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History
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Relates to consumer cost mitigation programs
In Assembly Committee · Energy · Sponsor Amy Paulin
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S3916
Title of bill
An act to amend the public service law, in relation to consumer cost mitigation programs
Purpose
To require utility companies to offer a consumer cost mitigation program when supply prices rise more than 15% in a single month.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. Sets forth the legislative intent
Section 2. Requires public utility companies to develop and implement under the supervision of the Public Service Commission a cost mitigation adjustment to a consumer's bill when the supply portion of the bill for the previous month increases by at least 15%. The adjustment shall be in the form of a credit on the consumer's bill and the recovery period for the utility will be twelve months.
Section 3. Sets forth the effective date.
Justification
In the winter of 2013-2014 we saw massive increases in the supply portion of customer bills throughout New York State. In February 2014, National Grid recognized the negative impact of these increases and worked with the Commission in Case 14-E-0026 to provide a credit to consumers for one month of this increase while allowing the utility to recover these costs over a 6 month period, through small increases in future customer bills. This was a good step, but it was insufficient since it only covered one month of increased charges and the payback period was too brief. This bill seeks to require utility companies to implement similar programs on a regular basis, whenever the utility determines that supply costs for residential and small business customers will rise at least 15%. The purpose of this program is to protect consumers from large and unplanned for shifts in electricity supply costs that make it very difficult for a consumer to make ends meet. The legislature has an obligation to act in the public interest in situations such as this, and this bill provides a mechanism to soften the blow moving forward when market forces lead to large increases in supply costs.
Legislative history
S.7099 of 2014 - Rules Committee; A.9571 of 2014 - Ways and Means.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This bill shall take effect on the 90th day after it shall become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.