AN ACT relating to public utilities; authorizing the public service commission to consider reliability and cost externalities; and providing for an effective date.
Energy
Enacted
This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.
Sponsor
Senator Perkins
Last action
2021-04-06
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
7/1/2021
Plain English Breakdown
The official bill text does not explicitly state that the commission is required to consider reliability and cost externalities in all decisions, only that it may do so.
Public Service Commission Considerations
This law allows the Public Service Commission to consider reliability and cost externalities when making decisions about major utility projects.
What This Bill Does
Gives the Public Service Commission permission to look at how reliable a new or retired facility is for electricity services.
Allows the commission to think about extra costs that might affect the state of Wyoming, such as economic impacts and job changes.
Who It Names or Affects
The Public Service Commission
Electricity companies in Wyoming
Terms To Know
Public Service Commission
A group that makes rules about public utilities like electricity and water services.
Externalities
Extra costs or benefits that affect people who are not directly involved in a project, such as the whole state of Wyoming.
Limits and Unknowns
The law does not specify how much weight these new factors should be given.
It is unclear what specific economic and employment impacts will be considered by the commission.
Amendments
These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.
Plain English: The amendment allows the public service commission to charge customer-generators differently from other electric utility customers under certain conditions and adds new provisions regarding fees for customer-generators.
Adds language allowing the public service commission to authorize different charges for customer-generators compared to regular customers, subject to approval after a hearing.
Inserts new paragraphs (iv) in sections 37-16-102 and 37-17-101 that specify conditions under which customer-generators operating net metering equipment before July 1, 2021, cannot be charged differently until June 30, 2040 or when they replace, alter, or increase their equipment.
Modifies the definition of 'retail rates' to include monthly facilities charges and any energy-related commodity rates.
The exact conditions under which customer-generators can be charged differently are not fully detailed in the provided amendment text.
Plain English: The amendment changes the wording in the bill's title to give the Public Service Commission permission rather than requiring it to consider certain factors.
Changes 'requiring' to 'authorizing' in the bill's main text, which means the commission is allowed but not forced to take action.
The amendment only changes wording and does not provide details on what specific actions or considerations are being authorized.
It is unclear from this amendment alone how the change will affect the actual operations of the Public Service Commission.
Plain English: The amendment changes how the Public Service Commission evaluates plans for major facilities by allowing it to consider factors like reliability and cost externalities that affect the state.
Removes specific references to existing laws and replaces them with new language.
Adds a new subsection (e) which allows the commission to evaluate reliability and cost externalities when considering plans or proposals for major facilities.
Restores the word 'reliability' in the context of evaluating utility services.
The amendment's text does not provide details on how exactly these new considerations will be implemented or evaluated by the commission.
Bill History
2021-04-06LSO
Assigned Chapter Number 128
2021-04-06Governor
Governor Signed SEA No. 0049
2021-04-02House
H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0049
2021-04-02Senate
S President Signed SEA No. 0049
2021-04-01LSO
Assigned Number SEA No. 0049
2021-04-01Senate
S Concur:Passed 28-2-0-0-0
2021-04-01Senate
S Received for Concurrence
2021-03-31House
H 3rd Reading:Passed 57-3-0-0-0
2021-03-30House
H 2nd Reading:Passed
2021-03-29House
H 2nd Reading:Laid Back
2021-03-26House
H COW:Passed
2021-03-24House
H Placed on General File
2021-03-24House
H09 - Minerals:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 9-0-0-0-0
2021-03-22House
H Introduced and Referred to H09 - Minerals
2021-03-19House
H Received for Introduction
2021-03-19Senate
S 3rd Reading:Passed 25-4-1-0-0
2021-03-18Senate
S 2nd Reading:Passed
2021-03-17Senate
S COW:Passed
2021-03-10Senate
S Placed on General File
2021-03-10Senate
S02 - Appropriations:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0
2021-03-02Senate
S Introduced and Referred to S02 - Appropriations
2021-03-01Senate
S Received for Introduction
2021-03-01LSO
Bill Number Assigned
Official Summary Text
Bill Summary - 21LSO-0654
Bill No.:
SF0136
Effective:
7/1/2021 12:00:00 AM
LSO No.:
21LSO-0654
Enrolled Act No.:
SEA No. 0049
Chapter No.:
128
Prime Sponsor:
Perkins
Catch Title:
Public service commission considerations.
Subject:
Public utility rates.
Summary/Major Elements:
This bill authorizes the Public Service Commission to consider reliability and cost externalities incurred by the state of Wyoming in matters relating to the construction or retirement of major facilities with the potential for an immediate effect on rates.
The PSC is also authorized to consider reliability and costs externalities incurred by the state of Wyoming in proceedings to recover through rates the costs of the construction or retirement of major facilities.
The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.
While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
21LSO-0654
ORIGINAL Senate
ENGROSSED
File No
.
SF0136
ENROLLED ACT NO. 49,
SENATE
SIXTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2021 General Session
AN ACT relating to public utilities; authorizing the public service commission to consider reliability and cost externalities; and providing for an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
Section 1.
W.S. 37
‑
2
‑
122(a) and by creating a new subsection (e) is amended to read:
37
‑
2
‑
122.
Matters considered in fixing rates; order changing services or facilities; qualifying facilities contracts.
(a)
In determining what are just and reasonable rates the commission may take into consideration availability
or
and
reliability of service, depreciation of plant, technological obsolescence of equipment, expense of operation, physical and other values of the plant, system, business and properties of the public utility whose rates are under consideration. In determining just and reasonable rates for electricity the commission shall consider common sets of facts developed pursuant to W.S. 37
‑
2
‑
114(b)(i) and regional benefits provided by the utility.
(e)
The commission may, in all matters relating to plans, proposals or applications for authority to construct or retire major facilities having any immediate or potential effect on rates charged to customers or to recover through rates any cost thereof, consider reliability and cost externalities incurred by the state of Wyoming, including but not limited to economic and employment impacts.
Section 2
.
This act is effective July 1, 2021
.
(END)
Speaker of the House
President of the Senate
Governor
TIME APPROVED: _________
DATE APPROVED: _________
I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.
Chief Clerk
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