Upon application by an electrical utility, the commission may by order authorize the issuance of bonds for the purposes of offsetting and reducing prudently incurred costs due to storm recovery activity. It is in the interest of the State and its citizens to encourage and facilitate the use of securitized bonds as a method for enabling electrical utilities to lower the cost of financing the costs of these activities under certain conditions, and to empower the commission to review a securitization mechanism to determine whether it is consistent with the public interest and worthy of approval. In order for the commission to authorize the issuance of these bonds, it must find that an electrical utility's use of this financing mechanism will provide quantifiable net benefits to customers on a present value basis as compared to the costs that would have been incurred absent the issuance of storm recovery bonds, and will result in the lowest storm recovery charges consistent with market conditions at the time the storm recovery bonds are priced and the terms set forth in a financing order issued by the commission.
S.C. Code § 58-27-1100