Increases the penalties imposed upon gas and electric utilities for failure to file or correct an annual report with the public service commission

1 Co-sponsor

• Liz Krueger

BILL NUMBER:S2482

Title of bill

An act to amend the public service law, in relation to penalties for the failure of gas and electric corporations to file or correct an annual report

Purpose

This bill will help ensure compliance with reporting requirements in the Public Service Law by scaling the penalties for failure to file or correct an annual report to the size of a regulated entity.

Summary of provisions

This legislation amends subdivision 6 of section 66 of the public service law, as amended by chapter 784 of the laws of 1923.

Justification

In 2006, the western part of Queens suffered a massive power outage that lasted 9 days. The Assembly Queens Power Outage Task Force studied the outage's causes and the inadequate responses by the company responsible for the transmission and distribution system, Consolidated Edison, and by the Public Service Commission, One underlying cause was found to be the reliance by New York's utility regulators on antiquated laws, regulations, and policies that let companies engaged in energy transmission and distribution operate without effective oversight.

The Task Force found that in many cases the sanctions imposed by the PSC are neither timely nor meaningful, The $100 penalty in section 66 is a perfect example. The amounts that a major utility could be penalized for being one day, or even one year, late in meeting a deadline would be well beneath its notice. This bill would bring the penalties in line with the realities of today's energy markets.

Legislative history

2014: Senate Bill #608 (Gianaris) - Died in Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee 2012: Senate Bill #4230 (Gianaris) - Died in Senate Rules Committee 2012: Assembly Bill #2364 (Hevesi) - Died in Assembly Codes Committee 2010: Assembly Bill #1595-A (Gianaris) - Died in Assembly Rules Committee 2008: Assembly Bill #8623-A (Gianaris) - Died in Assembly Codes Committee

Fiscal implications

To be determined.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become law; however, the Public Service Commission will be

immediately authorized and directed to take any and all actions, including but not limited to the promulgation of rules, necessary to fully implement the Provisions of this act on its effective date.