The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) is responsible for regulating the rates, service, and safety of utilities under its jurisdiction. To fulfill its mission, the PSC pursues a number of goals, including

• streamlining regulatory requirements to provide an open, accessible, and efficient regulatory process;

• providing a regulatory process that results in fair and reasonable rates while offering regulated utilities an opportunity to earn a fair return on their investments;

• encouraging efficiency and innovation among regulated utilities; and

• encouraging and facilitating responsible use of resources and technology in the provision and consumption of utility services.

The PSC must balance the needs of a utility and its shareholders with the needs of consumers. To achieve this goal, the commission establishes exclusive utility service territories, regulates utility rates and profits, and places an affirmative obligation on the utility to provide service to all who requested it.

The commission is composed of a five-member board. Commissioners are appointed to four-year terms by the Governor and are confirmed by the Senate. The Governor appoints commissioners from nominees selected by the Public Service Commission Nominating Council for their knowledge and experience in one or more fields substantially related to the duties and functions of the PSC. These fields include such areas as accounting, economics, energy, engineering, finance, natural resource conservation, public affairs, and law.

The chairman, who is elected to a two-year term by majority vote of the commissioners, serves as the PSC's chief administrative officer, sets commission hearings, establishes panels, assigns cases, presides at hearings and conferences, and performs all other duties as prescribed by law. In the chairman's absence, the senior member of the commission panel presides. 

The commission is charged by statute with regulating investor-owned electric and gas utilities in the state.  The PSC is also responsible for regulating investor-owned water and wastewater utilities in counties that have opted to transfer regulatory jurisdiction to the PSC. The commission does not regulate the rates and service quality of publicly owned municipal or cooperative electric utilities; however, it does have jurisdiction regarding rate structure, territorial boundaries, bulk power supply operations, and power supply planning over numerous municipally owned electric systems and rural electric cooperatives.
The table below describes PSC's regulatory activities as of February 2021.

Public Service Commission Regulatory Activity
Area of Oversight by Utility Type	Number
Rates and Services
Investor-owned water and/or wastewater utilities	147
Investor-owned natural gas utilities	8
Investor-owned electric companies	5
Safety, rate structure, territorial boundaries, bulk power supply, operations and planning
Municipally-owned electric utilities	35
Rural electric cooperatives	18
Safety and territorial boundaries
Municipally-owned natural gas utilities	27
Gas districts	4
Competitive markets
Competitive local exchange telecommunication companies	259
Pay telephone service providers	32
Incumbent local exchange telecommunication companies	10
Source:  Inside the Florida PSC 2021, Florida Public Service Commission, February, 2021.

The commission measures the percentage of annual utility increases for average residential usage compared to inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index. For Fiscal Year 2019-20, the commission's goal was to limit the increase to no more than 1% above the Consumer Price Index. For Fiscal Year 2019-20, the commission reported a 0.73% increase for all industries.

PSC to regulate pole attachments.  The 2021 Legislature enacted Chapter 2021-191, Laws of Florida, which provides the Florida PSC, instead of the Federal Communications Commission, with authority over communication equipment attached to utility poles. The PSC is to develop rules by January 1, 2022, to establish cost-based rates, terms, and conditions for pole attachments when parties are unable to reach an agreement and, to regulate safety, vegetation management, repair, replacement, maintenance, relocation emergency response, and storm restoration requirements for poles and pole attachments.

Other Reports
Inside the Florida PSC 2021, Florida Public Service Commission.
2020 Annual Report, Florida Public Service Commission.
The Auditor General reports on department operations are available on its website.
Websites of Interest
Florida Public Service Commission, Reports and Other Resources
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
U.S. Department of Energy
Performance Information
Performance measures and standards for the department may be found in its Long Range Program Plan.

Chapters 350 (Railroads), 364 (Telecommunications Companies), 365 (Telephones), 366 (Public Utilities), 367 (Water and Wastewater Systems), 368 (Electric Power), 403 Part II (Electric), Part VI (Water), Part VIII (Natural Gas), and 427 Part II (Telecommunication Access System), Florida Statutes. 

Consumer Affairs Complaint Line, 1-800-342-3552
Office of the Executive Director, 850-413-6463

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