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:

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

is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

adoption and implementation of periodic inspection and maintenance programs by transmission

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

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

enactment of this section.

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

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

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

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

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

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

zone.

     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

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

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

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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