The bill amends Section 42-98-1.1 of the Energy Facility Siting Act to establish a "Capital City Underground Utility Initiative," which aims to facilitate the undergrounding of portions of the E-183 electric transmission line in Providence and East Providence. The legislation provides a historical context for the project, detailing previous decisions made by the Board and the Supreme Court regarding the feasibility of underground alignments. It emphasizes the need for legislative authorization to secure funding mechanisms for the incremental costs associated with burying the transmission line along specific areas, particularly the Bridge Alignment South - Hybrid.

Key provisions include allowing the cities of Providence and East Providence to apply their pro rata share of customer credits toward the project costs. The public utilities commission is granted the authority to approve rate adjustments to recover the full incremental costs of the undergrounding, which will be billed as a per kilowatt hour charge over a period of not less than three years. The bill also stipulates that any additional funding obtained by the cities will offset the rate adjustments charged to electric ratepayers. Furthermore, it mandates that the cities acquire necessary property rights for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the project, with provisions for transferring any unused properties back to the cities after the completion of the Bridge Alignment South - Hybrid. The act will take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
5687: 42-98-1.1
5687  SUB A: 42-98-1.1