Public Utility or Services Commissions (PUC or PSC)

These are state government agencies responsible for the regulation of public utilities within a state or region. A state legislature oversees the PUC by reviewing changes to power generator laws, rules and regulations and approving the PUC's budget. The commission usually has five Commissioners appointed by the Governor or legislature. PUCs typically regulate: electric, natural gas, water, sewer, telephone services, trucks, buses, and taxicabs within the commission's operating region. The PUC tries to balance the interests of consumers, environmentalists, utilities, and stockholders. The PUC makes sure a region's citizens are supplied with adequate, safe power provider service at reasonable rates.