State regulation comes with a price – more than $21 million a year.

Where the money comes from may surprise most taxpayers but disappoint the utilities’ ratepayers:

• Regulating public utilities such as Dominion Energy and Blue Granite Water costs taxpayers nothing.

Public Service Commission and Office of Regulatory Staff costs are covered by fees paid by the utilities.

• As operating costs, the utilities pass along these costs in customer rates, according to Comptroller Richard Eckstrom’s office.

The Public Service Commission costs ratepayers $5.6 million a year. $985,000 of that is in such operating expenses as rent, lights, water and phones.
The other $4.6 million   pays for salaries, bonuses and benefits including:

• A $131.393 salary for Chairman Randy Randall.
• $129,449 each for the 6 other commissioners including Florence Belzer representing Lexington County.
• $129,646 for Executive Director Jocelyn Boyd.

The other regulatory arm, the Office of Regulatory Staff, operates on ratepayer paid fees not taxes.

ORS operating costs total $15,466,839 a year.

Executive Director Nanette Edwards receives $178,619 a year, according to her office.

ORS does research for the PSC and oversees many other utilities including phone companies and others.

Some of its costs are paid by grants including a $1,873,146 federal grant.