What's happening
This bill requires annual management and operations audits of large gas, electric, and certain steam corporations, with results reported to state leaders.
Why it matters
Annual audits could increase oversight and accountability. for large gas, electric, and certain steam utilities, ensuring these corporations are regularly scrutinized for management and operational effectiveness.
Audit scope expands to include security and maintenance operations,. not just construction and planning, which means there will be heightened attention to reliability and safety—key concerns for customers and the public.
Audit results must be shared with top state officials and legislative leaders,. making it harder for issues to be overlooked and increasing the political and public visibility of any problems or inefficiencies discovered.
Audits will include independent verification of company-provided information,. reducing the risk of utilities misreporting or withholding data, and ensuring that regulatory decisions are based on more reliable evidence.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Utility Audits
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
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History
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1266
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 11, 2019
Introduced by Sen. GIANARIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommunications
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to the management and operations audits of certain utilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (c) of subdivision 19 of section 66 of the public service law, as amended by section 4 of part X of chapter 57 of the laws of 2013, are amended to read as follows:
(a) The commission shall have power to provide for management and operations audits of gas corporations and electric corporations. Such audits shall be performed at such times as the commission shall direct, but an audit shall be performed at least once every [five years] year for combination gas and electric corporations, as well as for straight gas corporations having annual gross revenues in excess of two hundred million dollars. When any such corporation also operates a steam corporation pursuant to article four-A of this chapter, the commission shall provide for a management and operations audit of the steam corporation in the time and manner specified in this section. The audit shall include, but not be limited to, an investigation of the company's construction program, planning [in relation], security and maintenance operations as they relate to the needs of its customers for reliable service, an evaluation of the efficiency of the company's operations, recommendations with respect to same, and the timing with respect to the implementation of such recommendations. The audit shall include independent verification of the information provided by the corporation. The commission shall have discretion to have such audits performed by its staff, or by independent auditors. Upon completion, copies of the audits shall be provided to the governor, speaker of the assembly, the temporary president of the senate, the chair of the senate finance
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04469-01-9
S. 1266 2
committee, the chair of the assembly ways and means committee, the chair of the assembly energy committee and the chair of the senate energy and telecommunications committee.
In every case in which the commission chooses to have the audit provided for in this subdivision or pursuant to subdivision fourteen of section sixty-five of this article performed by independent auditors, it shall have authority to select the auditors, and to require the company being audited to enter into a contract with the auditors providing for their payment by the company. Such contract shall provide further that the auditors shall work for and under the direction of the commission according to such terms as the commission may determine are necessary and reasonable.
(c) Upon the application of a gas or electric corporation for a major change in rates as defined in subdivision twelve of this section or of a steam corporation for a major change in rates as defined in subdivision ten of section eighty of this chapter, the commission shall review that corporation's compliance with the directions and recommendations made previously by the commission, as a result of the most recently completed management and operations audit. The commission shall incorporate the findings of such review in its opinion or order, and such findings shall be enforceable by the commission.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law. Provided, that the public service commission is immediately authorized and directed to take any and all actions, including but not limited to the promulgation of any necessary rules, necessary to fully implement the provisions of this act on its effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public service law, in relation to the management and operations audits of certain utilities
Purpose or general idea of bill
In its January 2007 report, the Assembly Queens Power Outage Task Force recommended several measures to improve oversight of utilities and prevent future blackouts. This bill strengthens the requirements for management and operations audits of gas and electric corporations, in order to ensure timely awareness of areas where improvements in utility operations may be needed.
Summary of provisions
Section one amends paragraphs (a) and (c) of subdivision 19 of § 66 of the Public Service Law to make the following revisions to the statutori- ly required process for management and operations audits of electric and gas corporations:
*the audit schedule - currently at least once every 5 years - could be accelerated by the Public Service Commission (PSC), but must occur at least annually;
*audits would be expanded to include not only construction program plan- ning, but also "maintenance operations";
*upon completion, copies of audits must be provided to the Governor and Legislature; and
*auditors shall independently verify information provided by the utili- ty. Section two provides the effective date.
Justification
In the Summer of 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 underly- ing cause of this debacle 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 with- out effective oversight.
The Task Force found that the legislatively-required schedule for PSC audits of the management and operations of certain utilities was not being met. This bill strengthens the current audit provisions by includ- ing review of a utility's maintenance and security programs and inde- pendent verification of information provided by the company, allows the PSC to order audits more frequently than every 5 years, and requires copies of completed audits to be filed with the Governor and Legisla- ture.
Prior legislative history
2018: Died in Energy and Telecommunications 2017: Died in Energy and Telecommunications 2016: Died in Energy and Telecommunications 2015: Died in Energy and Telecommunications 2014: Senate Bill 584-A (Gianaris)-Died in Senate Energy Telecommuni- cations Committee 2012: Senate Bill 1980 (Gianaris)-Died in Assembly Corporations, 2013: Assembly Bill 667 (Hevesi)Authorities and Commissions Committee 2012: Assembly Bill 2366 (Hevesi)- Died in Assembly Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee 2010: Assembly Bill 1554 (Gianaris) - Died in Assembly Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee 2008: Assembly Bill 8620-A (Gianaris) - Died in Assembly Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
None.
Effective date
The 120th day after becoming law. Provided, that the Public Service Commission is immediately authorized and directed to take any and all actions, including but not limited to promulgation of any necessary rules, necessary to fully implement the provisions of this act on its effective date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.