SB0696 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB097 04949 ASK 44989 b

97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
SB0696

Introduced 2/8/2011, by Sen. John J. Cullerton

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

220 ILCS 5/16-107

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning real-time pricing.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning regulation.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing Section 16-107 as follows:

(220 ILCS 5/16-107)

Sec. 16-107. Real-time pricing.

(a) Each electric utility shall file, on or before May 1, 1998, a tariff or tariffs which allow nonresidential retail customers in the the electric utility's service area to elect real-time pricing beginning October 1, 1998.

(b) Each electric utility shall file, on or before May 1, 2000, a tariff or tariffs which allow residential retail customers in the electric utility's service area to elect real-time pricing beginning October 1, 2000.

(b-5) Each electric utility shall file a tariff or tariffs allowing residential retail customers in the electric utility's service area to elect real-time pricing beginning January 2, 2007. A customer who elects real-time pricing shall remain on such rate for a minimum of 12 months. The Commission may, after notice and hearing, approve the tariff or tariffs, provided that the Commission finds that the potential for demand reductions will result in net economic benefits to all residential customers of the electric utility. In examining economic benefits from demand reductions, the Commission shall, at a minimum, consider the following: improvements to system reliability and power quality, reduction in wholesale market prices and price volatility, electric utility cost avoidance and reductions, market power mitigation, and other benefits of demand reductions, but only to the extent that the effects of reduced demand can be demonstrated to lower the cost of electricity delivered to residential customers. A tariff or tariffs approved pursuant to this subsection (b-5) shall, at a minimum, describe (i) the methodology for determining the market price of energy to be reflected in the real-time rate and (ii) the manner in which customers who elect real-time pricing will be provided with ready access to hourly market prices, including, but not limited to, day-ahead hourly energy prices.

A proceeding under this subsection (b-5) may not exceed 120 days in length.

(b-10) Each electric utility providing real-time pricing pursuant to subsection (b-5) shall install a meter capable of recording hourly interval energy use at the service location of each customer that elects real-time pricing pursuant to this subsection.

(b-15) If the Commission issues an order pursuant to subsection (b-5), the affected electric utility shall contract with an entity not affiliated with the electric utility to serve as a program administrator to develop and implement a program to provide consumer outreach, enrollment, and education concerning real-time pricing and to establish and administer an information system and technical and other customer assistance that is necessary to enable customers to manage electricity use. The program administrator: (i) shall be selected and compensated by the electric utility, subject to Commission approval; (ii) shall have demonstrated technical and managerial competence in the development and administration of demand management programs; and (iii) may develop and implement risk management, energy efficiency, and other services related to energy use management for which the program administrator shall be compensated by participants in the program receiving such services. The electric utility shall provide the program administrator with all information and assistance necessary to perform the program administrator's duties, including, but not limited to, customer, account, and energy use data. The electric utility shall permit the program administrator to include inserts in residential customer bills 2 times per year to assist with customer outreach and enrollment.

The program administrator shall submit an annual report to the electric utility no later than April 1 of each year describing the operation and results of the program, including information concerning the number and types of customers using real-time pricing, changes in customers' energy use patterns, an assessment of the value of the program to both participants and non-participants, and recommendations concerning modification of the program and the tariff or tariffs filed under subsection (b-5). This report shall be filed by the electric utility with the Commission within 30 days of receipt and shall be available to the public on the Commission's web site.

(b-20) The Commission shall monitor the performance of programs established pursuant to subsection (b-15) and shall order the termination or modification of a program if it determines that the program is not, after a reasonable period of time for development not to exceed 4 years, resulting in net benefits to the residential customers of the electric utility.

(b-25) An electric utility shall be entitled to recover reasonable costs incurred in complying with this Section, provided that recovery of the costs is fairly apportioned among its residential customers as provided in this subsection (b-25). The electric utility may apportion greater costs on the residential customers who elect real-time pricing, but may also impose some of the costs of real-time pricing on customers who do not elect real-time pricing, provided that the Commission determines that the cost savings resulting from real-time pricing will exceed the costs imposed on customers for maintaining the program.

(c) The electric utility's tariff or tariffs filed pursuant to this Section shall be subject to Article IX.

(d) This Section does not apply to any electric utility providing service to 100,000 or fewer customers.

(Source: P.A. 94-977, eff. 6-30-06.)