Assembly Bill No. 197–Assemblymen Leslie, Bache, Parks, de Braga, Gibbons, Brower, Buckley, Chowning, Freeman, Giunchigliani, Humke, Koivisto, Manendo, McClain, Parnell, Smith and Williams

 

February 20, 2001

____________

 

Referred to Committee on Government Affairs

 

SUMMARY—Requires disclosure to customers of certain information concerning electric services by electric utilities and alternative sellers. (BDR 58‑910)

 

FISCAL NOTE:            Effect on Local Government: No.

                                    Effect on the State: Yes.

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

AN ACT relating to electric services; requiring electric utilities and alternative sellers to disclose to customers certain information concerning electric services and any products and services relating thereto; setting forth the types of information that must be disclosed by the electric utilities and alternative sellers; requiring the public utilities commission of Nevada to adopt regulations; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

1-1    Section 1. Chapter 704 of NRS is hereby amended by adding thereto a

1-2  new section to read as follows:

1-3    1.  On and after October 1, 2001, each electric utility shall disclose to

1-4  its prospective and existing customers information about electric services,

1-5  and any products and services relating thereto, that can be or are being

1-6  provided to the customer by the electric utility. The disclosure must:

1-7    (a) Be in a standard, uniform format established by the commission by

1-8  regulation;

1-9    (b) Be included:

1-10      (1) At least two times each calendar year, as an insert in the bills

1-11  that the electric utility

1-12  sends to its customers;

1-13       (2) In each contract between the electric utility and a customer for

1-14  the provision of electric services or any products or services relating

1-15  thereto; and

2-1       (3) In any other advertising brochure provided by the electric utility

2-2  to a prospective or existing customer relating to the provision of electric

2-3  services or any products or services relating thereto; and

2-4    (c) Include adequate information so that a customer can readily

2-5  evaluate his options for obtaining electric services or any products or

2-6  services relating thereto.

2-7    2.  A disclosure required by this section must include, if applicable:

2-8    (a) The average mix of fuel sources used to create the electricity,

2-9  including, without limitation, oil, coal, gas, solar energy, hydroelectric

2-10  energy, wind, biofuel, nuclear energy, energy from the incineration of

2-11  solid waste, biomass and any other specific source that is used to

2-12  generate the electricity provided to the customer. An electric utility may,

2-13  if available, use a regional average that has been determined by the

2-14  commission for that portion of electricity purchased by the customer for

2-15  which the specific mix of fuel sources cannot be discerned.

2-16    (b) The average emissions, measured in pounds per megawatt hour, of

2-17  high-level radioactive waste generated, if any, sulfur dioxide, carbon

2-18  dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, heavy metals and any other emission that the

2-19  commission determines may cause a significant health or environmental

2-20  impact and for which sufficiently accurate and reliable data is available.

2-21  If an electric utility uses a regional average for the mix of fuel sources

2-22  pursuant to paragraph (a), the electric utility shall, if available, also use

2-23  a regional calculation for emissions that has been determined by the

2-24  commission.

2-25    (c) Data concerning price.

2-26    (d) Information concerning the variability of prices.

2-27    (e) Information concerning customer service.

2-28    (f) Information concerning energy programs that provide assistance

2-29  to persons with low incomes, including information on applying for these

2-30  programs.

2-31    3.  An electric utility:

2-32    (a) Shall make the disclosures required pursuant to this section in

2-33  accordance with the requirements adopted by the commission as to form

2-34  and substance; and

2-35    (b) Shall ensure that it provides the information in compliance with

2-36  all applicable state and federal law governing unfair advertising and

2-37  labeling.

2-38    4.  The commission shall adopt such regulations concerning form

2-39  and substance for the disclosures required by this section as are

2-40  necessary to ensure that customers are provided with sufficient

2-41  information so that they can readily evaluate their options for obtaining

2-42  electric services and any products and services relating thereto.

2-43    5.  On and after the date upon which customers may begin obtaining

2-44  generation, aggregation, metering, billing and any other potentially

2-45  competitive services from alternative sellers, an alternative seller is

2-46  subject to all of the provisions of this section that are applicable to an

2-47  electric utility.

2-48    6.  As used in this section:

3-1    (a) “Biomass” means crops grown specifically for the production of

3-2  energy and organic waste.

3-3    (b) “Electric utility” includes an electric distribution utility and a

3-4  vertically integrated electric utility, and any affiliate or successor

3-5  organization thereof.

3-6    Sec. 2.  NRS 704.965 is hereby amended to read as follows:

3-7    704.965  As used in NRS 704.965 to 704.990, inclusive, and section 1

3-8  of this act, unless the context otherwise requires, the words and terms

3-9  defined in NRS 704.966 to 704.975, inclusive, have the meanings ascribed

3-10  to them in those sections.

 

3-11  H