2019 -- H 5169

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LC000578

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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A N   A C T

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

CARRIERS

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Fogarty, Jackson, Carson, Amore, and Ruggiero

     Date Introduced: January 23, 2019

     Referred To: House Corporations

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Chapter 39-2 of the General Laws entitled "Duties of Utilities and Carriers"

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is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     39-2-26. Reliable and high quality utility service.

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     (a) Every electric transmission company and electric distribution company as defined in ยง

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39-1-2 shall promulgate and implement written guidelines and procedures for periodic inspection

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of each category of its equipment. Electric transmission and distribution companies shall establish

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inspection procedures for at least the following categories of equipment: meters, transformers,

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switching and protective devices, regulators and capacitors, overhead and underground cables and

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conductors, and wooden and other poles which carry cables, electrical conductors and apparatus.

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     (b) Every electric distribution and electric transmission company shall provide the public

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utilities division with a periodic summary report on the status of each category of equipment

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inspected. The division shall have the authority to require such additional inspections or surveys

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as it deems appropriate, and to review and approve the inspection plans of transmission and

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distribution companies. The public utilities division shall adopt final regulations regarding

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adoption and implementation of periodic inspection and maintenance programs by transmission

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and distribution companies including, but not limited to, inspection standards for the equipment

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categories listed in subsection (a) of this section, no later than one hundred eighty (180) days after

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enactment of this section.

 

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     (c) No later than one year after enactment of this section, the public utilities division shall

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complete a report on rates of outages, and service disruptions experienced by customers of

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transmission and distribution companies. The report shall identify those communities or areas

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within any company's territory that suffer above average rates of outages and service disruptions,

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and shall include comparisons of the rates among the several companies. For purposes of this

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section, "community or area" shall mean an area no greater than the size of a United States postal

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zone.

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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

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     This act would require electric transmission and electric distribution companies to

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conduct periodic equipment inspections. Such companies would also be required to submit a

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periodic report to the public utilities division regarding the status of such inspections.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC000578

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