One of the state’s regulated monopoly policy failings has been corrected.

The regulators in the Office of Regulatory Staff no longer have a conflicting mission - to protect SC Electric & Gas and other utilities as well as public interest.

“We’re representing the pubic and ratepayers only now,” ORS Director Ninnette Edward said.

A critic of what SCE&G, Dominion Energy and the Public Service Commission have been doing praised the new direction for the ORS.

SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce CEO Frank Knapp said, “ORS is working hard to build a proposal to justify reducing the ratepayers’ responsibility for most, if not all, of that $4.7 billion in abandoned construction costs.

“We should all support their hard work taking on a $50 billion utility giant like Dominion Energy.”