Public Utilities Commission

The commission supervises utilities that are either investor-owned or privately-owned, delivering services such as gas, water, electricity, or telephone for profit. Notable examples include Idaho Power, Intermountain Gas, Century Link, and United Water of Idaho. Beyond managing rates and billing concerns, the commission is tasked with ensuring the safe operation of these utilities, which includes inspecting gas pipelines. It also aids in resolving inquiries related to utility bills, service disconnections, reliability, outages, and other related issues. However, the commission does not oversee utility cooperatives (owned by their customers) or municipal utilities, like those managed by the City of Weiser, as many cities operate their own electric, sewer, and water services. Additionally, the commission lacks authority over sewer operations and does not regulate interstate long-distance rates, payphone rates, cell phones, fax machines, voicemail services, internet services, or digital subscriber lines (DSL). Cable TV and satellite TV are also outside its jurisdiction. Furthermore, the commission is responsible for ensuring the safe functioning of railroads in the state, enforcing both state and federal regulations regarding the transport of hazardous materials by rail, and inspecting railroad crossings for safety and maintenance issues. It reviews proposals for railroad abandonment and assesses their impact on Idaho, representing the state before the federal Surface Transportation Board. Services are available in both English and Spanish.

Intake Procedure: Contact for intake procedures.