Our Mission  

The ORS represents the public interest in utility regulation. The public interest, as defined by the South Carolina General Assembly, is as follows:

The concerns of the using and consuming public with respect to public utility services, regardless of the class of customer, and preservation of continued investment in and maintenance of utility facilities so as to provide reliable and high-quality utility services.

Our Values

Fundamental to the success of our agency are these basic values:  

• Integrity. We uphold the law in every action and interaction necessary to the regulation of public utilities.

• Impartiality. We abide by our legislative mandate of impartiality as we strive to represent all facets of the public interest.

• Responsiveness. We respond to all requirements, requests, and concerns with a sense of urgency and efficiency.

• Respect. We respect the individual contributions of our employees and empower them to attain their professional and personal potential. We respect the consumers, public utilities, and regulatory bodies with whom we interact.

• Professionalism. We uphold the highest standards of professionalism in our conduct, our work ethic, and our interactions with utilities, regulatory bodies, and the using and consuming public.

• Innovation. We are innovative in the way we conduct our work, solve problems, and address challenges. We strive to exceed the status quo in all we do.

• Excellence. Above all, we remain committed to excellence in our work, in our attitudes, and in our dealings with utilities, regulatory bodies, and the using and consuming public.