Oregon Public Utility Commission
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) is the chief electric, gas and telephone utility regulatory agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. It sets rates and establishes rules of operation for the state's investor-owned utility companies. With respect to publicly owned utility districts and cooperatives, its authority is limited to safety regulations. [1]
The first regulation of a public utility was effected in 1874 when the Oregon Legislative Assembly passed a law regulating rates and procedures for the gas distribution business of Al Zeiber in Portland. His primary contract was with the city for its gas street lamps. The agency, or its predecessors including the Public Service Commission, have been charged with a wide variety regulatory duties, encompassing industries as diverse as timber rafting to intrastate rail and bus service. The present commission was reestablished in 1987 as a three-member panel, replacing the office of the Public Utility Commissioner through passage of a statewide ballot measure. [2]
[edit] References
- ^ Public Utility Commission - Present Duties and Responsibilities (HTML). Oregon Blue Book (Online). Salem, Oregon: Oregon Secretary of State (2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-25.
- ^ Oregon Public Utility Commission - Administrative Overview (PDF). Oregon Blue Book (Online). Salem, Oregon: Oregon Secretary of State (May, 2005). Retrieved on 2006-12-25.
