2016 -- S 2450 SUBSTITUTE A

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LC004452/SUB A

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- DUTIES OF UTILITIES AND

CARRIERS -- UTILITY BASE RATE

     

     Introduced By: Senators Conley, Lynch Prata, Nesselbush, P Fogarty, and Pagliarini

     Date Introduced: February 11, 2016

     Referred To: Senate Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 39-2-1.2 of the General Laws in Chapter 39-2 entitled "Duties of

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Utilities and Carriers" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     39-2-1.2. Utility base rate -- Advertising, demand side management and renewables.

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-- (a) In addition to costs prohibited in § 39-1-27.4(b), no public utility distributing or providing

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heat, electricity, or water to or for the public shall include as part of its base rate any expenses for

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advertising, either direct or indirect, which promotes the use of its product or service, or is

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designed to promote the public image of the industry. No public utility may furnish support of

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any kind, direct, or indirect, to any subsidiary, group, association, or individual for advertising

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and include the expense as part of its base rate. Nothing contained in this section shall be deemed

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as prohibiting the inclusion in the base rate of expenses incurred for advertising, informational or

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educational in nature, which is designed to promote public safety conservation of the public

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utility's product or service. The public utilities commission shall promulgate such rules and

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regulations as are necessary to require public disclosure of all advertising expenses of any kind,

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direct or indirect, and to otherwise effectuate the provisions of this section.

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      (b) Effective as of January 1, 2008, and for a period of fifteen (15) years thereafter, each

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electric distribution company shall include a charge per kilowatt-hour delivered to fund demand

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side management programs. The 0.3 mills per kilowatt-hour delivered to fund renewable energy

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programs shall remain in effect until December 31, 2017 2027. The electric distribution company

 

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shall establish and, after July 1, 2007, maintain two (2) separate accounts, one for demand side

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management programs (the "demand side account"), which shall be funded by the electric

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demand side charge and administered and implemented by the distribution company, subject to

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the regulatory reviewing authority of the commission, and one for renewable energy programs,

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which shall be administered by the Rhode Island commerce corporation pursuant to § 42-64-13.2

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and, shall be held and disbursed by the distribution company as directed by the Rhode Island

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commerce corporation for the purposes of developing, promoting and supporting renewable

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energy programs.

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      During the time periods established in § 39-2-1.2(b), the commission may, in its

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discretion, after notice and public hearing, increase the sums for demand side management and

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renewable resources. In addition, the commission shall, after notice and public hearing, determine

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the appropriate charge for these programs. The office of energy resources and/or the administrator

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of the renewable energy programs may seek to secure for the state an equitable and reasonable

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portion of renewable energy credits or certificates created by private projects funded through

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those programs. As used in this section, "renewable energy resources" shall mean: (1) power

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generation technologies as defined in § 39-26-5, "eligible renewable energy resources", including

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off-grid and on-grid generating technologies located in Rhode Island as a priority; (2) research

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and development activities in Rhode Island pertaining to eligible renewable energy resources and

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to other renewable energy technologies for electrical generation; or (3) projects and activities

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directly related to implementing eligible renewable energy resources projects in Rhode Island.

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Technologies for converting solar energy for space heating or generating domestic hot water may

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also be funded through the renewable energy programs. Fuel cells may be considered an energy

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efficiency technology to be included in demand sided management programs. Special rates for

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low-income customers in effect as of August 7, 1996 shall be continued, and the costs of all of

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these discounts shall be included in the distribution rates charged to all other customers. Nothing

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in this section shall be construed as prohibiting an electric distribution company from offering

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any special rates or programs for low-income customers which are not in effect as of August 7,

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1996, subject to the approval by the commission.

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      (1) The renewable energy investment programs shall be administered pursuant to rules

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established by the Rhode Island commerce corporation. Said rules shall provide transparent

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criteria to rank qualified renewable energy projects, giving consideration to:

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      (i) the feasibility of project completion;

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      (ii) the anticipated amount of renewable energy the project will produce;

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      (iii) the potential of the project to mitigate energy costs over the life of the project; and

 

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      (iv) the estimated cost per kilo-watt hour (kwh) of the energy produced from the project.

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      (c) [Deleted by P.L. 2012, ch. 241, art. 4, § 14].

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      (d) The executive director of the economic development commerce corporation is

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authorized and may enter into a contract with a contractor for the cost effective administration of

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the renewable energy programs funded by this section. A competitive bid and contract award for

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administration of the renewable energy programs may occur every three (3) years and shall

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include as a condition that after July 1, 2008 the account for the renewable energy programs shall

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be maintained and administered by the economic development commerce corporation as provided

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for in subdivision (b) above.

