(A) To the extent necessary to carry out regulatory staff responsibilities, the executive director is authorized to employ expert witnesses and other professional expertise as the executive director may consider necessary to assist the regulatory staff in its participation in commission proceedings. The compensation paid to these persons may not exceed compensation generally paid by the regulated industry for such specialists. The compensation and expenses therefor must be paid by the public utility or utilities participating in the proceedings upon agreement between the public utility or utilities participating in the proceedings and the Office of Regulatory Staff or upon approval by the Review Committee or from the regulatory staff's budget. If paid by the public utility or utilities, the compensation and expenses must be treated by the commission, for ratemaking purposes, in a manner generally consistent with its treatment of similar expenditures incurred by utilities in the presentation of their cases before the commission. An accounting of compensation and expenses must be reported annually to the review committee, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
(B) The Office of Regulatory Staff is exempt from the State Procurement Code in the selection and hiring of an expert or third-party consultant to conduct an independent study described in Section 58-37-60 and Section 58-41-20(H). However, the Office of Regulatory Staff and the commission may not hire the same expert or third-party consultant in the same proceeding or to address the same or similar issues in different proceedings.
HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 175, Section 6, eff July 1, 2004; 2005 Act No. 5, Section 7, eff December 3, 2004; 2019 Act No. 62 (H.3659), Section 13, eff May 16, 2019.
Effect of Amendment
2019 Act No. 62, Section 13, inserted the (A) identifier, and added (B).
Structure South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 58 - Public Utilities, Services and Carriers
Chapter 4 - Office Of Regulatory Staff
Section 58-4-20. Staff makeup, supervision and location.
Section 58-4-40. Conflict of interest.
Section 58-4-51. Office of Regulatory Staff; duties and responsibilities.
Section 58-4-60. Expenses to be borne by regulated utilities; assessment and collection.
Section 58-4-80. Actions for judicial review of commission orders; intervention.
Section 58-4-90. Discretion of executive director as to initiation of actions.
Section 58-4-110. Annual reports.
Section 58-4-120. Promulgation of rules governing internal administration and operations.
Section 58-4-130. Restriction on outside employment of executive director.