The bill amends Section 39-1-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 39-1, "Public Utilities Commission," by introducing new definitions and classifications for public utilities and electricity consumers, particularly focusing on "large energy use facilities." These facilities are defined as those utilizing or capable of utilizing twenty megawatts (20 MW) or more and are primarily engaged in providing services related to businesses offering infrastructure such as cloud storage, application hosting (excluding software publishing), and data entry services. The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is required to create a distinct classification of service for these large energy use facilities, which will include its own tariff and rate schedule.

The bill outlines that any tariff and rate schedule adopted by the PUC for this classification must allocate the costs of serving these facilities in a manner that is equal or proportional to the costs incurred. It also specifies that the PUC must consider the potential impact on other retail electricity consumers when approving tariffs and rates.

Additionally, the bill mandates that electric companies providing service to large energy use facilities must enter into contracts that cover the provision of electricity services, including transmission, distribution, energy, capacity, or ancillary services. These contracts must specify the duration (at least ten years), minimum payment obligations based on projected electricity usage, and conditions for service provision. If an electric company fails to start service by the agreed date due to controllable factors, it must notify the consumer of the delay.

Furthermore, the PUC is required to submit a report to the governor and general assembly every even-numbered year starting September 1, 2028, reviewing trends in load requirements and other implications from retail electricity consumers that use large amounts of electricity, while protecting proprietary information as per its rules and regulations.

Statutes affected:
2427: 39-1-2