S.0656

Establishes criteria for the South Carolina Public Service Commission when evaluating applications for public utilities to acquire water, sewerage.

The bill amends the South Carolina Code to require the Public Service Commission to consider specific factors when evaluating applications from public utilities seeking to acquire water, sewerage, or sewerage disposal assets from counties, municipalities, or special purpose districts. It mandates that two independent appraisals, conducted by mutually selected experts, be submitted with the application. The average of these appraisals, along with any appraisal from the Office of Regulatory Staff, determines the fair market value.