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HB2973 Engrossed |
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LRB095 06413 MJR 26512 b |
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| AN ACT concerning regulation.
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| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, |
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| represented in the General Assembly:
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| Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by adding |
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| Section 16-131 as follows: |
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| (220 ILCS 5/16-131 new) |
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| Sec. 16-131. Commission consumer education program for |
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| energy conservation. |
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| (a) The Commission shall implement and maintain a consumer |
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| education program for energy conservation to provide |
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| residential and small commercial retail customers with |
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| information to help them understand their options concerning |
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| energy conservation. |
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| (b) The Commission shall form a working group following the |
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| enactment of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly. |
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| This group shall consist of 5 representatives of the |
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| investor-owned electric utilities in this State, 2 of which |
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| shall be appointed by electric utilities serving over 1,000,000 |
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| retail customers in this State; 2 representatives of |
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| alternative retail electric suppliers; 3 representatives of |
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| organizations representing the interests of residential and |
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| small commercial retail customers; and the Commission. |
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| (c) By January 1, 2008, educational materials for small |
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HB2973 Engrossed |
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LRB095 06413 MJR 26512 b |
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| commercial customers and residential customers, the working |
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| group appointed pursuant to this Section shall develop a |
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| package of printed educational materials which meet the |
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| requirements of subsection (d) and shall submit such package to |
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| the Commission for approval, along with recommendations for |
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| implementing this consumer education program for energy |
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| conservation. Such materials shall consider the needs of |
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| different types of consumers in this State, such as elderly, |
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| low-income, multilingual, minority, rural and disabled |
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| customers. The working group shall issue recommendations to the |
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| Commission on how such education program can be implemented |
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| through a variety of communication methods, including |
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| specifically mass media, distribution of printed material, |
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| public service announcements, and posting on the Internet. |
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| (d) At a minimum, the materials constituting the consumer |
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| education program submitted to the Commission by the working |
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| group shall include concise explanations or descriptions of the |
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| following: |
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| (1) information about how customers may conserve |
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| energy and |
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| (2) additional information available from the
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| Commission upon request. |
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| (e) Within 45 days following the submission required of the |
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| working group by subsection (d) of this Section, the Commission |
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| shall approve or disapprove the educational materials and |
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| recommendations for program implementation. The Commission |
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LRB095 06413 MJR 26512 b |
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| shall be deemed to have approved the educational program |
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| materials and recommendations unless the Commission |
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| disapproves of any such material or recommendation within 45 |
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| days following the date of receipt. |
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| (f) Once approved by the Commission, materials comprising |
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| the consumer education program contemplated by this Section |
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| shall be distributed as follows: |
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| (1) Electric utilities shall mail printed
educational |
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| materials specified by the working group and approved by |
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| the Commission (a) to all residential and small commercial |
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| retail customers within a reasonable period as determined |
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| by the Commission; and (b) to all new residential and small |
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| commercial retail customers at the time that such customers |
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| begin taking services from the electric utility. |
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| (2) Both electric utilities and alternative retail
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| electric suppliers shall provide such materials at no |
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| charge to residential and small commercial retail |
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| customers upon request. |
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| (g) The costs of printing educational materials approved by |
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| the Commission pursuant to this Section shall be payable solely |
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| from funding as provided in this subsection (g).
Each year the |
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| General Assembly shall appropriate money to the Commission from |
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| the General Revenue Fund for the expenses of the Commission |
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| associated with this Section. The cost of the consumer |
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| education program for energy conservation contemplated by this |
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| Section shall not exceed the amount of such appropriation. In |
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LRB095 06413 MJR 26512 b |
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| no event shall any electric utility, alternative retail |
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| electric supplier or customer be liable for the costs of |
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| printing consumer education program material in accordance |
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| with this Section. The obligations associated with this |
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| consumer education program shall not exceed the amounts |
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| appropriated for this program pursuant to this Section. |
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| (h) The Commission shall study the effectiveness of the |
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| consumer education program for energy conservation. Such study |
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| shall include a notice and an opportunity for participation and |
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| comment by all interested and potentially affected parties. |
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| Such study shall be completed by June 30th of each year and a |
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| summary thereof, together with any legislative |
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| recommendations, shall be included in the Commission's Annual |
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| Report due in accordance with Section 4-304 of this Act.
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| Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon |
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| becoming law.
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