HB1453 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB098 07060 JLS 37119 b

98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
HB1453

Introduced , by Rep. Kelly Burke

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

220 ILCS 5/16-102
220 ILCS 5/16-115A
220 ILCS 5/16-118
220 ILCS 5/19-105
220 ILCS 5/19-115

Amends the Public Utilities Act in relation to marketing alternative services and products. Limits the use of early termination clauses and penalties. Requires certain utilities to share customer lists. Defines terms. Effective immediately.

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 Sections 16-102, 16-115A, 16-118, 19-105, and 19-115 as follows:

(220 ILCS 5/16-102)

Sec. 16-102. Definitions. For the purposes of this Article the following terms shall be defined as set forth in this Section.

"Alternative retail electric supplier" means every person, cooperative, corporation, municipal corporation, company, association, joint stock company or association, firm, partnership, individual, or other entity, their lessees, trustees, or receivers appointed by any court whatsoever, that offers electric power or energy for sale, lease or in exchange for other value received to one or more retail customers, or that engages in the delivery or furnishing of electric power or energy to such retail customers, and shall include, without limitation, resellers, aggregators and power marketers, but shall not include (i) electric utilities (or any agent of the electric utility to the extent the electric utility provides tariffed services to retail customers through that agent), (ii) any electric cooperative or municipal system as defined in Section 17-100 to the extent that the electric cooperative or municipal system is serving retail customers within any area in which it is or would be entitled to provide service under the law in effect immediately prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997, (iii) a public utility that is owned and operated by any public institution of higher education of this State, or a public utility that is owned by such public institution of higher education and operated by any of its lessees or operating agents, within any area in which it is or would be entitled to provide service under the law in effect immediately prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997, (iv) a retail customer to the extent that customer obtains its electric power and energy from that customer's own cogeneration or self-generation facilities, (v) an entity that owns, operates, sells, or arranges for the installation of a customer's own cogeneration or self-generation facilities, but only to the extent the entity is engaged in owning, selling or arranging for the installation of such facility, or operating the facility on behalf of such customer, provided however that any such third party owner or operator of a facility built after January 1, 1999, complies with the labor provisions of Section 16-128(a) as though such third party were an alternative retail electric supplier, or (vi) an industrial or manufacturing customer that owns its own distribution facilities, to the extent that the customer provides service from that distribution system to a third-party contractor located on the customer's premises that is integrally and predominantly engaged in the customer's industrial or manufacturing process; provided, that if the industrial or manufacturing customer has elected delivery services, the customer shall pay transition charges applicable to the electric power and energy consumed by the third-party contractor unless such charges are otherwise paid by the third party contractor, which shall be calculated based on the usage of, and the base rates or the contract rates applicable to, the third-party contractor in accordance with Section 16-102.

An entity that furnishes the service of charging electric vehicles does not and shall not be deemed to sell electricity and is not and shall not be deemed an alternative retail electric supplier, and is not subject to regulation as such under this Act notwithstanding the basis on which the service is provided or billed. If, however, the entity is otherwise deemed an alternative retail electric supplier under this Act, or is otherwise subject to regulation under this Act, then that entity is not exempt from and remains subject to the otherwise applicable provisions of this Act. The installation, maintenance, and repair of an electric vehicle charging station shall comply with the requirements of subsection (a) of Section 16-128 and Section 16-128A of this Act.

For purposes of this Section, the term "electric vehicles" has the meaning ascribed to that term in Section 10 of the Electric Vehicle Act.

"Base rates" means the rates for those tariffed services that the electric utility is required to offer pursuant to subsection (a) of Section 16-103 and that were identified in a rate order for collection of the electric utility's base rate revenue requirement, excluding (i) separate automatic rate adjustment riders then in effect, (ii) special or negotiated contract rates, (iii) delivery services tariffs filed pursuant to Section 16-108, (iv) real-time pricing, or (v) tariffs that were in effect prior to October 1, 1996 and that based charges for services on an index or average of other utilities' charges, but including (vi) any subsequent redesign of such rates for tariffed services that is authorized by the Commission after notice and hearing.

"Competitive service" includes (i) any service that has been declared to be competitive pursuant to Section 16-113 of this Act, (ii) contract service, and (iii) services, other than tariffed services, that are related to, but not necessary for, the provision of electric power and energy or delivery services.

"Contract service" means (1) services, including the provision of electric power and energy or other services, that are provided by mutual agreement between an electric utility and a retail customer that is located in the electric utility's service area, provided that, delivery services shall not be a contract service until such services are declared competitive pursuant to Section 16-113; and also means (2) the provision of electric power and energy by an electric utility to retail customers outside the electric utility's service area pursuant to Section 16-116. Provided, however, contract service does not include electric utility services provided pursuant to (i) contracts that retail customers are required to execute as a condition of receiving tariffed services, or (ii) special or negotiated rate contracts for electric utility services that were entered into between an electric utility and a retail customer prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997 and filed with the Commission.

"Delivery services" means those services provided by the electric utility that are necessary in order for the transmission and distribution systems to function so that retail customers located in the electric utility's service area can receive electric power and energy from suppliers other than the electric utility, and shall include, without limitation, standard metering and billing services.

"Door-to-door solicitation" means a face-to-face solicitation of a residential customer initiated by an alternative retail electric supplier at the home or place of business of the customer through canvassing without an appointment or previous personal relationship.

