This bill proposes a significant shift in regulatory authority from the public utilities commission to the department of energy, particularly concerning telecommunications services and energy metering practices. Key changes include the prohibition of unauthorized telecommunications service provision and the protection of ratepayer communication preferences. The bill amends existing laws by replacing references to the "commission" with "department of energy," thereby transferring oversight responsibilities. It also introduces new procedures for customer communication preferences, a certification process for public utility assessments, and a formal complaint process directed to the department, allowing for non-adjudicative resolutions.

Additionally, the bill modifies the aggregation of electric distribution utilities by requiring the department to adopt rules that balance the interests of utilities and municipalities. It removes the previous requirement for the department to forward complaints to aggregators, allowing them to be directly subject to the department's jurisdiction, with non-residential ratepayer complaints being publicly docketed. The bill also repeals existing net metering caps, potentially increasing flexibility in net metering practices. The act is set to take effect 60 days after passage and is confirmed to have no fiscal impact on state, county, or local finances.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 374:28-a, 374-F:4-b, 362-A:9, 363-A:3, 365:1, 365:1-a, 365:3, 53-E:7
As Amended by the Senate: 374-F:4-b, 362-A:9, 363-A:3, 365:1, 365:1-a, 365:3, 53-E:7
As Amended by the House: 374-F:4-b, 363-A:3, 365:1, 365:1-a, 365:3, 53-E:7, 362-A:9