The Alabama Public Service Commission was designated as such in 1915 by the Alabama Legislature. It evolved from the Railroad Commission of Alabama which was created in 1881 to regulate railroads. Between 1881 and 1915, the Legislature extended the Railroad Commission's jurisdiction to include express companies, sleeping car companies, railroad depot or terminal stations, telephone and telegraph companies, plus transportation companies operating as common carriers over water, toll bridges, toll ferries, and toll roads.
The Commission was charged with the regulation of utilities providing electricity, gas, water, and steam, companies operating streets or inter-urban railways, as well as rail and communication companies being regulated by the former Railroad Commission. The new Commission's regulation of utilities included approving the sale or lease of utility property or franchises. The Commission was composed of three elected members: a president and two associate commissioners. The Commission's authority was broadened in 1920 when the Legislature made it responsible for utility rates. As Alabama's highway system developed in the late 1920s , the operation of trucks and buses as common carriers increased. In 1927, the Legislature placed all motor transportation companies operating as common carriers of freight or passengers over regular routes on Alabama highways under the Commission's regulatory authority. The Legislature broadened the Commission's authority over transportation companies in 1931 and 1932 by including motor carriers not operating over regular routes. Air carriers were included in 1945. Natural gas transmission and distribution systems were placed under the Commission's jurisdiction for safety purposes in 1968, adopting the Minimum Safety Standards outlined in the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act. In 1971, the Commission's authority over motor carriers was broadened. Transportation enforcement officers were empowered to enforce the rules and regulations of the Commission. The Commission's safety jurisdiction was extended to include railroad tracks and equipment in 1976 under the State Participation Program of the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970. The Legislature empowered the Attorney General's office in 1977 to represent consumers and the state in Commission proceedings. In recent years, two major pieces of legislation were passed by the United States Congress, both of which greatly influenced state regulatory agencies. Title IV of the Federal Aviation Administration Act of 1994 provided for federal pre-emption of state regulation of prices, routes and services of motor carriers of all freight except household goods. This eliminated tariffs and hearings on applications for authority to operate. The Commission still regulates carriers of household goods and passengers and ensures all carriers maintain proper cargo insurance and all carriers' vehicles maintain appropriate safety standards. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 provided a framework for opening the nation to competition for local telephone service, a federal action that again provided for pre-emption of rules of state regulatory agencies. The Act left many of the details to be worked out by federal and state regulators. While the Commission's authority has undergone such major changes, its role has become even more important in the daily lives of Alabamians. The Commission is challenged in this environment with providing an orderly transition from overseeing regulated monopolies to open competition. Back to Contents