The Tennessee Public Service Commission, also called Tennessee Railroad and Public Utilities Commission, was a three-member elected body which regulated private utilities, trucking firms, and railroads within the U.S. state of Tennessee. It was dissolved in 1996 when its functions were transferred to the Tennessee Regulatory Authority.

The body consisted of three commissioners, one from each of the state's three "Grand Divisions" (East, Middle, and West Tennessee). While one member of the body was required to be from each Grand Division, each was elected on a statewide basis to staggered six-year terms, resulting in the election of one commissioner in each even-numbered year. This body was somewhat less powerful than some similar bodies in most other states in that, with the exception of the Kingsport area, it had no jurisdiction over electric rates since the vast majority of the state received its power from the Tennessee Valley Authority, which as part of the federal government was not subject to state regulation. In 1919 the Railroad Commission's responsibilities were expanded to include the regulation of street railways and public utilities, and the Tennessee General Assembly changed the body's name to the Railroad and Public Utilities Commission. The general public showed very little interest in the office, despite its potential for considerable impact on their daily lives, with total votes cast in races for the office often amounting only to two-thirds or less of the numbers cast for governor, senator, or President in the same election, and most people largely or entirely unaware of the duties and functions of the commission. Nearly all campaign donations came from the industries which were regulated by the PSC, their representatives, and persons involved with them. No one was ever elected to higher office from the Tennessee Public Service Commission, although such attempts were occasionally made, such as in 1994 when Frank Cockran and Steve Hewlett ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic Gubernatorial Primary.

Election-related scandals and charges of favoritism, together with the fact that no Republican was ever elected to the office of Public Service Commissioner, led the administration of Governor Don Sundquist to move to abolish the office in 1995.

See also

  • Public utilities commission

References

  • Janice Beecher (Michigan State University), The All Commissioners List - List of all persons who had ever served as members of U.S. federal and state public utilities regulatory agencies through 2007