Bill Text: CT SB00103 | 2016 | General Assembly | Comm Sub
Bill Title: An Act Concerning Minor Revisions To Energy-related Statutes.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2016-04-22 - House Calendar Number 454 [SB00103 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2016-SB00103-Comm_Sub.html
General Assembly |
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February Session, 2016 |
*_____SB00103ET____031816____* |
AN ACT CONCERNING MINOR REVISIONS TO ENERGY-RELATED STATUTES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (g) of section 16-19 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2016):
(g) The authority shall hold either a special public hearing or combine an investigation with an ongoing four-year review conducted in accordance with section 16-19a or with a general rate hearing conducted in accordance with subsection (a) of this section on the need for an interim rate decrease (1) when a public service company has, for [six] the latest two consecutive [months] financial quarters, earned a return on equity which exceeds the return authorized by the authority by at least one percentage point, (2) if it finds that any change in municipal, state or federal tax law creates a significant increase in a company's rate of return, or (3) if it finds that a public service company may be collecting rates which are more than just, reasonable and adequate, as determined by the authority, provided the authority shall require appropriate notice of hearing to the company and its customers who would be affected by an interim rate decrease in such form as the authority deems reasonable. The company shall be required to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the authority that earning such a return on equity or collecting rates which are more than just, reasonable and adequate is directly beneficial to its customers. At the completion of the proceeding, the authority may order an interim rate decrease if it finds that such return on equity or rates exceeds a reasonable rate of return or is more than just, reasonable and adequate as determined by the authority. Any such interim rate decrease shall be subject to a customer surcharge if the interim rates collected by the company are less than the rates finally approved by the authority or fixed at the conclusion of any appeal taken as a result of any finding by the authority. Such surcharge shall be assessed against customers in such amounts and by such procedure as ordered by the authority.
Sec. 2. Subsection (i) of section 16-262w of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2016):
(i) The amount of the WICA applied between general rate case filings shall not exceed ten per cent of the water company's annual retail water revenues approved in its most recent rate filing, and shall not exceed five per cent of such revenues for any twelve-month period. The amount of the adjustment shall be reset to zero as of the effective date of new base rates approved pursuant to section 16-19, as amended by this act, and shall be reset to zero if the company exceeds the allowable rate of return by more than one hundred basis points for [any calendar year] the latest two consecutive financial quarters.
Sec. 3. Subsection (g) of section 16-245 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2016):
(g) As conditions of continued licensure, in addition to the requirements of subsection (c) of this section: (1) The licensee shall comply with the National Labor Relations Act and regulations, if applicable; (2) the licensee shall comply with the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act and applicable regulations; (3) each generating facility operated by or under long-term contract to the licensee shall comply with chapter 277a, state environmental laws and regulations adopted by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection; [, pursuant to section 22a-174j;] (4) the licensee shall comply with the renewable portfolio standards, established in or pursuant to section 16-245a; (5) the licensee shall be a member of the New England Power Pool or its successor or have a contractual relationship with one or more entities who are members of the New England Power Pool or its successor and the licensee shall comply with the rules of the regional independent system operator and standards and any other reliability guidelines of the regional independent systems operator; (6) the licensee shall agree to cooperate with the authority and other electric suppliers in the event of an emergency condition that may jeopardize the safety and reliability of electric service; (7) the licensee shall comply with the code of conduct established pursuant to section 16-244h; (8) for a license to a participating municipal electric utility, the licensee shall provide open and nondiscriminatory access to its distribution facilities to other licensed electric suppliers; (9) the licensee or the entity or entities with whom the licensee has a contractual relationship to purchase power shall be in compliance with all applicable licensing requirements of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; (10) [each generating facility operated by or under long-term contract to the licensee shall be in compliance with chapter 277a and state environmental laws and regulations; (11) the licensee shall comply with the renewable portfolio standards established in section 16-245a; (12)] the licensee shall offer a time-of-use price option to customers. Such option shall include a two-part price that is designed to achieve an overall minimization of customer bills by encouraging the reduction of consumption during the most energy intense hours of the day. The licensee shall file its time-of-use rates with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority; [(13)] (11) the licensee shall acknowledge that it is subject to chapters 208, 212, 212a and 219, as applicable, and the licensee shall pay all taxes it is subject to in this state; [(14)] (12) the licensee shall make available to the authority for posting on the authority's Internet web site and shall list on the licensee's own Internet web site, on a monthly basis, the highest and lowest electric generation service rate charged by the licensee as part of a variable rate offer in each of the preceding twelve months to any customer with a peak demand of less than fifty kilowatts, cumulated of all such customer's meters, during a twelve-month period; and [(15)] (13) any contract between a licensee and a residential customer eligible for standard service entered into on and after July 1, 2014, shall provide for the same electric generation service rate that may not be exceeded for at least the first three billing cycles of the contract, provided the licensee may decrease such rate at any time. Also as a condition of licensure, the authority shall prohibit each licensee from declining to provide service to customers for the reason that the customers are located in economically distressed areas. The authority may establish additional reasonable conditions to assure that all retail customers will continue to have access to electric generation services.
Sec. 4. Subdivision (5) of subsection (h) of section 16-245o of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2016):
(5) Each electric supplier shall disclose to the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority in a standardized format (A) the amount of additional renewable energy credits, if any, such supplier will purchase other than required credits, (B) where such additional credits are being sourced from, and (C) the types of renewable energy sources that will be purchased. Each electric supplier shall only advertise renewable energy credits [purchased beyond those required pursuant to sections 16-245a and 16-243q] in a manner approved by the authority and shall report to the authority the renewable energy sources of such credits and any changes to the types of renewable energy sources offered.
Sec. 5. Subdivision (8) of subsection (h) of section 16-245o of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2016):
(8) An electric supplier shall not make a material change in the terms or duration of any contract for the provision of electric generation services by an electric supplier without the express consent of the customer. Nothing in this subdivision shall restrict an electric supplier from renewing a contract by clearly informing the customer, in writing, not less than thirty days or more than sixty days before the renewal date, of the renewal terms, including a summary of any new or altered terms, and of the option not to accept the renewal offer, provided no fee pursuant to subdivision (7) of this subsection shall be charged to a customer who terminates or cancels such renewal [not later than seven business days after receiving] within the first two billing [statement for] cycles of the renewed contract.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
July 1, 2016 |
16-19(g) |
Sec. 2 |
July 1, 2016 |
16-262w(i) |
Sec. 3 |
July 1, 2016 |
16-245(g) |
Sec. 4 |
July 1, 2016 |
16-245o(h)(5) |
Sec. 5 |
July 1, 2016 |
16-245o(h)(8) |
ET |
Joint Favorable Subst. |