Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill to expand consumer energy price savings and other measures to protect energy customers

Highlights:

• Specifies that the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority Shall have the discretion to determine the decoupling mechanism and the overall method used in decoupling orders based on what will provide the best overall experience for ratepayers (Sec. 1). 

• Prohibits public service companies from recovering indirect or direct costs such as attorneys fees or consultant payments through rates (Sec. 2). 

• Specifies that parties or intervenors may propose a settlement by filing a motion in cases involving disputes concerning ratepayers (Sec. 4 ). 

• Specifies that the provisions of any proposed settlement shall be supported by the citations and evidence as the authority may require (Sec. 4). 

• Specifies that the Authority may hold hearings and may order briefs to be filed related to any proposed settlement (Sec. 4).

• Specifies that rate changes resulting from a settlement shall not constitute a general rate hearing (Sec. 4). 

• Specifies that any amendment to rates proposed by utility companies will be judged by the Authority on in determining a reasonable rate of return by the following factors (Sec. 4): 

• Macroeconomic conditions;

• Compliance with state law; 

• Burden on ratepayers; 

• Trends in debt by the utility company; 

• The overall rate impact on all customers 

• Other issues deemed relevant. 

• Requires that if a utility company fails to properly provide notice of a rate change, then the new rate amendment will be advertised on the date of the effective filing date of the company’s new revised rate (Sec. 4). 

• Specifies that the authority may only grant a service company a bid to reopen a rate proceeding upon a total unanimous vote by the utility commissioners (Sec. 7). 

• Requires the Authority to convene a general rate hearing at an interval of less than for years at the discretion of the authority itself unless it violates any previous final decision (Sec. 7). 

• Specifies that any costs or expenses incurred by a utility to address or remediate bad behavior will not constitute reasonable costs and expenses (Sec. 9). 

• Requires utilities to distribute a report with the information described above on a monthly basis (sec. 10). 

• Specifies that utilities that do not comply with the above requirements will be fined $1000 per each individual offense (Sec. 10). 

• Requires any restitution implemented by the utility to be a cost equal or above the property damaged and the replacement cost of the equipment lost during the minor accident or event that required restitution (Sec. 10).

• Requires that each utility in its monthly report provide information regarding outages affecting more than 250 customers (Sec. 13). 

• Requires standardization of billing cycle and terminology no later than August 1st 2023 (Sec. 14). 

• Specifies other regulations that are required by Authority (Sec. 27).