PSC Filing Opens for 2020
On September 16, filing opened to run for the South Carolina Public Service Commission. Public Service Commissioners make major decisions that impact your future electricity bills, ability to choose your utility providers, and whether energy comes to you from clean, renewable sources or from dirty fossil fuels.
That’s a big list of responsibilities. A recent article in the Post and Courier highlights exactly how important this election is. Click here to get up to speed on the PSC elections.
Commissioners are selected by the SC General Assembly – NOT by voters. Candidates who file to run go through a vetting process, take a written exam, and undergo interviews with legislators. The General Assembly then votes, and the winner takes that seat.
In 2020, 4 out of 7 seats on the Commission will be decided. That means consumer and clean energy minded candidates could make a big impact on how the PSC makes decisions about your energy future.
Without good candidates, though, we could lose all of the amazing progress provided by the Energy Freedom Act that passed earlier this Year. This landmark legislation saved thousands of clean energy jobs and opened up the renewable energy market in SC.
But it’s up to the PSC to make sure the Energy Freedom Act is implemented correctly. If they do their job right, we will enjoy the cost savings of renewable energy while moving away from dirty and expensive fossil fuels.
We have met a number of potential candidates from across the state and let them know about the PSC and the selection process. But more community education is key. If our friends and neighbors don’t know what’s going on, and if our legislators aren’t paying attention, we could end up with commissioners that put the interests of utility monopolies over those of ratepayers.
The PSC approved the rate increases and let the VC Summer expansion proceed – putting all of us ratepayers on the hook. Needless to say, we see what happens when commissioners put utility profits over interests of ratepayers.
Please, help us make sure the Legislature elects thoughtful Commissioners.
Share this link with your friends and family who want to make sure the Public Service Commission prioritizes ratepayers over utility monopolies >> https://p2a.co/iuvrfeE. Encourage them to sign up for our Public Service Commission emails and stay abreast of what’s going on. We will keep you and them updated on the PSC election process and opportunities to get involved.
And if you’re interested in running, please reach out to Natalie at CVSC. We can help you understand what the requirements are, what the job is like, and help you determine if an application is the right step for you.The application deadline is October 11, so please don’t delay.
Together we can ensure that legislators understand how important this election is to the people of South Carolina. If we just stand by and watch, we’ll end up keeping the status quo…and that’s simply not good enough