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      (e) Effective January 1, 2007, and for a period of sixteen (16) years thereafter, each gas

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distribution company shall include, with the approval of the commission, a charge per deca therm

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delivered to fund demand side management programs (the "gas demand side charge"), including,

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but not limited to, programs for cost-effective energy efficiency, energy conservation, combined

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heat and power systems, and weatherization services for low income households.

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      (f) Each gas company shall establish a separate account for demand side management

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programs (the "gas demand side account"), which shall be funded by the gas demand side charge

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and administered and implemented by the distribution company, subject to the regulatory

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reviewing authority of the commission. The commission may establish administrative

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mechanisms and procedures that are similar to those for electric demand side management

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programs administered under the jurisdiction of the commissions and that are designed to achieve

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cost-effectiveness and high life-time savings of efficiency measures supported by the program.

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      (g) The commission may, if reasonable and feasible, except from this demand side

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management charge:

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      (i) gas used for distribution generation; and

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      (ii) gas used for the manufacturing processes, where the customer has established a self-

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directed program to invest in and achieve best effective energy efficiency in accordance with a

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plan approved by the commission and subject to periodic review and approval by the

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commission, which plan shall require annual reporting of the amount invested and the return on

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investments in terms of gas savings.

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      (h) The commission may provide for the coordinated and/or integrated administration of

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electric and gas demand side management programs in order to enhance the effectiveness of the

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programs. Such coordinated and/or integrated administration may after March 1, 2009, upon the

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recommendation of the office of energy resources, be through one or more third-party entities

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designated by the commission pursuant to a competitive selection process.

 

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      (i) Effective January 1, 2007, the commission shall allocate from demand-side

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management gas and electric funds authorized pursuant to this § 39-2-1.2, an amount not to

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exceed two percent (2%) of such funds on an annual basis for the retention of expert consultants,

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and reasonable administrations costs of the energy efficiency and resources management council

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associated with planning, management, and evaluation of energy efficiency programs, renewable

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energy programs, system reliability least-cost procurement, and with regulatory proceedings,

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contested cases, and other actions pertaining to the purposes, powers and duties of the council,

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which allocation may by mutual agreement, be used in coordination with the office of energy

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resources to support such activities.

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      (j) Effective January 1, 2016, the commission shall annually allocate from the

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administrative funding amount allocated in (i) from the demand-side management program as

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described in subsection (i) as follows: fifty percent (50%) for the purposes identified in

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subsection (i) and fifty percent (50%) annually to the office of energy resources for activities

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associated with planning management, and evaluation of energy efficiency programs, renewable

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energy programs, system reliability, least-cost procurement, and with regulatory proceedings,

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contested cases, and other actions pertaining to the purposes, powers and duties of the office of

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energy resources.

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      (k) On April 15, of each year the office and the council shall submit to the governor, the

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president of the senate, and the speaker of the house of representatives, separate financial and

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performance reports regarding the demand-side management programs, including the specific

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level of funds that were contributed by the residential, municipal, and commercial and industrial

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sectors to the overall programs; the businesses, vendors, and institutions that received funding

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from demand-side management gas and electric funds used for the purposes in § 39-2-1.2; and the

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businesses, vendors, and institutions that received the administrative funds for the purposes in

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sections 39-2-1.2(i) and 39-2-1.2(j). These reports shall be posted electronically on the websites

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of the office of energy resources and the energy efficiency resource management council.

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      (l) On or after August 1, 2015, at the request of the Rhode Island infrastructure bank,

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each electric distribution company, except for the Pascoag Utility District and Block Island Power

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Company, shall remit two percent (2%) of the amount of the 2014 electric demand side charge

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collections to the Rhode Island infrastructure bank in accordance with the terms of § 46-12.2-

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14.1.

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      (m) On or after August 1, 2015, at the request of the Rhode Island infrastructure bank,

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each gas distribution company shall remit two percent (2%) of the amount of the 2014 gas

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demand side charge collections to the Rhode Island infrastructure bank in accordance with the

 

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terms of § 46-12.2-14.1.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- DUTIES OF UTILITIES AND

CARRIERS -- UTILITY BASE RATE

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     This act would extend the Renewable Energy Development Fund (REF) program for ten

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years, from 2017 to 2027.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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