(a) Except as provided in (b) of this section, records in the possession of the commission are open to public inspection at reasonable times.
(b) The commission may, by regulation, classify the records submitted to it by regulated utilities as privileged records that are not open to the public for inspection. However, if a record involves an application or tariff filing pending before the commission, the commission shall release the record for the purpose of preparing for or making a presentation to the commission in the proceeding if the record or information derived from the record will be used by the commission in the proceeding.
(c) A person may make written objection to the public disclosure of information contained in a record under the provisions of this chapter or of information obtained by the commission or by the attorney general under the provisions of this chapter, stating the grounds for the objection. When an objection is made, the commission may not order the information withheld from public disclosure unless the information adversely affects the interest of the person making written objection and disclosure is not required in the interest of the public.
(d) In this section, “record” means a report, file, book, account, paper, or application, and the facts and information contained in it.