UTILITIES DIVISION

Historically, the PSC has been responsible for setting the rates charged by telecommunications, natural gas, and electric companies through economic regulation, and for establishing and enforcing quality of service and customer service standards. The telecommunications, natural gas, and electric industries previously were characterized as natural monopolies. Now a number of these industries is evolving from a monopoly market structure where customers are served by a single provider to a competitive market where customers can choose from multiple providers for certain services. Some services will continue to be monopoly services regulated by the Commission. The pace of competition varies among these industries. In the telecommunications industry long distance service has been competitive since the mid-1980s. In 1995 and 1996, local telephone service was opened to competition by state and federal legislation. In 1998, Georgia deregulated the natural gas industry. Discussions about restructuring the electric industry are underway at both the state and federal level, although no statutory changes have been made to date.

These changes in the regulatory environment have resulted in the Commission taking official action to ensure that consumers receive the best possible value in telecommunications, electric and natural gas services and to improve pipeline safety. An overview of the role that the Commission has played in each of these industries over the past two years as well as key decisions resulting therefrom are set forth more fully hereinafter.

 

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