hb 1349

CHAPTER 212

HB 1349-FN-A - FINAL VERSION

AN ACT establishing a committee to study electric utility restructuring in the territory currently serviced by Connecticut Valley Electric Company.

SPONSORS: Rep. Gilmore, Straf 11; Rep. D. White, Hills 25

This bill establishes a committee to study barriers to electric utility restructuring in the territory currently serviced by Connecticut Valley Electric Company.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

AN ACT establishing a committee to study electric utility restructuring in the territory currently serviced by Connecticut Valley Electric Company.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

212:1 Committee Established. There is established a committee to study electric utility restructuring in the territory currently serviced by Connecticut Valley Electric Company.

(a) Five members of the house of representatives, at least 3 of whom shall be members of the science, technology and energy committee, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

II. Members of the committee shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the committee.

212:3 Duties. The committee shall study the issues pertaining to electric utility restructuring in the territory currently serviced by Connecticut Valley Electric Company and potential resolutions of those issues delaying or preventing retail competition in such service territory.

212:4 Chairperson. The members of the study committee shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the committee shall be called by the first-named house member. The first meeting of the committee shall be held within 90 days of the effective date of this section.

212:5 Report. The committee shall report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate president, the house clerk, the senate clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before November 1, 2002.

212:6 Electric Utility Restructuring; Restructuring Policy Principles; Timetable. Amend RSA 374-F:3, XV to read as follows:

XV. TIMETABLE. The commission should seek to implement full customer choice among electricity suppliers in the most expeditious manner possible, but may delay such implementation in the service territory of any electric utility when implementation would be inconsistent with the goal of near-term rate relief, or would otherwise not be in the public interest. [The pilot program established in 1995, 272 should be consistent with this pace and not delay implementation of statewide customer choice. The utilities should unbundle rates and services as soon as possible.]

212:7 Electric Utility Restructuring; Implementation; Time. Amend RSA 374-F:4, I to read as follows:

I. The commission is authorized to require the implementation of retail choice of electric suppliers for all customer classes of utilities providing retail electric service under its jurisdiction. The commission shall require such implementation at the earliest date determined to be in the public interest by the commission. However, in no event may the implementation be delayed beyond July 1, 1998 without legislative approval or a finding of public interest by the commission that delay is required due to events beyond the control of the commission or that implementation of retail choice within the service territory of any electric utility would be inconsistent with the goal of near-term rate relief or would otherwise not be in the public interest. In the event that implementation of retail choice is delayed in the service territory of an electric utility, the electric utility shall continue to provide reliable retail service at the lowest reasonable cost in accordance with state law. In addition, at the earliest practical date, the commission should make effective the unbundling of components of rates into at least distribution, transmission, and generation for each jurisdictional utility.