"Electric utility" means a public utility, as defined in Section 3-105 of this Act, that has a franchise, license, permit or right to furnish or sell electricity to retail customers within a service area.

"Mandatory transition period" means the period from the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997 through January 1, 2007.

"Municipal system" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 17-100.

"Real-time pricing" means tariffed retail charges for delivered electric power and energy that vary hour-to-hour and are determined from wholesale market prices using a methodology approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission.

"Retail customer" means a single entity using electric power or energy at a single premises and that (A) either (i) is receiving or is eligible to receive tariffed services from an electric utility, or (ii) that is served by a municipal system or electric cooperative within any area in which the municipal system or electric cooperative is or would be entitled to provide service under the law in effect immediately prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997, or (B) an entity which on the effective date of this Act was receiving electric service from a public utility and (i) was engaged in the practice of resale and redistribution of such electricity within a building prior to January 2, 1957, or (ii) was providing lighting services to tenants in a multi-occupancy building, but only to the extent such resale, redistribution or lighting service is authorized by the electric utility's tariffs that were on file with the Commission on the effective date of this Act.

"Service area" means (i) the geographic area within which an electric utility was lawfully entitled to provide electric power and energy to retail customers as of the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997, and includes (ii) the location of any retail customer to which the electric utility was lawfully providing electric utility services on such effective date.

"Small commercial retail customer" means those nonresidential retail customers of an electric utility consuming 15,000 kilowatt-hours or less of electricity annually in its service area.

"Tariffed service" means services provided to retail customers by an electric utility as defined by its rates on file with the Commission pursuant to the provisions of Article IX of this Act, but shall not include competitive services.

"Transition charge" means a charge expressed in cents per kilowatt-hour that is calculated for a customer or class of customers as follows for each year in which an electric utility is entitled to recover transition charges as provided in Section 16-108:

(1) the amount of revenue that an electric utility would receive from the retail customer or customers if it were serving such customers' electric power and energy requirements as a tariffed service based on (A) all of the customers' actual usage during the 3 years ending 90 days prior to the date on which such customers were first eligible for delivery services pursuant to Section 16-104, and (B) on (i) the base rates in effect on October 1, 1996 (adjusted for the reductions required by subsection (b) of Section 16-111, for any reduction resulting from a rate decrease under Section 16-101(b), for any restatement of base rates made in conjunction with an elimination of the fuel adjustment clause pursuant to subsection (b), (d), or (f) of Section 9-220 and for any removal of decommissioning costs from base rates pursuant to Section 16-114) and any separate automatic rate adjustment riders (other than a decommissioning rate as defined in Section 16-114) under which the customers were receiving or, had they been customers, would have received electric power and energy from the electric utility during the year immediately preceding the date on which such customers were first eligible for delivery service pursuant to Section 16-104, or (ii) to the extent applicable, any contract rates, including contracts or rates for consolidated or aggregated billing, under which such customers were receiving electric power and energy from the electric utility during such year;

(2) less the amount of revenue, other than revenue from transition charges and decommissioning rates, that the electric utility would receive from such retail customers for delivery services provided by the electric utility, assuming such customers were taking delivery services for all of their usage, based on the delivery services tariffs in effect during the year for which the transition charge is being calculated and on the usage identified in paragraph (1);

(3) less the market value for the electric power and energy that the electric utility would have used to supply all of such customers' electric power and energy requirements, as a tariffed service, based on the usage identified in paragraph (1), with such market value determined in accordance with Section 16-112 of this Act;

(4) less the following amount which represents the amount to be attributed to new revenue sources and cost reductions by the electric utility through the end of the period for which transition costs are recovered pursuant to Section 16-108, referred to in this Article XVI as a "mitigation factor":

(A) for nonresidential retail customers, an amount equal to the greater of (i) 0.5 cents per kilowatt-hour during the period October 1, 1999 through December 31, 2004, 0.6 cents per kilowatt-hour in calendar year 2005, and 0.9 cents per kilowatt-hour in calendar year 2006, multiplied in each year by the usage identified in paragraph (1), or (ii) an amount equal to the following percentages of the amount produced by applying the applicable base rates (adjusted as described in subparagraph (1)(B)) or contract rate to the usage identified in paragraph (1): 8% for the period October 1, 1999 through December 31, 2002, 10% in calendar years 2003 and 2004, 11% in calendar year 2005 and 12% in calendar year 2006; and

(B) for residential retail customers, an amount equal to the following percentages of the amount produced by applying the base rates in effect on October 1, 1996 (adjusted as described in subparagraph (1)(B)) to the usage identified in paragraph (1): (i) 6% from May 1, 2002 through December 31, 2002, (ii) 7% in calendar years 2003 and 2004, (iii) 8% in calendar year 2005, and (iv) 10% in calendar year 2006;

(5) divided by the usage of such customers identified in paragraph (1),

provided that the transition charge shall never be less than zero.

"Unbundled service" means a component or constituent part of a tariffed service which the electric utility subsequently offers separately to its customers.

(Source: P.A. 97-1128, eff. 8-28-12.)

(220 ILCS 5/16-115A)

Sec. 16-115A. Obligations of alternative retail electric suppliers.

(a) An alternative retail electric supplier shall:

(i) comply with the requirements imposed on public utilities by Sections 8-201 through 8-207, 8-301, 8-505 and 8-507 of this Act, to the extent that these Sections have application to the services being offered by the alternative retail electric supplier; and

(ii) continue to comply with the requirements for certification stated in subsection (d) of Section 16-115.

