City of Camden v. Public Service Commission

Harwell, Justice:

The City of Camden (City) appeals from a Public Service Commission (PSC) order affirmed by the circuit court. We reverse.

The City owns and operates an electric distribution system both inside and outside the Camden city limits. It has served the community of Westville, located 16 miles north, with electric power since about 1940. Westville residents requested the City to provide them the electricity, and no other entity was then servicing the area.

After 1945, Lynches River Electric Cooperative began to distribute electricity to areas adjacent to Westville. When the PSC…