A Public Utility Commission, or PUC, is a group of appointed or elected state commissioners who serve as the state’s utility regulator. In addition to regulating electric utilities, PUCs regulate other public utilities such as gas, water, and wastewater.

I. Investor-Owned Utilities

Investor-owned utilities, or IOUs, are private electricity-distribution companies that have an exclusive charter from a state that allows the IOU to provide electricity services to specific regions within a state....