|
Public
Utilities Law
What is
public utilities law?
Public utilities law is
the area of law dealing with the business
organizations (such as an electric company)
performing a public service and subject to
special governmental regulation.
What is a
public utility?
A public utility is a business
or service, which may be publicly or privately
owned, engaged in supplying the public
generally with some commodity or service, such
as electricity, gas, water, transportation, or
telephone or telegraph service.
What are some
examples of public utilities?
Examples of
public utilities include:
-
Transportation
(buses, airlines, railroads, motor freight
carriers, pipelines, etc.)
-
Radio
-
Television
-
Local and long-distance
telephone companies
-
Electricity
-
Natural
gas
-
Water and sanitation treatment
facilities
What legal forms are involved with
public utilities?
Relevant legal forms
include:
- Easement for Utilities
- Easement
for Streets
- Rate Schedule
- Service
Agreement
- Installation of equipment
- Periodic rate adjustment
What is the
FERC?
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC) regulates and oversees energy
industries in the economic and environmental
interest of the American public.
Will my claim
have to go to trial?
The traditional process
to resolve a conflict is to engage in
litigation - turn the problem over to a judge
to decide. However, alternative dispute
resolution (ADR) offers a variety of methods
to resolve the matter though settlement
instead of litigation. It is a voluntary
process where parties focus on meeting their
business interests rather than on who has the
stronger position. ADR usually involves a
third party neutral, who helps the parties
design a process to find mutually acceptable
solutions to their disputes.
What is the
function of the State Utility Commission?
State utility commissions regulate consumer
service and rates for gas, electricity and a
variety of other services within your state.
These services include rates for telephone
calls and moving household goods, water and
transportation rates.
What is the mission of
the North Carolina Utility Commission?
According to the NC Utility Commission
website, the Commission is responsible to both
the public and utilities and, by law (G. S.
62-2), must regulate in a manner designed to
implement the policy of the State of North
Carolina to:
- Provide fair regulation of
public utilities in the interest of the
public.
- Promote the inherent advantage of
regulated public utilities.
- Promote
adequate, reliable, and economical utility
service.
- Promote least cost energy
planning.
- Provide just and reasonable rates
and charges for public utility services and
promote conservation of energy.
- Assure that
facilities necessary to meet future growth can
be financed on reasonable and fair terms.
- Encourage and promote harmony between utility
companies and their customers.
- Foster
planned growth of public utility services.
- Coordinate energy supply facilities with the
state's development.
- Cooperate with other
states and the federal government in providing
interstate and intrastate public utility
service and reliability of energy supply.
- Facilitate the construction of facilities in
and the extension of natural gas service to
unserved areas.
<
Back to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
|
