2023 -- H 5032

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LC000405

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Hull, O'Brien, Fogarty, Morales, J Lombardi, Bennett,
and Abney

     Date Introduced: January 11, 2023

     Referred To: House Corporations

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 39-1-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 39-1 entitled "Public Utilities

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Commission" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     39-1-1. Declaration of policy — Purposes.

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     (a) The general assembly finds and therefore declares that:

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     (1) The businesses of distributing electrical energy, producing and transporting

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manufactured and natural gas, operating water works and furnishing supplies of water for domestic,

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industrial, and commercial use, offering to the public transportation of persons and property,

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furnishing and servicing telephonic and wireless audio and visual communication systems, and

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operation of community antenna television systems are affected with a public interest;

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     (2) Supervision and reasonable regulation by the state of the manner in which the

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businesses construct their systems and carry on their operations within the state are necessary to

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protect and promote the convenience, health, comfort, safety, accommodation, and welfare of the

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people, and are a proper exercise of the police power of the state; and

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     (3) Preservation of the state’s resources, commerce, and industry requires the assurance of

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adequate public transportation and communication facilities, water supplies, and an abundance of

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energy, all supplied to the people with reliability, at economical cost, and with due regard for the

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preservation and enhancement of the environment, the conservation of natural resources, including

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scenic, historic, and recreational assets, and the strengthening of long-range, land-use planning.

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     (b) It is hereby declared to be the policy of the state to provide fair regulation of public

 

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utilities and carriers in the interest of the public, to promote availability of adequate, efficient, and

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economical energy, communication, and transportation services and water supplies to the

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inhabitants of the state, to provide just and reasonable rates and charges for such services and

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supplies, without unjust discrimination, undue preferences or advantages, or unfair or destructive

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competitive practices, and to cooperate with other states and agencies of the federal government in

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promoting and coordinating efforts to achieve realization of this policy.

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     (c) To this end, there is hereby vested in the public utilities commission and the division of

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public utilities and carriers the exclusive power and authority to supervise, regulate, and make

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orders governing the conduct of companies offering to the public in intrastate commerce energy,

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communication, and transportation services and water supplies for the purpose of increasing and

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maintaining the efficiency of the companies, according desirable safeguards and convenience to

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their employees and to the public, and protecting them and the public against improper and

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unreasonable rates, tolls, and charges by providing full, fair, and adequate administrative

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procedures and remedies, and by securing a judicial review to any party aggrieved by such an

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administrative proceeding or ruling.

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     (d) The legislature also finds and declares, as of 1996, the following:

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     (1) That lower retail electricity rates would promote the state’s economy and the health and

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general welfare of the citizens of Rhode Island;

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     (2) That current research and experience indicates that greater competition in the electricity

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industry would result in a decrease in electricity rates over time;

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     (3) That greater competition in the electricity industry would stimulate economic growth;

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     (4) That it is in the public interest to promote competition in the electricity industry and to

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establish performance-based ratemaking for regulated utilities;

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     (5) That in connection with the transition to a more competitive electric utility industry,

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public utilities should have a reasonable opportunity to recover transitional costs associated with

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commitments prudently incurred in the past pursuant to their legal obligations to provide reliable

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electric service at reasonable costs;

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     (6) That it shall be the policy of the state to encourage, through all feasible means and

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measures, states where fossil-fueled, electric-generating units producing air emissions affecting

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Rhode Island air quality are located to reduce such emissions over time to levels that enable cost-

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effective attainment of environmental standards within Rhode Island; and

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     (7) That in a restructured electrical industry the same protections currently afforded to low-

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income customers shall continue.

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     (e) The legislature further finds and declares as of 2006:

 

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     (1) That prices of energy, including especially fossil-fuels and electricity, are rising faster

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than the cost of living and are subject to sharp fluctuations, which conditions create hardships for

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many households, institutions, organizations, and businesses in the state;

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     (2) That while utility restructuring has brought some benefits, notably in transmission and

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distribution costs and more efficient use of generating capacities, it has not resulted in competitive

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markets for residential and small commercial-industrial customers, lower overall prices, or greater

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diversification of energy resources used for electrical generation;

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     (3) That the state’s economy and the health and general welfare of the people of Rhode

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Island benefit when energy supplies are reliable and least-cost; and

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     (4) That it is a necessary move beyond basic utility restructuring in order to secure for

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Rhode Island, to the maximum extent reasonably feasible, the benefits of reasonable and stable

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rates, least-cost procurement, and system reliability that includes energy resource diversification,

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distributed generation, and load management; and

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     (f) The legislature further finds and declares that the state benefits most when energy

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supplies are delivered in a safe and reliable manner; and that attempts to lower costs and increase

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profits must not take precedence over the need for the residents of the state to have access to

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customer service representatives physically located and accessible within the state.

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     SECTION 2. 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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     39-2-29. Duty to maintain customer service operations within the state.

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     Every public utility operated and licensed to provide services to the residents and

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businesses within the state under chapter 1 of title 39 shall maintain a customer service operation

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physically located within the state which is reasonably staffed to meet the expectations of the

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public. The customer service operation shall be available to answer customer inquiries, meet with

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customers, accept payment of bills, and perform any other services that the public utilities

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commission may direct from time to time.

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     SECTION 3. 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 -- PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

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     This act would require all public utilities to maintain a customer service facility within the

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state to perform services such as addressing customer inquiries and accepting bill payments.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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