A statewide business group has accused Dominion Energy of trying to buy state regulators.

“The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce labeled the highly touted Dominion offer what it is – a bad deal,” said CEO Frank Knapp Jr.

Knapp called it an effort to influence the Public Service Commission decision on rolling back SCE&G rates before a Nov. 1 hearing.

“Dominion clearly has spent millions in advertising trying to influence the upcoming decision.”

Knapp’s analysis found:

• Dominion doesn’t say how it came up with $1,000 for an average family.

“The reality is that most families would get less than the $1,000,” he said.

• Dominion does not reveal that $1 billion of the $1.3 billion it promises will come from the Toshiba settlement that was to go to ratepayers any way.

“How generous is it to take credit for giving the customers’ money they were already supposed to receive?” he said.

• Dominion does not say that thousands of ratepayers will not get a check because they do not meet the utility’s eligibility criteria.

If you were not a ratepayer as of 2016, you will not get a check.

• Dominion does not reveal that it told lawmakers it would offer $1,530 cash back to the average family but dropped it when lawmakers would not give it what it wanted.

• Dominion does not tell that its offer of a 7% rate rollback is less than half of the temporary rate rollback lawmakers ordered or that at least a 15% rollback will be made to the PSC.

The Southern Environmental Law Center and the Coastal Conservation League have filed a motion to have the rate rollback heard in November and the proposed Dominion purchase heard later.

Knapp said, “The ‘generous’ Dominion offer should not influence this critically important decision by the Commissioners.”