What's a Customer Public Hearing?

Thu, 08/31/2023

Hearings before the Commission are broadcast to the public, and members of the public are always invited to attend in person. You can also watch hearings and meetings before the Commission live at this link and can also access the PSC’s archive of past hearings and meetings at that link to watch events from the convenience and comfort of your home or office.

A customer public hearing is a hearing that’s scheduled before the agency that is specifically designed to hear testimony from a utility’s customers. These hearings can be scheduled by the PSC when a utility company proposes a rate increase, when a utility company introduces their annual Integrated Resource Plan, or at other times when the PSC wants to receive testimony from ratepayers on their experience with utility providers. Any ratepayer of a utility is invited to speak before the Commission at customer public hearings and can do so either by attending in person or appearing virtually over the phone. Both methods give you the chance to share your opinion with the Public Service Commission and to enter your testimony into the record of the case before the agency.

Customer public hearings will be noticed and posted on the Commission’s Docket Management System at this link. Any public hearing will be clearly marked—here’s what you’ll see when you access the Commission’s DMS:

Screenshot of Past Public Hearings

Once you’ve decided to testify at a customer public hearing, you can preregister. Once you preregister, you’ll be assigned a time during which you will speak. If you testify in person, you’ll need to arrive at the location of the public hearing prior to the start time. If you’re appearing virtually, the Commission will call you on the number you provided when preregistering when it’s your turn to speak—please be ready to speak when your phone rings. You may also testify at a hearing in person without preregistering: to do so, attend the hearing on the date and location listed on the Docket Management System and sign up to speak. Please note that attendees who preregister will be called to testify first and in the order in which they preregistered.

Here’s how a customer public hearing works: your name will be announced if you’re appearing in person, or your phone will be called if you’re appearing virtually. A representative of the Public Service Commission will administer the oath to ensure that your testimony is an official part of the record, and you will then have three minutes to speak before the Commissioners. Once you’re finished, please remain at the podium or on the phone—the Commissioners or parties in the case may have follow up questions for you. Your testimony will become a part of the record of the case and will be treated as evidence in the Commission’s docket.

There are several upcoming public hearings before the PSC—click the links below to learn more and to register:

Have questions? Reach out to us at 803.896.5100 or at contact@psc.sc.gov or follow the agency on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.