State lawmakers violated law by failing to review the performance of Public Service Commissioners.

Before SC Electric & Gas abandoned a $9 billion nuclear power project, 10 Public Utilities Review Committee members gave glowing reviews of the PSC.

The commissioners had approved $2 billion in rate hikes for SCE&G’s 725,000 ratepayers.

After the project failed, the PURC made no performance evaluations of the PSC, in violation of state law.

Lawmakers elect Public Service Commissioners based on PURC nominations.

Despite having no performance reviews after the nuclear fiasco, lawmakers raised commissioners’ yearly pay by more than 22% to $132,071 and the chairman to $133,982.

The PURC’s failure to submit performance reviews for the last 3 fiscal years occurred after The Nerve revealed the PURC typically gave complimentary evaluations.

House Speaker Jay Lucas and Senate Judiciary Committee chair Luke Rankin control the 10 appointments to the PURC chaired by Sen. Thomas Alexander.

The other 5 lawmakers on the PURC are Rep. Bill Sandifer, Sens. Rankin and Brad Hutto and Reps. Mike Forrester and David Mack.

Under the law, the reviews are based on confidential surveys given to parties appearing before the PSC.

The evaluations “must be made a part of the member’s record for consideration if the member seeks reelection to the commission.”

Asked this week for the 2019 review, Heather Anderson, a staff attorney for the PURC, referred us to the PURC’s link on the legislature’s website where we found no performance reviews for 2017 to 2019.

Alexander and Sandifer did not respond to written questions for comment.

Brundrett is the news editor of The Nerve. Contact him at 803-254-4411 or rick@thenerve.org .