(A) Except as otherwise provided in Chapter 9 of this title, the commission is vested with power and jurisdiction to supervise and regulate the rates and service of every public utility in this State and to fix just and reasonable standards, classifications, regulations, practices, and measurements of service to be furnished, imposed, or observed, and followed by every public utility in this State.

(B) The commission must develop and publish a policy manual which must set forth guidelines for the administration of the commission. All procedures must incorporate state requirements and good management practices to ensure the efficient and economical utilization of resources.

Terms Used In South Carolina Code 58-3-140

  • Commission: means the Public Service Commission. See South Carolina Code 58-3-5
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Public utility: means public utility as defined in § 58-5-10, telephone utility as defined in § 58-9-10, government-owned telecommunications service provider as defined in § 58-9-2610, radio common carrier as defined in § 58-11-10, carriers governed by Chapter 13 of Title 58, railroads and railways as defined in § 58-17-10, motor vehicle carrier as defined in § 58-23-10, or electrical utility as defined in § 58-27-10. See South Carolina Code 58-3-5
  • Regulatory staff: means the executive director or the executive director and employees of the Office of Regulatory Staff. See South Carolina Code 58-3-5
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.

(C) The commission must facilitate access to its general rate request orders in contested matters involving more than one hundred thousand dollars by publishing an order guide which indexes and cross-references orders by subject matter and case name. The order guide must be made available for public inspection.

(D) The commission must promulgate regulations to require the direct testimony of witnesses appearing on behalf of utilities and of witnesses appearing on behalf of persons having formal intervenor status, such testimony to be reduced to writing and prefiled with the commission in advance of any hearing.

(E) Nothing in this section may be interpreted to repeal or modify specific exclusions from the commission’s jurisdiction pursuant to Title 58 or any other title.

(F) When required to be filed, tariffs must be filed with the office of the chief clerk of the commission and, on that same day, provided to the Executive Director of the Office of Regulatory Staff.

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