The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) facilitates the efficient provision of safe and reliable utility services at fair prices. 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 economics, accounting, engineering, finance, natural resource conservation, energy, 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.

The commission has jurisdiction regarding rate structure, territorial boundaries, bulk power supply operations, and power supply planning of municipally owned electric systems and rural electric cooperatives, territorial boundaries and safety over municipally owned natural gas utilities and gas districts. The commission also exercises safety authority over all electric and natural gas systems operating in the state.

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 the PSC's regulatory activities for calendar year 2022.

Public Service Commission Regulatory Activities by Utility Type
	Number
Rates and Services
Investor-owned water and/or wastewater utilities	149
Investor-owned natural gas utilities	8
Investor-owned electric utilities	5
Safety, rate structure, territorial boundaries, bulk power supply, operations and planning
Municipally-owned electric systems	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	249
Pay telephone companies	27
Incumbent local exchange companies	10
Source: 2022 Annual Report, Florida Public Service Commission.

 

The earnings of the investor-owned utilities are reported to the commission to facilitate ongoing monitoring of the achieved return for each utility. This recurring activity provides information to indicate whether a utility’s rates continue to be fair, just and reasonable, or may necessitate further review and potential adjustment.

The commission measures the percentage of annual utility increases for average residential usage compared to inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). For Fiscal Year 2021-22, the commission’s goal was to limit the increase to no more than 1% above the actual index. For Fiscal Year 2021-22, the commission reported a 5.59% increase for all industries. For Fiscal year 2022-23, the commission's goal once again is to limit the increase to no more than 1% above the CPI.

 

Broadband Internet Service Providers. The 2023 Legislature enacted Ch. 2023-199, Laws of Florida, which specifies that the poles of rural electric cooperatives that are engaged in the provision of broadband are subject to regulation by the Public Service Commission; authorizes the commission to access the books and records of such cooperatives for specified purposes; provides that such information that contains proprietary confidential business information retains its confidential or exempt status when held by the commission; and authorizes rural electric cooperatives to engage in the provision of broadband.

Utility System Rate Base Values. The 2023 Legislature enacted Ch. 2023-291, Laws of Florida, which, among other provisions, establishes alternative procedure by which the PSC may establish rate base value for certain acquired utility systems; requires that approved rate base value be reflected in acquiring utility's next general rate case for ratemaking purposes; establishes procedure for appraisal of acquired utility systems; provides contents required for petition to the PSC for approval of rate base value of acquired utility system; provides duties of PSC regarding petitions; authorizes the PSC to set rates for, and classify, certain acquired utility systems; requires the PSC to take certain factors into consideration for certain rate base value petitions; and requires the PSC to adopt rules.

Other Reports
2022 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 (Florida Public Service Commission), 364 (Communications Services), 365 (Use of Telephones and Facsimile Machines), 366 (Public Utilities), 367 (Water and Wastewater Systems), 368 (Gas Transmission and Distribution), 403 Part II (Electrical Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting), Part VI (Water Supply; Water Treatment Plants), Part VIII (Natural Gas Transmission Pipeline Siting), and 427 Part II (Telecommunication Access System), Florida Statutes

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