(b) An alternative retail electric supplier shall obtain verifiable authorization from a customer, in a form or manner approved by the Commission consistent with Section 2EE of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, before the customer is switched from another supplier.

(c) No alternative retail electric supplier, or electric utility other than the electric utility in whose service area a customer is located, shall (i) enter into or employ any arrangements which have the effect of preventing a retail customer with a maximum electrical demand of less than one megawatt from having access to the services of the electric utility in whose service area the customer is located or (ii) charge retail customers for such access. This subsection shall not be construed to prevent an arms-length agreement between a supplier and a retail customer that sets a term of service, notice period for terminating service and provisions governing early termination through a tariff or contract as allowed by Section 16-119.

(d) An alternative retail electric supplier that is certified to serve residential or small commercial retail customers shall not:

(1) deny service to a customer or group of customers nor establish any differences as to prices, terms, conditions, services, products, facilities, or in any other respect, whereby such denial or differences are based upon race, gender or income.

(2) deny service to a customer or group of customers based on locality nor establish any unreasonable difference as to prices, terms, conditions, services, products, or facilities as between localities.

(e) An alternative retail electric supplier shall comply with the following requirements with respect to the marketing, offering and provision of products or services to residential and small commercial retail customers:

(i) Any marketing materials which make statements concerning prices, terms and conditions of service shall contain information that adequately discloses the prices, terms and conditions of the products or services that the alternative retail electric supplier is offering or selling to the customer.

(ii) Before any customer is switched from another supplier, the alternative retail electric supplier shall give the customer written information that adequately discloses, in plain language, the prices, terms and conditions of the products and services being offered and sold to the customer.

(iii) An alternative retail electric supplier shall provide documentation to the Commission and to customers that substantiates any claims made by the alternative retail electric supplier regarding the technologies and fuel types used to generate the electricity offered or sold to customers.

(iv) The alternative retail electric supplier shall provide to the customer (1) itemized billing statements that describe the products and services provided to the customer and their prices, and (2) an additional statement, at least annually, that adequately discloses the average monthly prices, and the terms and conditions, of the products and services sold to the customer.

(v) An alternative retial electric supplier shall include in all residential solicitations that include price offerings an explanation of how to obtain price comparison information provided by the Illinois Commerce Commission Office of Retail Market Development.

(e-1) Early termination.

(i) Any residential customer agreement that contains an early termination clause shall disclose the amount of the early termination fee, provided that any early termination fee or penalty shall not exceed $50 total, regardless of whether or not the agreement is a multi-year agreement or a municipal aggregation offer.

(ii) In any residential agreement that contains an early termination clause, an alternative electric supplier shall provide the customer the opportunity to terminate the agreement without any termination fee or penalty until the due date of the first bill issued to the customer for products or services provided by the alternative electric supplier. The agreement shall disclose the opportunity and provide a toll-free phone number that the customer may call in order to terminate the agreement.

(iii) Any agreement entered into between a residential customer and an alternative electric supplier through the use of a door-to-door solicitation may not contain an early termination fee.

(iv) Any agreement or marketing solicitation that offers a variable price that guarantees savings for any period of time based upon a utility default rate may not charge an early termination fee if the retail electric supplier price charged exceeds the utility default rate.

(v) Nothing in this subsection (e-1) removes the obligation of the customer to pay for the products or services provided by the alternative electric supplier.

(f) An alternative retail electric supplier may limit the overall size or availability of a service offering by specifying one or more of the following: a maximum number of customers, maximum amount of electric load to be served, time period during which the offering will be available, or other comparable limitation, but not including the geographic locations of customers within the area which the alternative retail electric supplier is certificated to serve. The alternative retail electric supplier shall file the terms and conditions of such service offering including the applicable limitations with the Commission prior to making the service offering available to customers.

(g) Nothing in this Section shall be construed as preventing an alternative retail electric supplier, which is an affiliate of, or which contracts with, (i) an industry or trade organization or association, (ii) a membership organization or association that exists for a purpose other than the purchase of electricity, or (iii) another organization that meets criteria established in a rule adopted by the Commission, from offering through the organization or association services at prices, terms and conditions that are available solely to the members of the organization or association.

(Source: P.A. 90-561, eff. 12-16-97.)

(220 ILCS 5/16-118)

Sec. 16-118. Services provided by electric utilities to alternative retail electric suppliers.

(a) It is in the best interest of Illinois energy consumers to promote fair and open competition in the provision of electric power and energy and to prevent anticompetitive practices in the provision of electric power and energy. Therefore, to the extent an electric utility provides electric power and energy or delivery services to alternative retail electric suppliers and such services are not subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and are not competitive services, they shall be provided through tariffs that are filed with the Commission, pursuant to Article IX of this Act. Each electric utility shall permit alternative retail electric suppliers to interconnect facilities to those owned by the utility provided they meet established standards for such interconnection, and may provide standby or other services to alternative retail electric suppliers. The alternative retail electric supplier shall sign a contract setting forth the prices, terms and conditions for interconnection with the electric utility and the prices, terms and conditions for services provided by the electric utility to the alternative retail electric supplier in connection with the delivery by the electric utility of electric power and energy supplied by the alternative retail electric supplier.

