Title 58, Public Utilities, Services and Carriers

When the municipal council or other governing body of any city or town, after a public hearing of which at least thirty days' notice has been given, by ordinance or resolution duly adopted by a majority vote, expresses a desire and declares its purpose to acquire for the city or …

When the commission has been notified that a city or town has expressed its desire and purpose to purchase the property of the electrical utility operated under the indeterminate permit in the city or town and has also been notified that the parties to the purchase and sale are u…

After the amount of compensation and damages has been finally fixed the same shall be paid by the city or town and the property shall be transferred by the electrical utility within not more than ninety days, and upon such transfer the indeterminate permit of such electrical util…

When an area in which electric service is being furnished at wholesale or retail by a supplier of electricity, including municipal corporations, public or governmental agencies, and electric cooperatives, is incorporated as a city or town or is annexed to an existing incorporated…

The commission may, upon petition: (1) ascertain and fix just and reasonable standards, classifications, regulations, practices, or service to be furnished, imposed, observed, and followed by any or all electrical utilities; (2) ascertain and fix by regulation adequate and reason…

The Commission may make such rules and regulations not inconsistent with law as may be proper in the exercise of its powers or for the performance of its duties under this chapter, all of which shall have the force of law.

Every electrical utility shall furnish adequate, efficient and reasonable service.

Whenever the commission, after a hearing, finds that the service of any electrical utility is unreasonable, unsafe, inadequate, insufficient, or unreasonably discriminatory, the commission must determine the reasonable, safe, adequate, and sufficient service to be observed, furni…

No electric light or power wire shall be erected or maintained within fifty yards of any public road or highway in this State, unless it be so constructed, erected and maintained and provided with sufficient lightning guards or arresters, automatic cut-offs and other devices as m…

The Office of Regulatory Staff may, subject to the approval of the commission, establish a system of accounts to be kept by electrical utilities subject to its jurisdiction and may prescribe the manner in which the accounts must be kept. Every electrical utility must keep its boo…

Every electrical utility may, and may be required to, charge annually as an operating expense a reasonable sum for depreciation and credit the sum to a reserve account for such purpose. The reserve account must be charged only with plant retirements and expenditures made to resto…

Each electrical utility shall have an office in one of the counties of this State in which its property or some part thereof is located and shall keep in such office all books, accounts, papers, and records as shall be required by the Office of Regulatory Staff to be kept within …

The Office of Regulatory Staff may require the production within this State at a time and place as it may designate, of any books, accounts, papers, or records of the electrical utility relating to its business or affairs within the State, pertinent to any lawful inquiry and kept…

Every electrical utility must furnish the Office of Regulatory Staff in such form and in such detail as the Office of Regulatory Staff requires, subject to the approval of the commission, all tabulations, computations, and other information required by the Office of Regulatory St…

When an electrical utility is engaged in both interstate business and intrastate business in this State and at any time transmits electricity either into or from this State (a) by the use, either wholly or in part, of any transmission line or other facilities also used in intrast…

The Office of Regulatory Staff may investigate and examine the condition and management of electrical utilities or any particular electrical utility.

The commission may hold joint hearings and issue joint or concurrent orders in conjunction or concurrence with any official board or commission of any state or of the United States. The Office of Regulatory Staff may make joint investigations with any official board or commission…

No electrical utility, except a municipality, shall issue any securities without the approval of the Commission. Nothing herein contained shall apply to any issue of securities payable within one year from the date thereof, except in case of issues made to refund such short-time …

Any electrical utility, except a municipality, desiring to issue any securities may apply to the commission for approval of the proposed issue by filing with the commission and providing a copy of an application to the Office of Regulatory Staff, together with a statement verifie…

The Office of Regulatory Staff must thereupon make an investigation as may be necessary, at which investigation the electrical utility is entitled to be heard before the commission. The commission must determine whether the purpose of the issue is proper, value the property or se…

Such electrical utility shall not issue any securities in greater amounts than specified in such certificate and shall apply the proceeds of such issue to the purposes specified in its petition.

