When the Small Business Chamber intervened this past year in SCE&G’s electricity rate hike request, it was painfully obvious that the company had way too much influence with the PSC staff and Commissioners. The Consumer Advocate intervened primarily to question the overall rate hike request but not one once of effort for analyzing or protesting the distribution of the increase (14% for small businesses compared to 5% for big business).
The PSC staff and Commissioners were oblivious to our logic that no evidence had been presented to justify the disparity in proposed rates and they sided with SCE&G. While the Small Business Chamber was able to have the 14% proposed hike cut to 8% for small business, we was still obvious that small businesses were subsidizing the electric rates of big business
The SC House and Senate have produced bills to reform the PSC to address the above concern. However, the Senate bill, 208, is stronger and offers a better opportunity for small businesses to receive more equitable rulings from future PSC actions.