(b) An electric utility shall file a tariff pursuant to Article IX of the Act that would allow alternative retail electric suppliers or electric utilities other than the electric utility in whose service area retail customers are located to issue single bills to the retail customers for both the services provided by such alternative retail electric supplier or other electric utility and the delivery services provided by the electric utility to such customers. The tariff filed pursuant to this subsection shall (i) require partial payments made by retail customers to be credited first to the electric utility's tariffed services, (ii) impose commercially reasonable terms with respect to credit and collection, including requests for deposits, (iii) retain the electric utility's right to disconnect the retail customers, if it does not receive payment for its tariffed services, in the same manner that it would be permitted to if it had billed for the services itself, and (iv) require the alternative retail electric supplier or other electric utility that elects the billing option provided by this tariff to include on each bill to retail customers an identification of the electric utility providing the delivery services and a listing of the charges applicable to such services. The tariff filed pursuant to this subsection may also include other just and reasonable terms and conditions. In addition, an electric utility, an alternative retail electric supplier or electric utility other than the electric utility in whose service area the customer is located, and a customer served by such alternative retail electric supplier or other electric utility, may enter into an agreement pursuant to which the alternative retail electric supplier or other electric utility pays the charges specified in Section 16-108, or other customer-related charges, including taxes and fees, in lieu of such charges being recovered by the electric utility directly from the customer.

(c) An electric utility with more than 100,000 customers shall file a tariff pursuant to Article IX of this Act that provides alternative retail electric suppliers, and electric utilities other than the electric utility in whose service area the retail customers are located, with the option to have the electric utility purchase their receivables for power and energy service provided to residential retail customers and non-residential retail customers with a non-coincident peak demand of less than 400 kilowatts. Receivables for power and energy service of alternative retail electric suppliers or electric utilities other than the electric utility in whose service area the retail customers are located shall be purchased by the electric utility at a just and reasonable discount rate to be reviewed and approved by the Commission after notice and hearing. The discount rate shall be based on the electric utility's historical bad debt and any reasonable start-up costs and administrative costs associated with the electric utility's purchase of receivables. The discounted rate for purchase of receivables shall be included in the tariff filed pursuant to this subsection (c). The discount rate filed pursuant to this subsection (c) shall be subject to periodic Commission review. The electric utility retains the right to impose the same terms on retail customers with respect to credit and collection, including requests for deposits, and retain the electric utility's right to disconnect the retail customers, if it does not receive payment for its tariffed services or purchased receivables, in the same manner that it would be permitted to if the retail customers purchased power and energy from the electric utility. The tariff filed pursuant to this subsection (c) shall permit the electric utility to recover from retail customers any uncollected receivables that may arise as a result of the purchase of receivables under this subsection (c), may also include other just and reasonable terms and conditions, and shall provide for the prudently incurred costs associated with the provision of this service pursuant to this subsection (c). Nothing in this subsection (c) permits the double recovery of bad debt expenses from customers.

(d) An electric utility with more than 100,000 customers shall file a tariff pursuant to Article IX of this Act that would provide alternative retail electric suppliers or electric utilities other than the electric utility in whose service area retail customers are located with the option to have the electric utility produce and provide single bills to the retail customers for both the electric power and energy service provided by the alternative retail electric supplier or other electric utility and the delivery services provided by the electric utility to the customers. The tariffs filed pursuant to this subsection shall require the electric utility to collect and remit customer payments for electric power and energy service provided by alternative retail electric suppliers or electric utilities other than the electric utility in whose service area retail customers are located. The tariff filed pursuant to this subsection shall require the electric utility to include on each bill to retail customers an identification of the alternative retail electric supplier or other electric utility that elects the billing option. The tariff filed pursuant to this subsection (d) may also include other just and reasonable terms and conditions and shall provide for the recovery of prudently incurred costs associated with the provision of service pursuant to this subsection (d). The costs associated with the provision of service pursuant to this Section shall be subject to periodic Commission review.

(e) An electric utility with more than 100,000 customers in this State shall file a tariff pursuant to Article IX of this Act that provides alternative retail electric suppliers, and electric utilities other than the electric utility in whose service area the retail customers are located, with the option to have the electric utility purchase 2 billing cycles worth of uncollectible receivables for power and energy service provided to residential retail customers and to non-residential retail customers with a non-coincident peak demand of less than 400 kilowatts upon returning that customer to that electric utility for delivery and energy service after that alternative retail electric supplier, or an electric utility other than the electric utility in whose service area the retail customer is located, has made reasonable collection efforts on that account. Uncollectible receivables for power and energy service of alternative retail electric suppliers, or electric utilities other than the electric utility in whose service area the retail customers are located, shall be purchased by the electric utility at a just and reasonable discount rate to be reviewed and approved by the Commission, after notice and hearing. The discount rate shall be based on the electric utility's historical bad debt for receivables that are outstanding for a similar length of time and any reasonable start-up costs and administrative costs associated with the electric utility's purchase of receivables. The discounted rate for purchase of uncollectible receivables shall be included in the tariff filed pursuant to this subsection (e). The electric utility retains the right to impose the same terms on these retail customers with respect to credit and collection, including requests for deposits, and retains the right to disconnect these retail customers, if it does not receive payment for its tariffed services or purchased receivables, in the same manner that it would be permitted to if the retail customers had purchased power and energy from the electric utility. The tariff filed pursuant to this subsection (e) shall permit the electric utility to recover from retail customers any uncollectable receivables that may arise as a result of the purchase of uncollectible receivables under this subsection (e), may also include other just and reasonable terms and conditions, and shall provide for the prudently incurred costs associated with the provision of this service pursuant to this subsection (e). Nothing in this subsection (e) permits the double recovery of utility bad debt expenses from customers. The electric utility may file a joint tariff for this subsection (e) and subsection (c) of this Section.

