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 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. Its role is analogous to a municipal utility district or public utility district in the US.
Below are the PUCs in Canada: Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities (Newfoundland and Labrador) British Columbia Utilities Commission Manitoba Public Utilities Board New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board Ontario Energy Board PEI Regulatory and Appeals Commission Former commissions in Ontario include:
Berlin Public Utilities Commission (1906–1916) in Berlin, Ontario Brantford Public Utilities Commission (–2001) in Brantford, Ontario Galt Public Utilities Commission (1962–1973) in Galt, Ontario Kitchener Public Utilities Commission (1916–1973)
United States
In the United States, a public utilities commission (PUC), which may also be named a public service commission (PSC), corporation commission, or similar, 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 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.
PUCs in the US by state JurisdictionOrganizationMembersSelection of commissionersAlabama Public Service Commission3Elected at-largeArizona Corporation Commission5Elected at-largeRegulatory Commission of AlaskaAppointed by the governorArkansas Public Service Commission3Appointed by the governorCalifornia Public Utilities Commission5Appointed by the governorColorado Public Utilities Commission3Appointed by the governorConnecticut Public Utilities Regulatory AuthorityAppointed by the governorDelaware Public Service Commission5Appointed by the governorDistrict of Columbia Public Service Commission3Appointed by the mayorFlorida Public Service Commission5Appointed by the governorGeorgia Public Service Commission5Elected at-large from residency districtsHawaii Public Utilities Commission3Appointed by the governorIdaho Public Utilities Commission3Appointed by the governorIllinois Commerce Commission5Appointed by the governorIndiana Utility Regulatory Commission5Appointed by the governorIowa Utilities Board3Appointed by the governorKansas Corporation Commission3Appointed by the governorKentucky Public Service Commission3Appointed by the governorLouisiana Public Service Commission5Elected by districtMaine Public Utilities Commission3Appointed by the governorMaryland Public Service Commission5Appointed by the governorMassachusetts Department of Public Utilities3Appointed by the governorMassachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable and Massachusetts Department of Public UtilitiesAppointed by the governorMichigan Public Service Commission3Appointed by the governorMinnesota Public Utilities Commission5Appointed by the governorMississippi Public Service Commission3Elected by districtMissouri Public Service Commission5Appointed by the governorMontana Public Service Commission5Elected by districtNebraska Public Service Commission5Elected by districtNevada Public Utilities Commission3Appointed by the governorNew Hampshire Public Utilities Commission3Appointed by the governorNew Jersey Board of Public Utilities5Appointed by the governorNew Mexico Public Regulation Commission3Appointed by the governorNew York Public Service Commission7Appointed by the governorNorth Carolina Utilities Commission7Appointed by the governorNorth Dakota Public Service Commission3Elected at-largePublic Utilities Commission of Ohio5Appointed by the governorOklahoma Corporation Commission3Elected at-largeOregon Public Utility Commission3Appointed by the governorPennsylvania Public Utility CommissionAppointed by the governorRhode Island Public Utilities CommissionAppointed by the governorSouth Carolina Public Service Commission7Appointed by the governor, confirmed by the senate South Dakota Public Utilities Commission3Elected at-largeTennessee Public Service Commission (1897–1996) Tennessee Regulatory Authority (since 1996)3Appointed by the governorRailroad Commission of Texas3Elected at-largeTexas Public Utility Commission5Appointed by the governorUtah Public Service Commission3Appointed by the governorVermont Public Utility CommissionAppointed by the governorVermont Public Utility Commission3Appointed by the governorVirginia State Corporation Commission3Legislative appointmentVirgin Islands Public Services Commission5Appointed by the governor, with two additional ex-officio members appointed by the senate presidentWashington Utilities and Transportation Commission3Appointed by the governorWest Virginia Public Service Commission3Appointed by the governorPublic Service Commission of Wisconsin3Appointed by the governorWyoming Public Service Commission3Appointed by the governor
Local PUCs JurisdictionOrganizationMembersSelection of commissionersSan Francisco Public Utilities Commission3Nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by the SF Board of Supervisors
Other countries
Americas Bahamas: Bahamas Public Utilities Commission Belize: Belize Public Utilities Commission Caribbean: Organisation of Caribbean Utility Regulators (OOCUR) Chile: Superintendencia de Servicios Sanitarios de Chile Costa Rica: Costa Rica Public Utilities Commission Dominican Republic: c Utilities Commission Others France: Commission de régulation de l'énergie Ghana: Public Utility Regulation Council of Ghana (PURC) Sri Lanka: Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka
References
External links Public Service Commissioner (state executive office) - List of current commissioners from Ballotpedia List of regulatory commissions by state compiled by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners.