Section 33-49-150 - Authority and jurisdiction over electric cooperatives(A) The Office of Regulatory Staff under the provisions of this section is hereby vested with the authority and jurisdiction to make inspections, audits, and examinations of electric cooperatives pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 4, Title 58 relating to the compliance of electric cooperatives with the provisions of Sections 33-49-255, 33-49-280, 33-49-420, 33-49-430, 33-49-440, 33-49-450, 33-49-610, 33-49-615, 33-49-620, 33-49-625, 33-49-630, 33-49-640, 33-49-645, 33-49-1410, 33-49-1420, 33-49-1430, 33-49-1440, 58-27-820, and 58-27-840. The Office of Regulatory Staff is granted authority and jurisdiction over electric cooperatives that provide only wholesale services with regard to any of the foregoing statutory provisions to the extent that those provisions are applicable to the wholesale electric cooperatives. The Office of Regulatory Staff does not have the authority or jurisdiction to make inspections, audits, or examinations of subsidiaries of an electric cooperative provided that the subsidiary is not subsidized by, or any financial credit risk to, electric cooperative ratepayers and that the subsidiary has not taken action, on behalf of the electric cooperative, on any of the electric cooperative's duties as provided in the sections listed above. Where an electric cooperative board of trustees has exercised its business judgment in accordance with sound business and management practices and consistent with the long-term financial stability of the cooperative and the benefit of its members, the Office of Regulatory Staff is not authorized to disturb the resulting decisions of the electric cooperative board of trustees. Upon completion of an authorized inspection, audit, or examination, the Office of Regulatory Staff must report its findings to the management and board of the electric cooperative and attempt to resolve with the management and board any compliance issues that are identified. The commission is vested with the authority and jurisdiction to resolve any disputed issues arising from the inspections, audits, or examinations.(B) The Office of Regulatory Staff is further vested with the authority and jurisdiction to make inspections, audits, and examinations sufficient to ascertain the compliance of communications service providers, electric cooperatives, and broadband affiliates with the provisions of Sections 58-9-3030 and 58-9-3050. For inspections, audits, and examinations executed in accordance with this subsection, the following procedures apply: (1) Consistent with the powers provided in this subsection, the Office of Regulatory Staff shall make an inspection, audit, and examination upon the issuance of a complaint, submitted to the Office of Regulatory Staff, by a communications service provider, broadband affiliate, or electric cooperative that has reason to believe a violation of Section 58-9-3030 or 58-9-3050 is occurring or has occurred. To the extent that a communications service provider is an attacher only, the Office of Regulatory Staff shall confine their inspection, audit, and examination to the attachers' compliance with attacher obligations pursuant to applicable laws, regulations, and agreements. The Office of Regulatory Staff shall provide notice of the complaint to each communications service provider, broadband affiliate, or electric cooperative named in the complaint. The provisions of Section 58-4-55 including, but not limited to, the treatment of information deemed confidential or proprietary, shall apply to any such inspections, audits, and examinations. Information deemed confidential or proprietary must be made available to other parties or to the complaint only pursuant to the terms and conditions of an appropriate nondisclosure agreement. If the parties cannot agree to such terms and conditions, the commission shall provide the parties an opportunity to be heard and then establish the terms and conditions of an appropriate nondisclosure agreement.(2) Unless the parties to the complaint agree otherwise, the Office of Regulatory Staff must complete its inspection, audit, and examination within forty-five days of issuance of the complaint initiated by a communications service provider, electric cooperative, or a broadband affiliate. Upon completion of an authorized inspection, audit, and examination, the Office of Regulatory Staff must report its findings to the management and board of the electric cooperative, broadband affiliate or the communications service provider that is the subject of the complaint and to the party that made the complaint. The Office of Regulatory Staff will attempt to resolve with the management and board of the electric cooperative, broadband affiliate, or the management of the communications service provider any compliance issues that are identified. The commission is vested with the authority and jurisdiction, upon the filing of a complaint, to determine any disputed issues arising from the inspection, audit, and examination and any issues arising from or under the provisions of Sections 58-9-3030 and 58-9-3050 that are not resolved pursuant to this subsection. In determining such issues, and only to the extent necessary to resolve such disputed issues, the commission is granted authority and jurisdiction over any and all electric cooperatives, broadband affiliates, and communications service providers that conduct any activities pursuant to Sections 58-9-3030 and 58-9-3050.(3) The commission must enter a final order deciding a complaint filed with the commission pursuant to item (2) within ninety days of filing.(4) Except as expressly provided in this subsection, nothing in this subsection expands, diminishes, or otherwise affects any existing jurisdiction of the commission.Amended by 2020 S.C. Acts, Act No. 175 (HB 3780),s 3, eff. 9/29/2020.Added by 2019 S.C. Acts, Act No. 56 (HB 3145),s 2, eff. 1/1/2020. 2019 Act No. 56, Section 16, provides as follows:
"SECTION 16. Where the provisions of new or revised 1976 Code sections or subsections contained in this act conflict with provisions of the bylaws of an electric cooperative, the provisions of this act control and the cooperative, as permitted by Section 33-49-280, shall amend and conform its bylaw provisions accordingly."
2020 Act No. 175, Section 6, provides as follows:
"SECTION 6. This act does not convey or confer any implied or express grant of authority to an investor-owned electric utility to provide broadband facilities or broadband services as defined in this act and any legal rights which may or may not belong to investor-owned electric utilities to provide broadband facilities or broadband services at the time of the passage of this act are neither expanded nor contracted by its passage."