Public utilities commission

In the United States, a utilities commission, utility regulatory commission (URC), public utilities commission (PUC), 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.

In Canada, a public utilities commission (PUC) is a public utility owned and operated by a municipal or local government under the oversight of one or more elected commissioners. It is not a regulatory body. Its role is analogous to a municipal utility district or public utility district in the US.

Regulatory bodies

The utility that is being regulated 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.

Countries
  • Costa Rica: Costa Rica Public Utilities Commission
  • Dominican Republic: c Utilities Commission
  • Bahamas: Bahamas Public Utilities Commission
  • Belize: Belize Public Utilities Commission
  • Chile: Superintendencia de Servicios Sanitarios de Chile
  • France: Commission de Régulation de l'Energie
  • Ghana: Public Utility Regulation Council of Ghana (PURC)
  • Sri Lanka: Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka

United States

Elected by district

Elected at-large

Legislative appointment

Appointed by the governor

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.

Canada
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