(f) An electric utility with more than 100,000 customers in this State shall make available to alternative retail electricity suppliers a list of customer names, addresses, and other information as the Commission may deem necessary to allow for effective marketing of retail electricity and related services from alternative retail electricity suppliers. Customers shall be provided an annual notice that indicates that their name appears on the list and information on how to remove their information by contacting the utility. Nothing in this Section limits the ability of customers to request their names be removed at any other time.

(Source: P.A. 95-700, eff. 11-9-07.)

(220 ILCS 5/19-105)

Sec. 19-105. Definitions. For the purposes of this Article, the following terms shall be defined as set forth in this Section.

"Alternative gas supplier" means every person, cooperative, corporation, municipal corporation, company, association, joint stock company or association, firm, partnership, individual, or other entity, their lessees, trustees, or receivers appointed by any court whatsoever, that offers gas for sale, lease, or in exchange for other value received to one or more customers, or that engages in the furnishing of gas to one or more customers, and shall include affiliated interests of a gas utility, resellers, aggregators and marketers, but shall not include (i) gas utilities (or any agent of the gas utility to the extent the gas utility provides tariffed services to customers through an agent); (ii) public utilities that are owned and operated by any political subdivision, public institution of higher education or municipal corporation of this State, or public utilities that are owned by a political subdivision, public institution of higher education, or municipal corporation and operated by any of its lessees or operating agents; (iii) natural gas cooperatives that are not-for-profit corporations operated for the purpose of administering, on a cooperative basis, the furnishing of natural gas for the benefit of their members who are consumers of natural gas; and (iv) the ownership or operation of a facility that sells compressed natural gas at retail to the public for use only as a motor vehicle fuel and the selling of compressed natural gas at retail to the public for use only as a motor vehicle fuel.

"Door-to-door solicitation" means face-to-face solicitation of a residential customer initiated by a retail natural gas supplier at the home or place of business of the customer through canvassing without an appointment or previous personal relationship.

"Gas utility" means a public utility, as defined in Section 3-105 of this Act, that has a franchise, license, permit, or right to furnish or sell gas or transportation services to customers within a service area.

"Residential customer" means a customer who receives gas utility service for household purposes distributed to a dwelling of 2 or fewer units which is billed under a residential rate or gas utility service for household purposes distributed to a dwelling unit or units which is billed under a residential rate and is registered by a separate meter for each dwelling unit.

"Sales agent" means any employee, agent, independent contractor, consultant, or other person that is engaged by the alternative gas supplier to solicit customers to purchase, enroll in, or contract for alternative gas service on behalf of an alternative gas supplier.

"Service area" means (i) the geographic area within which a gas utility was lawfully entitled to provide gas to customers as of the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly and includes (ii) the location of any customer to which the gas utility was lawfully providing gas utility services on such effective date.

"Single billing" means the combined billing of the services provided by both a natural gas utility and an alternative gas supplier to any customer who has enrolled in a customer choice program.

"Small commercial customer" means a nonresidential retail customer of a natural gas utility who consumed 5,000 or fewer therms of natural gas during the previous year; provided that any alternative gas supplier may remove the customer from designation as a "small commercial customer" if the customer consumes more than 5,000 therms of natural gas in any calendar year after becoming a customer of the alternative gas supplier. In determining whether a customer has consumed 5,000 or fewer therms of natural gas during the previous year, usage by the same commercial customer shall be aggregated to include usage at the same premises even if measured by more than one meter, and to include usage at multiple premises. Nothing in this Section creates an affirmative obligation on a gas utility to monitor or inform customers or alternative gas suppliers as to a customer's status as a small commercial customer as that term is defined herein. Nothing in this Section relieves a gas utility from any obligation to provide information upon request to a customer, alternative gas supplier, the Commission, or others necessary to determine whether a customer meets the classification of small commercial customers as that term is defined herein.

"Tariffed service" means a service provided to customers by a gas utility as defined by its rates on file with the Commission pursuant to the provisions of Article IX of this Act.

"Transportation services" means those services provided by the gas utility that are necessary in order for the storage, transmission and distribution systems to function so that customers located in the gas utility's service area can receive gas from suppliers other than the gas utility and shall include, without limitation, standard metering and billing services.

(Source: P.A. 95-1051, eff. 4-10-09; 96-435, eff. 1-1-10; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10.)

(220 ILCS 5/19-115)

Sec. 19-115. Obligations of alternative gas suppliers.

(a) The provisions of this Section shall apply only to alternative gas suppliers serving or seeking to serve residential or small commercial customers and only to the extent such alternative gas suppliers provide services to residential or small commercial customers.

