South Carolina Public Service Commission
| South Carolina Public Service Commission | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Non-partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| 2012-2013 FY Budget: | $4,636,308 |
| Total Seats: | 7 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Leadership: | Randy Mitchell |
| Selection Method: | Appointed by General Assembly |
| Other South Carolina Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Comptroller • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Adjutant General • Inspector General • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission | |
Contents |
Current officeholder
The current chairman is Randy Mitchell. He took over this position in June 2013 after then-chair David Wright resigned his seat, which is currently vacant.[1] Mitchell serves alongside vice chairman G. O'Neal Hamilton and commissioners John Howard, Lib Fleming, Nikki Hall and Swain Whitfield.
Authority
The earliest form of the public service commission was created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1878.[2]
Qualifications
In order to serve on the South Carolina Public Service Commission, each member must have:[3]
- A baccalaureate or more advanced degree from: (a) a recognized institution of higher learning requiring face-to-face contact between its students and instructors prior to completion of the academic program; (b) an institution of higher learning that has been accredited by a regional or national accrediting body; or (c) an institution of higher learning chartered before 1962; and
- (2) a background of substantial duration and an expertise in at least one of the following: (a) energy issues; (b) telecommunications issues; (c) consumer protection and advocacy issues; (d) water and wastewater issues; (e) finance, economics, and statistics; (f) accounting; (g) engineering; or (h) law.
If the review committee find a candidate qualified but they do not have the necessary duration and expertise in one of the eight areas listed above, they can still be appointed if three-fourths of the committee votes to qualify the candidate and provide written justification.
Elections
Commissioners are elected during a joint session of the South Carolina General Assembly to a term of four years. One commissioner is elected from each of the six Commission Districts and one is elected at-large.[2]
Vacancies
In the event of a vacancy the governor may fill the position until the successor in the office for a full term or an unexpired term, as applicable, has been elected by the General Assembly.[3]
Duties
The South Carolina Public Service Commission lists the following goals:[4]
- Seek to ensure that the citizens of the State receive appropriate levels of customer satisfaction and quality of service for those services provided through the entities regulated by this Commission.
- Seek to ensure that within a more competitive utility environment that core or captive customers with little market power are not unduly burdened with the costs of competition and are provided appropriate service and service options.
- Seek to encourage innovation through the enhancement of Commission processes and the attainment of self-actualization by Commission employees through empowering these employees to carry out their responsibilities and rewarding them for their contribution to the attainment of Commission goals.
- Seek to modify the organizational process of the Commission in such a manner as to provide for the incorporation of project teams to address specific complex short-term issues that arise as a result of the dynamic nature of the utility industry regulated by this Commission.
- Provide an open, accessible and efficient regulatory process which is fair, cost effective and unbiased, while also exploring alternative methods of regulating the entities subject to the Commission's jurisdiction.
- Seek to ensure that the regulatory process results in fair and reasonable outcomes.
- Encourage efficiency, innovation, and technological growth among regulated entities.
- For the regulated entities, facilitate the provision of safe services at levels of quality and reliability which satisfy customer needs.
- Seek to ensure that all regulated entities' services to consumers comply with all legal requirements subject to the Commission's jurisdiction.
State budget
The budget for the in Fiscal Year 2012-2013 was $4,636,308.[5]
Compensation
In 2010, the South Carolina Public Services Commissioners were each paid an estimated $160,272 according to the Council of State Governments.[6]
Contact information
Public Service Commission of South Carolina
101 Executive Center Dr., Suite 100
Columbia, SC 29210
Phone: (803) 896-5100
E-mail: Contact PSC
See also
External links
References
- ↑ The State, "SC Public Service Commission member David Wright to retire," May 30, 2013
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Psc.SC.gov, "History of the Public Service Commission of South Carolina," accessed October 17, 2011
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 South Carolina Code of Laws, " Title 58, Chapter 3," accessed January 18, 2013
- ↑ South Carolina Public Service Commission, Mission Statement and Goals
- ↑ South Carolina Budget and Control Board, "Current Budget Plans FY 2013-2014," accessed April 9, 2013
- ↑ The Council of State Governments,"The Book of States 2010 Table 4.11," retrieved April 23, 2011
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