://occ.state.ok.us
  21. ^ "South Dakota Public Utilities Commission". puc.sd.gov. Retrieved Sep 15, 2022.
  22. ^ "Welcome to Public Service Commission of South Carolina". psc.state.sc.us. Archived from the original on 2007-12-17. Retrieved 2022-08-13.
  23. ^ http://www.scc.virginia.gov/
  24. ^ "About the Regulatory Commission of Alaska". rca.alaska.gov. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  25. ^ "Arkansas Public Service Commission - Homepage". state.ar.us.
  26. ^ "California Public Utilities Commission". cpuc.ca.gov.
  27. ^ [1][dead link]
  28. ^ "Public Utilities Regulatory Authority". CT.gov - Connecticut's Official State Website.
  29. ^ Delaware, The State of. "Delaware.gov - Official Website of the State of Delaware". delaware.gov - Official Website of the State of Delaware.
  30. ^ "DCPSC - Home". dcpsc.org.
  31. ^ "Welcome to the PSC Web Site - Florida Public Service Commission". psc.state.fl.us.
  32. ^ "Public Utilities Commission". puc.hawaii.gov.
  33. ^ "IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION HOMEPAGE". 2010-02-25. Archived from the original on 2010-02-25.
  34. ^ "Illinois Commerce Commission". icc.illinois.gov.
  35. ^ "Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission". 2006-07-30. Archived from the original on 2006-07-30.
  36. ^ "Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) | Welcome". 2008-09-15. Archived from the original on 2008-09-15.
  37. ^ "Kansas Corporation Commission". kcc.ks.gov.
  38. ^ "KY PSC Home". psc.ky.gov.
  39. ^ "Maine Public Utilities Commission Homepage | MPUC". maine.gov.
  40. ^ @ColumbiaGasMD. "PSC 01-01-14 - Maryland Public Service Commission". Psc.state.md.us. Retrieved 2022-08-13.
  41. ^ "Department of Public Utilities | Mass.gov". mass.gov.
  42. ^ "Department of Telecommunications and Cable | Mass.gov". mass.gov.
  43. ^ "MPSC". michigan.gov.
  44. ^ "ShieldSquare Captcha". mn.gov.
  45. ^ "Missouri Public Service Commission Redirect". 2002-06-04. Archived from the original on 2002-06-04.
  46. ^ "State of Nevada -". 2007-06-12. Archived from the original on 2007-06-12.
  47. ^ "New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission". puc.nh.gov.
  48. ^ "NJ Board of Public Utilities". nj.gov.
  49. ^ "NYS Department of Public Service". dps.ny.gov.
  50. ^ "NCUC Home Page". 2010-04-16. Archived from the original on 2010-04-16.
  51. ^ "Public Utilities Commission of Ohio". www.puco.ohio.gov. Retrieved Sep 15, 2022.
  52. ^ http://www.puc.state.or.us/[bare URL]
  53. ^ "Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission | Regulating Utility Services". PA PUC.
  54. ^ "RIPUC". ripuc.ri.gov.
  55. ^ "The Railroad Commission of Texas". www.rrc.texas.gov. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
  56. ^ "Public Utility Commission of Texas". Puc.state.tx.us. 2020-03-16. Retrieved 2022-08-13.
  57. ^ "Utah Public Service Commission -". 2010-02-19. Archived from the original on 2010-02-19.
  58. ^ "Department of Public Service". publicservice.vermont.gov.
  59. ^ "Home | Public Utility Commission". puc.vermont.gov.
  60. ^ https://www.psc.vi.gov/[bare URL]
  61. ^ http://www.wutc.wa.gov/[bare URL]
  62. ^ "Public Service Commission of West Virginia". psc.state.wv.us.
  63. ^ "PSC Homepage". psc.wi.gov.
  64. ^ "WY Public Service Commission". psc.wyo.gov.
  65. ^ "San Francisco Water Power Sewer | SFPUC". sfpuc.org. Retrieved Sep 15, 2022.
  66. ^ http://www.pucbahamas.gov.bs
  67. ^ "Belize Public Utilities Commission - Belize Public Utilities Commission". www.puc.bz. Retrieved Sep 15, 2022.
  68. ^ "Home". Retrieved Sep 15, 2022.
  69. ^ http://www.siss.cl
  70. ^ http://www.crpuc.gov.cr
  71. ^ "Page d'accueil". www.cre.fr. Retrieved Sep 15, 2022.
  72. ^ "PURC". www.purc.com.gh. Retrieved Sep 15, 2022.
  73. ^ http://www.pucsl.gov.lk

External links[edit]