(b) An alternative gas supplier shall:

(1) comply with the requirements imposed on public utilities by Sections 8-201 through 8-207, 8-301, 8-505 and 8-507 of this Act, to the extent that these Sections have application to the services being offered by the alternative gas supplier;

(2) continue to comply with the requirements for certification stated in Section 19-110;

(3) comply with complaint procedures established by the Commission;

(4) except as provided in subsection (h) of this Section, file with the Chief Clerk of the Commission, within 20 business days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, a copy of bill formats, standard customer contract and customer complaint and resolution procedures, and the name and telephone number of the company representative whom Commission employees may contact to resolve customer complaints and other matters. In the case of a gas supplier that engages in door-to-door solicitation, the company shall file with the Commission the consumer information disclosure required by item (3) of subsection (c) of Section 2DDD of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act and shall file updated information within 10 business days after changes in any of the documents or information required to be filed by this item (4); and

(5) maintain a customer call center where customers can reach a representative and receive current information. At least once every 6 months, each alternative gas supplier shall provide written information to customers explaining how to contact the call center. The average answer time for calls placed to the call center shall not exceed 60 seconds where a representative or automated system is ready to render assistance and/or accept information to process calls. The abandon rate for calls placed to the call center shall not exceed 10%. Each alternative gas supplier shall maintain records of the call center's telephone answer time performance and abandon call rate. These records shall be kept for a minimum of 2 years and shall be made available to Commission personnel upon request. In the event that answer times and/or abandon rates exceed the limits established above, the reporting alternative gas supplier may provide the Commission or its personnel with explanatory details. At a minimum, these records shall contain the following information in monthly increments:

(A) total number of calls received;

(B) number of calls answered;

(C) average answer time;

(D) number of abandoned calls; and

(E) abandon call rate.

Alternative gas suppliers that do not have electronic answering capability that meets these requirements shall notify the Manager of the Commission's Consumer Services Division or its successor within 30 days following the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly and work with Staff to develop individualized reporting requirements as to the call volume and responsiveness of the call center.

On or before March 1 of every year, each entity shall file a report with the Chief Clerk of the Commission for the preceding calendar year on its answer time and abandon call rate for its call center. A copy of the report shall be sent to the Manager of the Consumer Services Division or its successor.

(c) An alternative gas supplier shall not submit or execute a change in a customer's selection of a natural gas provider unless and until (i) the alternative gas supplier first discloses all material terms and conditions of the offer to the customer; (ii) the alternative gas supplier has obtained the customer's express agreement to accept the offer after the disclosure of all material terms and conditions of the offer; and (iii) the alternative gas supplier has confirmed the request for a change in accordance with one of the following procedures:

(1) The alternative gas supplier has obtained the customer's written or electronically signed authorization in a form that meets the following requirements:

(A) An alternative gas supplier shall obtain any necessary written or electronically signed authorization from a customer for a change in natural gas service by using a letter of agency as specified in this Section. Any letter of agency that does not conform with this Section is invalid.

(B) The letter of agency shall be a separate document (or an easily separable document containing only the authorization language described in item (E) of this paragraph (1)) whose sole purpose is to authorize a natural gas provider change. The letter of agency must be signed and dated by the customer requesting the natural gas provider change.

(C) The letter of agency shall not be combined with inducements of any kind on the same document.

(D) Notwithstanding items (A) and (B) of this paragraph (1), the letter of agency may be combined with checks that contain only the required letter of agency language prescribed in item (E) of this paragraph (1) and the necessary information to make the check a negotiable instrument. The letter of agency check shall not contain any promotional language or material. The letter of agency check shall contain in easily readable, bold face type on the face of the check a notice that the consumer is authorizing a natural gas provider change by signing the check. The letter of agency language also shall be placed near the signature line on the back of the check.

(E) At a minimum, the letter of agency must be printed with a print of sufficient size to be clearly legible and must contain clear and unambiguous language that confirms:

(i) the customer's billing name and address;

(ii) the decision to change the natural gas provider from the current provider to the prospective alternative gas supplier;

(iii) the terms, conditions, and nature of the service to be provided to the customer, including, but not limited to, the rates for the service contracted for by the customer; and

(iv) that the customer understands that any natural gas provider selection the customer chooses may involve a charge to the customer for changing the customer's natural gas provider.

(F) Letters of agency shall not suggest or require that a customer take some action in order to retain the customer's current natural gas provider.

(G) If any portion of a letter of agency is translated into another language, then all portions of the letter of agency must be translated into that language.

(2) An appropriately qualified independent third party has obtained, in accordance with the procedures set forth in this paragraph (2), the customer's oral authorization to change natural gas providers that confirms and includes appropriate verification data. The independent third party must (i) not be owned, managed, controlled, or directed by the alternative gas supplier or the alternative gas supplier's marketing agent; (ii) not have any financial incentive to confirm provider change requests for the alternative gas supplier or the alternative gas supplier's marketing agent; and (iii) operate in a location physically separate from the alternative gas supplier or the alternative gas supplier's marketing agent. Automated third-party verification systems and 3-way conference calls may be used for verification purposes so long as the other requirements of this paragraph (2) are satisfied. An alternative gas supplier or alternative gas supplier's sales representative initiating a 3-way conference call or a call through an automated verification system must drop off the call once the 3-way connection has been established. All third-party verification methods shall elicit, at a minimum, the following information:

(A) the identity of the customer;

(B) confirmation that the person on the call is authorized to make the provider change;

(C) confirmation that the person on the call wants to make the provider change;

(D) the names of the providers affected by the change;

(E) the service address of the service to be switched; and

(F) the price of the service to be provided and the material terms and conditions of the service being offered, including whether any early termination fees apply.

