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History
- Recommit, enacting clause stricken
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
- Print number 4504b
- Amend (t) and recommit to energy and telecommunications
- Print number 4504a
- Amend (t) and recommit to energy and telecommunications
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S4504B
Title of bill
An act to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring the public service commission to conduct annual hearings regarding certain electric corporations
Purpose or general idea of bill
To require the Public Service Commission to hold public hearings in designated areas throughout New York State outside Albany, ensuring opportunities for public comment.
Summary of specific provisions
Amends the public service law by adding a new section 66-n.
Section 1 provides that the commission shall conduct regular public hearings, at least once a year, in designated counties throughout New York State, based on the service area of the utility companies.
Section 2 requires the commission to notify the public and elected officials of the hearing.
Section 3 (a) of § 66-n provides that the chairman or chairwoman, along with a majority of the commission members, shall be present at each hearing. Residential and commercial customers will be invited to offer public comment on topics including, but not limited to, quality of service, impact of any commission decisions in the previous year regarding rates or service, administration of energy efficiency programs and services, communication between the company and customers in arrears on utility charges, service restoration performance and communication during outages.
Section 3 (b) requires the commission to publish a report on the electric corporation and its service territory thirty days prior to the hearing.
Section 2 of the bill sets out the effective date.
Justification
Recent storms and resulting service disruptions have exposed weaknesses in current law regarding the public accountability of the Public Service Commission. Specifically, the PSC has not been required to hear comments of residential and commercial ratepayers outside of the formal hearing process in Albany. It is critical that members of the PSC, as regulators of the public utilities in New York State, hear firsthand from those dependent upon utilities for energy service. This bill will require members of the PSC to hold regular regional hearings to get input and comment.
Prior legislative history
None
Fiscal implications
To Be Determined (Fiscal Note Required)
Local fiscal implications
None
Effective date
January 1, 2014
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.