Office of Regulatory Staff

The Office of Regulatory Staff (ORS) represents the public interest of South Carolina in utility regulation. The agency fulfills its mission by representing the concerns of the using and consuming public with respect to public utility services and preservation of continued investment in and maintenance of utility facilities so as to provide reliable and high quality utility services.

Act 175 of 2004 created the ORS as a part of an initiative to provide a revised structure for addressing the public interest in utility regulation. This revised structure clearly separates the adjudicative function—which belongs to the Public Service Commission of South Carolina (PSC)—from the investigative, legal, prosecutorial and educational roles necessary for utility regulation. Specifically, the ORS has sole responsibility for the inspection, auditing, and examination of public utilities. The agency must be considered a party of record in all filings, applications or proceedings before the PSC.

The utilities and industries that fall under the regulatory purview of the ORS are as follows: telecommunications, investor-owned electric, natural gas, water/wastewater and transportation.

The ORS has responsibility for oversight of railroad safety and natural gas pipeline safety in South Carolina, as well as limited oversight authority over electric cooperatives and municipal systems. Further, the South Carolina Utilities Consumer Advocate, housed in Consumer Affairs, is responsible for monitoring South Carolina utilities as well as representing and providing protection for the ratepayer. The Energy Office, the principal energy-planning entity for the state, became part of the ORS in 2015.

South Carolina’s Broadband Office, which is a part of the ORS, is the central broadband planning body for South Carolina and coordinates with federal, state, regional, local, and private entities to encourage the development of access to broadband. The Broadband Office also serves as a central resource to collect and publish information about state and federal programs to fund broadband expansion.

The agency is organized as follows: u Administration u Auditing u Broadband u Consumer Affairs u Energy Policy u Human Resources u Information Services u Legal u Safety, Transportation, and Emergency Response u Telecommunications u Utility Rates & Services

CONTACT

General information: (803) 737-0800

Website: ors.sc.gov

CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND INQUIRIES

In Columbia: (803) 737-5230

Toll-free within South Carolina: (800) 922-1531

LOCATION 1401 Main St., Suite 900 Columbia, 29201

Nanette S. Edwards Executive Director (803) 737-0575 NEdwards@ors.sc.gov