Why are SC utilities allowed to make a profit?

Palmetto Utilities has applied to the Public Service Commission to raise rates for its customers in Richland County (“Some Northeast Richland sewer rates may rise 86 percent,” Oct. 7). The company says the rate increase is necessary to provide adequate service, recover expenses of operations, comply with environmental regulations and earn a reasonable return on investment. This sounds all well and good.

It is proposing to raise the single family home rate from $36.50 per month to $68.05. This does not sound all well and good.

This is an 86 percent increase for the single-family home.

Here we go again. I wonder what we learned from the nuclear power plant debacle.

I always had the impression that utilities were supposed to provide a service and charge enough to maintain that service, not to make a profit.