PRINTER'S NO. 572
No. 553 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY SCHWARTZ, COSTA, MELLOW, BODACK, MUSTO AND HUGHES,
FEBRUARY 22, 2001
REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE,
FEBRUARY 22, 2001
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 66 (Public Utilities) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, further providing for declaration of
3 policy, for definitions and for duties of electric
4 distribution companies.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Section 2802 of Title 66 of the Pennsylvania
8 Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a paragraph to read:
9 § 2802. Declaration of policy.
10 The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
11 * * *
12 (22) Consumers of electricity must have access to
13 uniform and reliable information about the price and
14 environmental characteristics of their electric purchases in
15 order to make intelligent choices and further the development
16 of a competitive market.
17 Section 2. The definition of "renewable resource" in section
18 2803 of Title 66 is amended and the section is amended by adding
1 definitions to read:
2 § 2803. Definitions.
3 The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
4 shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
5 context clearly indicates otherwise:
6 * * *
7 "Emissions characteristics." The types of measurable fuels,
8 air emissions and other types of pollutants, radioactive, solid
9 and liquid, created from the generation of electrical power,
10 including, but not limited to, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide
11 and carbon dioxide, for the previous six months.
12 * * *
13 "Reference level." The State average emissions per kilowatt
14 hour of a selected pollutant.
15 * * *
16 "Renewable energy." Electricity from any of the following
17 resources: biomass, including landfill gas, agricultural and
18 other waste fuels, geothermal, small hydroelectric no greater
19 than 30 megawatts, solar, wind and ocean-based facilities.
20 ["Renewable resource." Includes technologies such as solar
21 photovoltaic energy, solar thermal energy, wind power, low-head
22 hydropower, geothermal energy, landfill and mine-based methane
23 gas, energy from waste and sustainable biomass energy.]
24 "Resource mix." A listing of the types of energy resources
25 used in generating electricity for the previous six months.
26 * * *
27 Section 3. Section 2807(d)(2) of Title 66 is amended and the
28 subsection is amended by adding a paragraph to read:
29 § 2807. Duties of electric distribution companies.
30 * * *
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1 (d) Consumer protections and customer service.--The electric
2 distribution company shall continue to provide customer service
3 functions consistent with the regulations of the commission,
4 including meter reading, complaint resolution and collections.
5 Customer services shall, at a minimum, be maintained at the same
6 level of quality under retail competition.
7 * * *
8 (2) The commission shall establish regulations to
9 require each electric distribution company, electricity
10 supplier, marketer, aggregator and broker to provide adequate
11 and accurate customer information to enable customers to make
12 informed choices regarding the purchase of all electricity
13 services offered by that provider. Information shall be
14 provided to consumers in [an] a clear, conspicuous and
15 understandable format [that enables consumers to compare
16 prices and services on a uniform basis]. The commission shall
17 develop a uniform format for disclosure of information which
18 will enable consumers easily to compare prices, services and
19 the environmental characteristics of electric products. The
20 commission shall impose penalties for disclosure of
21 fraudulent or deceptive information. Commission penalties
22 shall not limit penalties under other laws.
23 (2.1) (i) Each electric distribution company,
24 electricity supplier, marketer, aggregator and broker
25 shall provide to each prospective customer and monthly to
26 customers for each electricity product sold generation
27 price information, including monthly consumption and
28 average price provided in a cents-per-kilowatt-hour
29 format for each billing cycle.
30 (ii) Each electric distribution company, electricity
20010S0553B0572 - 3 -
1 supplier, marketer, aggregator and broker shall provide
2 to each prospective customer and every six months to
3 customers for each electricity product sold the
4 following:
5 (A) The resource mix and percentage of power
6 generated from each source.
7 (B) The emissions characteristics per kilowatt
8 hour and the percentage of emissions of each
9 pollutant in comparison with the reference level.
10 (C) Whether each resource is a renewable
11 resource.
12 * * *
13 Section 4. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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