No electrical utility shall: (1) Permit any employee to sell, offer for sale or solicit the purchase of any security of such utility or of any other person or corporation during such hours as such employee is engaged to perform any duty of such electrical utility; (2) By any mean…

Operating electrical utility companies may offer to their employees opportunities to purchase their securities, and may permit deductions from their wages or salaries to be applied on the payment of such purchases; provided that such offers shall permit only bona fide voluntary a…

The commission may, after hearing, ascertain and fix the value of the whole or any part of the property of any electrical utility insofar as the same is material to the exercise of the jurisdiction of the commission and may, after hearing, make revaluations from time to time and …

The Office of Regulatory Staff has the right at any and all times to inspect the property, plant, and facilities of any electrical utility and the South Carolina Public Service Authority and to inspect or audit at reasonable times the accounts, books, papers, and documents of any…

The Commission may prescribe rules governing pleadings, practice and procedure before it not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter or any other provisions of law.

All hearings and proceedings must be governed by law and by rules of practice and procedure adopted by the commission.

The Commission may, in addition to the hearings specifically provided for by this chapter, conduct such other hearings as may be required in the administration of the powers and duties conferred upon it by this chapter and by other acts relating to electrical utilities. Notice of…

Any person, corporation, or municipality having an interest in the subject matter, including any electrical utility concerned, may petition in writing setting forth any act or thing done or omitted to be done by any electrical utility in violation, or claimed violation, of any la…

Upon the filing of a petition, the commission must cause a copy thereof to be served upon the person, corporation, or electrical utility which is the subject of the petition, and the Office of Regulatory Staff.

The Commission and each commissioner may issue subpoenas, subpoenas duces tecum and all other necessary processes in proceedings pending before it, and such process shall extend to all parts of the State and may be served by any person authorized by law to serve processes.

Service of all pleadings or notices in all hearings and proceedings pending before the commission, except service of the processes provided for by Section 58-27-1960, may be made personally or by mail as the commission may direct.

The Commission shall fix the time and place of all hearings and shall serve notice thereof not less than twenty days before the time set for such hearing, unless the Commission shall find that public necessity requires that such hearing be held at an earlier date, in which event …

The commission may dismiss any petition without a hearing if in its opinion a hearing is not necessary in the public interest or for the protection of substantial rights.

The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to the areas within former municipal corporate limits, where such municipality becomes a part of a consolidated political subdivision whenever such municipality owns and operates its own electric system and so long as such system con…

In the performance of its duties under this chapter, an employee or agent of the Office of Regulatory Staff may inspect or make copies of all income, property, or other tax returns, reports, or other information filed by electrical utilities or the South Carolina Public Service A…

For the purposes mentioned in this chapter, commissioners may administer oaths, examine witnesses, consistent with the Code of Judicial Conduct, and certify official acts.

In case of failure on the part of any person to comply with any lawful order of the commission or of any commissioner or with any subpoena or subpoena duces tecum or in the case of the refusal of any witness to testify concerning any matter on which he may be interrogated lawfull…

Any hearing which the commission has power to hold may be held before any one or more of the commissioners; however, the commissioner or commissioners must have been authorized by the commission to hold the hearing. Each hearing before a commissioner or commissioners must be cons…

In any hearing, the commission may employ a special agent or examiner who shall have power to administer oaths, examine witnesses, consistent with the Code of Judicial Conduct, and receive evidence in any locality which the commission, having regard to the public convenience and …

At the time fixed for any hearing before the commission or the time to which the same may have been continued, the petitioner and the person, corporation, or the affected electrical utility is entitled to be heard and to introduce evidence, in person or by attorney.

The Office of Regulatory Staff or any party to the proceedings may, in any hearing before the commission, cause the depositions of witnesses residing within or without the State to be taken in the manner prescribed by law for taking depositions in civil actions in the courts of t…

No person is excused from testifying or from producing any book, document, paper, or account in any hearing before the commission, when ordered to do so, upon the ground that the testimony or evidence, book, document, paper, or account required of him may tend to incriminate him …

Copies of official documents and orders filed or deposited according to law in the office of the commission or the Office of Regulatory Staff, certified by a commissioner or by the clerk of the commission under its official seal or the executive director of the Office of Regulato…

Witnesses who are summoned before the Commission shall be paid by the party or parties at whose instance they are summoned the same fees and mileage as are paid to witnesses in the courts of common pleas of this State, and witnesses whose depositions are taken pursuant to the pro…

When, in the judgment of the commission, there is a reasonably substantial affiliation of any electrical utility engaged in business in this State with any other corporation or person or when, in the judgment of the commission, any other corporation or person either exercises or …