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Senate Energy Committee advances slate of utility bills to Rules, including consumer-protection measures
Summary
The State Senate Standing Committee on Energy and Telecommunications voted to advance multiple bills addressing utility billing, rate-setting and commission oversight to the Rules Committee. Members discussed consumer protections, soil and land-use concerns tied to renewable siting and next steps for agency coordination.
The Senate Standing Committee on Energy and Telecommunications on Wednesday advanced a package of utility- and siting-related bills to the Rules Committee while taking public testimony on renewable-energy siting.
Chairman State Senator Kevin Parker opened the session and presided as Committee Director Justin introduced each measure. Bills moved forward included 1012-a (prohibiting certain uses of ratepayer funds), 13-27 (establishing minimum standards for payment plans for eligible customers), 13-29 (adjusting residential fixed charges), 18-47 (directing the Public Service Commission to consider economic impacts by service territory), 18-96 (uniform equity ratios/returns), 55-53-c, 55-93 (suspension and retroactive recovery provisions), 7,165-a (consider non-economic consumer loss in penalties), 73-28-a (relations with PSC commissioners) and 76-93 (retention of revenues from authorized returns). Committee members moved and seconded each bill and, by the counts recorded in the hearing, each was referred to the Rules Committee for further consideration.
Lawmakers questioned several technical points during debate. On bill 13-27 (payment plans), committee members asked why the text permits the Department of Temporary and Disability Assistance to recognize “other income-based assistance programs” rather than enumerating programs by name; staff explained the language allows flexibility so newly created programs can be used without additional legislation. On bill 13-29 (residential fixed charges), senators pressed whether vacant units, landlords or vacation homes would see changes to baseline fixed charges; staff said the measure targets residential customers and that billing arrangements for multiunit buildings can affect which accounts are eligible.
On bill 18-47, which directs the Public Service Commission to consider economic data by service territory when approving rates, senators raised whether territory-wide analysis could produce disparate effects for high-income residents living within lower-income territories; staff clarified the measure applies at the service-territory level rather than at neighborhood granularity.
Several members emphasized the committee’s broader aim to protect prime farmland and steer large-scale renewable projects to non-productive sites such as warehouses and parking lots where feasible. Chairman Parker invited colleagues concerned about implementation to convene meetings with PSC or DEC officials and to propose legislative fixes where gaps exist.
The committee adjourned after advancing the bills and then heard public testimony on ORES and solar siting.