Third-party verifiers may not market the alternative gas supplier's services by providing additional information. All third-party verifications shall be conducted in the same language that was used in the underlying sales transaction and shall be recorded in their entirety. Submitting alternative gas suppliers shall maintain and preserve audio records of verification of customer authorization for a minimum period of 2 years after obtaining the verification. Automated systems must provide customers with an option to speak with a live person at any time during the call.

(3) The alternative gas supplier has obtained the customer's authorization via an automated verification system to change natural gas service via telephone. An automated verification system is an electronic system that, through pre-recorded prompts, elicits voice responses, touchtone responses, or both, from the customer and records both the prompts and the customer's responses. Such authorization must elicit the information in paragraph (2)(A) through (F) of this subsection (c). Alternative gas suppliers electing to confirm sales electronically through an automated verification system shall establish one or more toll-free telephone numbers exclusively for that purpose. Calls to the number or numbers shall connect a customer to a voice response unit, or similar mechanism, that makes a date-stamped, time-stamped recording of the required information regarding the alternative gas supplier change.

The alternative gas supplier shall not use such electronic authorization systems to market its services.

(4) When a consumer initiates the call to the prospective alternative gas supplier, in order to enroll the consumer as a customer, the prospective alternative gas supplier must, with the consent of the customer, make a date-stamped, time-stamped audio recording that elicits, at a minimum, the following information:

(A) the identity of the customer;

(B) confirmation that the person on the call is authorized to make the provider change;

(C) confirmation that the person on the call wants to make the provider change;

(D) the names of the providers affected by the change;

(E) the service address of the service to be switched; and

(F) the price of the service to be supplied and the material terms and conditions of the service being offered, including whether any early termination fees apply.

Submitting alternative gas suppliers shall maintain and preserve the audio records containing the information set forth above for a minimum period of 2 years.

(5) In the event that a customer enrolls for service from an alternative gas supplier via an Internet website, the alternative gas supplier shall obtain an electronically signed letter of agency in accordance with paragraph (1) of this subsection (c) and any customer information shall be protected in accordance with all applicable statutes and regulations. In addition, an alternative gas supplier shall provide the following when marketing via an Internet website:

(A) The Internet enrollment website shall, at a minimum, include:

(i) a copy of the alternative gas supplier's customer contract that clearly and conspicuously discloses all terms and conditions; and

(ii) a conspicuous prompt for the customer to print or save a copy of the contract.

(B) Any electronic version of the contract shall be identified by version number, in order to ensure the ability to verify the particular contract to which the customer assents.

(C) Throughout the duration of the alternative gas supplier's contract with a customer, the alternative gas supplier shall retain and, within 3 business days of the customer's request, provide to the customer an e-mail, paper, or facsimile of the terms and conditions of the numbered contract version to which the customer assents.

(D) The alternative gas supplier shall provide a mechanism by which both the submission and receipt of the electronic letter of agency are recorded by time and date.

(E) After the customer completes the electronic letter of agency, the alternative gas supplier shall disclose conspicuously through its website that the customer has been enrolled, and the alternative gas supplier shall provide the customer an enrollment confirmation number.

(6) When a customer is solicited in person by the alternative gas supplier's sales agent, the alternative gas supplier may only obtain the customer's authorization to change natural gas service through the method provided for in paragraph (2) of this subsection (c).

Alternative gas suppliers must be in compliance with this subsection (c) within 90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly.

(d) Complaints may be filed with the Commission under this Section by a customer whose natural gas service has been provided by an alternative gas supplier in a manner not in compliance with subsection (c) of this Section. If, after notice and hearing, the Commission finds that an alternative gas supplier has violated subsection (c), then the Commission may in its discretion do any one or more of the following:

(1) Require the violating alternative gas supplier to refund the customer charges collected in excess of those that would have been charged by the customer's authorized natural gas provider.

(2) Require the violating alternative gas supplier to pay to the customer's authorized natural gas provider the amount the authorized natural gas provider would have collected for natural gas service. The Commission is authorized to reduce this payment by any amount already paid by the violating alternative gas supplier to the customer's authorized natural gas provider.

(3) Require the violating alternative gas supplier to pay a fine of up to $1,000 into the Public Utility Fund for each repeated and intentional violation of this Section.

(4) Issue a cease and desist order.

(5) For a pattern of violation of this Section or for intentionally violating a cease and desist order, revoke the violating alternative gas supplier's certificate of service authority.

(e) No alternative gas supplier shall:

(1) enter into or employ any arrangements which have the effect of preventing any customer from having access to the services of the gas utility in whose service area the customer is located;

(2) charge customers for such access;

(3) bill for goods or services not authorized by the customer; or

(4) bill for a disputed amount where the alternative gas supplier has been provided notice of such dispute. The supplier shall attempt to resolve a dispute with the customer. When the dispute is not resolved to the customer's satisfaction, the supplier shall inform the customer of the right to file an informal complaint with the Commission and provide contact information. While the pending dispute is active at the Commission, an alternative gas supplier may bill only for the undisputed amount until the Commission has taken final action on the complaint.

