PUC Annual Report–Fiscal Year 2011-12 - Public Utilities Commission

Public Utilities Commission Annual Report 2011-12
State of Hawaii Page 10
Figure 2. History of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission
Organizational History Regulatory Changes
1913- Public Utilities Commission
founded as an independent agency of
the territorial government with its own
staff
1913 – Regulation of utilities
under quasi-judicial body rather
than through courts and
Superintendent of Public Works
Landmark Developments
1933- Change in commissioner count
from three to five part-time
commissioners
1951 - Granted right to hire
investigator
1931 – Regulation of interisland
shipping companies ruled by
Supreme Court is under
jurisdiction of PUC
1937 – The PUC began issuing
CPCNs for buses
Late 1930s – The PUC began
regulating long term financing
matters of interisland airlines
1939 – Expert hired to
determine rate base for fair ROI
in utility property, giving PUC
some basis to determine rates
1959 – Reorganization Act restricts
the number of executive departments.
PUC is placed under the Department
of Treasury and Regulation
1961 – General requirements for
formal hearings and rulemaking
established
1963 – Department of Treasury and
Regulation becomes Department of
Regulatory Agencies, Commission
staff becomes Public Utilities Division
and serves the Director
1969 – Creation of the Office of
Consumer Protection
1972 – PUC able to hire an attorney
for the commission rather than using
the AG as the attorney
1976 – 3 full-time commissioners
serving 6-year overlapping terms. PUC
moves from the DRA to Department of
Budget and Finance. PUD becomes
DCA and PUC hires commission staff
1994 – Reestablishment of the PUC
special fund for the operation of the
PUC and DCA
2007 – PUC reorganization
approved by legislature, pending
implementation
1961 – Motor carrier safety
placed under the jurisdiction of
PUC by legislature. PUC rules
that it has right to regulate air
transportation between islands
1970 – Cable TV put under
Cable Television Division in
the DRA, with the potential to
be moved to the PUC
1974 – Private sewer
companies added
1977 – Exempts producers of
Non-Fossil power from definition
of the pubic utility but PUC has
oversight of rates. Motor Carrier
Safety transferred to DOT
1981 – Eliminated regulation of
aerial transportation enterprises
2001 – RPS and NEM
legislation passed
2002 – Gas cap legislation
passed, repealed 2006
2004 – One Call center
established, RPS set
2008 – EEPS and PBF
established
1965 – Minimum standards of
service for electric, gas, phone
utilities go into effect
1966 – General Order No. 1
issued prohibiting ex parte
communication
1970 – Telephone company
decision issued with PUD acting
on behalf of the director of
Regulatory Agencies
1987 – Start of creation of IRP
process by the PUC; Supreme
Court decision over apportioned
costs for inter- and intra-state
telecom
1993 – Plan to establish
telecommunications framework
for Hawaii
2003 – Competitive bidding
framework for new generation