Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Service Commission topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public Service Commission presents operational highlights; requests one proviso change and no appropriation increase
Summary
Chief clerk Jocelyn Boyd and staff briefed the Senate Finance subcommittee on the Public Service Commission's fiscal-year accomplishments, docket processing improvements, public outreach and workforce fellowships, and said the PSC seeks no change in appropriations but is asking for one new proviso.
The Public Service Commission told the Transportation and Regulatory Subcommittee it does not seek an appropriation increase for fiscal year 2026 but requests a single additional proviso while highlighting efficiency and public-engagement improvements.
Jocelyn Boyd, chief clerk at the Public Service Commission, said the PSC's mission is to "regulate just and reasonable rates and services of public utilities in the state," and she summarized docket activity, the commission's moves to shorten the time between business-meeting decisions and signed orders, and the adoption of Smartsheet to streamline workflows.
Norman Scarborough, director of the PSC's public utility analyst department, and public information director Rob Bachman provided additional details: the PSC issued an average of 32.83 days in fiscal 2024 to sign and issue orders after business meetings, increased public outreach and livestreaming, and held 18 customer public hearings across six dockets. The commission said 55% of the state's electricity generation is nuclear and that nuclear plus hydroelectric and other non‑carbon sources constitute about 61% of generation, a statistic the PSC highlighted as a strength for the state.
Bachman described the PSC's expanded public communications, including a social-media campaign that reached roughly 425,677 Facebook users and a livestream audience that has grown to tens of thousands of viewers. The PSC also reported hosting internships and energy fellow programs funded by national grants, which helped produce hosting-capacity mapping and an electrification-of-transportation report submitted to the legislature under Act 46.
The commission described a recent storm-cost securitization docket authorized by Act 227 in which Duke Energy Progress sought recovery for storm-related costs; the PSC's order produced present-value savings to ratepayers of about $35 million (roughly 20.4% on a present-value basis), the commission said.
The PSC told senators it had one vacancy in Congressional District 4 and that it continues to file regulation reviews under the five-year schedule for Articles 2 (motor carriers) and 6 (telecommunications). The commission offered briefing materials and asked the committee to consider the single proviso it requested.
Committee members accepted the PSC's presentation; no appropriations changes were approved during the hearing.
