BILL NUMBER: S9188
SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public service law, in relation to information
required to be published prior to a major rate change by a public gas or
electric utility
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to make utility rate cases within the Public
Service Commission more transparent and accessible to the public.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
This bill would require the Public Service Commission (PSC) to make
available a one-page summary of major rate cases, both after their
initiation and upon conclusion, which would include important informa-
tion about the rate case notably potential financial impacts of rate
payers. It would also require the summary to be published on their
website and shared with newspapers and legislators.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The Public Service Commission (PSC) regulates public utilities across
the state and is tasked with approving utility rate increases. The proc-
ess by which this happens, called a rate case, is a complicated, techni-
cal, and overwhelming process which often has immense consequences for
the average citizen of the state. While all of the documents of this
process are in principle available to the public, finding them, sorting
through them and making sense of them can be nothing short of a full-
time job.
This bill aims to simplify and improve the transparency of this process
for the average ratepayer by making it easier for them to understand how
a rate case might affect them. Requiring PSC to provide a short summary
of important rate case information, such as average rate increases and
how to submit public comment, is a necessary step at improving this
complicated process and helping promote public understanding and partic-
ipation.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have
become law.