(f) An alternative gas supplier that is certified to serve residential or small commercial customers shall not:

(1) deny service to a customer or group of customers nor establish any differences as to prices, terms, conditions, services, products, facilities, or in any other respect, whereby such denial or differences are based upon race, gender, or income;

(2) deny service based on locality, nor establish any unreasonable difference as to prices, terms, conditions, services, products, or facilities as between localities;

(3) include in any agreement a provision that obligates a customer to the terms of the agreement if the customer (i) moves outside the State of Illinois; (ii) moves to a location without a transportation service program; or (iii) moves to a location where the customer will not require natural gas service, provided that nothing in this subsection precludes an alternative gas supplier from taking any action otherwise available to it to collect a debt that arises out of service provided to the customer before the customer moved; or

(4) assign the agreement to any alternative natural gas supplier, unless:

(A) the supplier is an alternative gas supplier certified by the Commission;

(B) the rates, terms, and conditions of the agreement being assigned do not change during the remainder of the time covered by the agreement;

(C) the customer is given no less than 30 days prior written notice of the assignment and contact information for the new supplier; and

(D) the supplier assigning the contract provides contact information that a customer can use to resolve a dispute.

(g) An alternative gas supplier shall comply with the following requirements with respect to the marketing, offering, and provision of products or services:

(1) Any marketing materials which make statements concerning prices, terms, and conditions of service shall contain information that adequately discloses the prices, terms and conditions of the products or services.

(2) Before any customer is switched from another supplier, the alternative gas supplier shall give the customer written information that clearly and conspicuously discloses, in plain language, the prices, terms, and conditions of the products and services being offered and sold to the customer. Nothing in this paragraph (2) may be read to relieve an alternative gas supplier from the duties imposed on it by item (3) of subsection (c) of Section 2DDD of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.

(3) The alternative gas supplier shall provide to the customer:

(A) accurate, timely, and itemized billing statements that describe the products and services provided to the customer and their prices and that specify the gas consumption amount and any service charges and taxes; provided that this item (g)(3)(A) does not apply to small commercial customers;

(B) billing statements that clearly and conspicuously discloses the name and contact information for the alternative gas supplier;

(C) an additional statement, at least annually, that adequately discloses the average monthly prices, and the terms and conditions, of the products and services sold to the customer; provided that this item (g)(3)(C) does not apply to small commercial customers;

(D) refunds of any deposits with interest within 30 days after the date that the customer changes gas suppliers or discontinues service if the customer has satisfied all of his or her outstanding financial obligations to the alternative gas supplier at an interest rate set by the Commission which shall be the same as that required of gas utilities; and

(E) refunds, in a timely fashion, of all undisputed overpayments upon the oral or written request of the customer.

(4) An alternative gas supplier and its sales agents shall refrain from any direct marketing or soliciting to consumers on the gas utility's "Do Not Contact List", which the alternative gas supplier shall obtain on the 15th calendar day of the month from the gas utility in whose service area the consumer is provided with gas service. If the 15th calendar day is a non-business day, then the alternative gas supplier shall obtain the list on the next business day following the 15th calendar day of that month.

(5) Early Termination.

(A) Any agreement that contains an early termination clause shall disclose the amount of the early termination fee, provided that any early termination fee or penalty shall not exceed $50 total, regardless of whether or not the agreement is a multiyear agreement.

(B) In any agreement that contains an early termination clause, an alternative gas supplier shall provide the customer the opportunity to terminate the agreement without any termination fee or penalty until within 10 business days after the due date of the first bill issued to the customer for products or services provided by the alternative gas supplier. The agreement shall disclose the opportunity and provide a toll-free phone number that the customer may call in order to terminate the agreement.

(C) Any agreement entered into between a residential customer and an alternative gas supplier through the use of a door-to-door solicitation may not contain an early termination fee.

(D) Any agreement or marketing solicitation that offers a variable price that guarantees savings for any period of time based upon a utility default rate may not charge an early termination fee if the alternative gas supplier price charged exceeds the utility default rate.

(E) Nothing in this paragraph (5) removes the obligation of the customer to pay for the products or services provided by the alternative electric supplier.

(6) Within 2 business days after electronic receipt of a customer switch from the alternative gas supplier and confirmation of eligibility, the gas utility shall provide the customer written notice confirming the switch. The gas utility shall not switch the service until 10 business days after the date on the notice to the customer.

(7) The alternative gas supplier shall provide each customer the opportunity to rescind its agreement without penalty within 10 business days after the date on the gas utility notice to the customer. The alternative gas supplier shall disclose all of the following:

(A) that the gas utility shall send a notice confirming the switch;

(B) that from the date the utility issues the notice confirming the switch, the customer shall have 10 business days to rescind the switch without penalty;

(C) that the customer shall contact the gas utility or the alternative gas supplier to rescind the switch; and

(D) the contact information for the gas utility.

The alternative gas supplier disclosure shall be included in its sales solicitations, contracts, and all applicable sales verification scripts.

(h) An alternative gas supplier may limit the overall size or availability of a service offering by specifying one or more of the following:

(1) a maximum number of customers and maximum amount of gas load to be served;

(2) time period during which the offering will be available; or

(3) other comparable limitation, but not including the geographic locations of customers within the area which the alternative gas supplier is certificated to serve.

The alternative gas supplier shall file the terms and conditions of such service offering including the applicable limitations with the Commission prior to making the service offering available to customers.

(i) Nothing in this Section shall be construed as preventing an alternative gas supplier that is an affiliate of, or which contracts with, (i) an industry or trade organization or association, (ii) a membership organization or association that exists for a purpose other than the purchase of gas, or (iii) another organization that meets criteria established in a rule adopted by the Commission from offering through the organization or association services at prices, terms and conditions that are available solely to the members of the organization or association.

(Source: P.A. 95-1051, eff. 4-10-09.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.