Connecticut 2019 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00469 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
	1	+
	2	+
	3	+	LCO 5949 \\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2019SB-00469-R02-
	4	+	SB.docx
	5	+	1 of 4
	6	+
	7	+	General Assembly Committee Bill No. 469
	8	+	January Session, 2019
	9	+	LCO No. 5949
	10	+
	11	+
	12	+	Referred to Committee on ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
	13	+
	14	+
	15	+	Introduced by:
	16	+	(ET)
1	17
2	18
3	19
4		-	Senate Bill No. 469
5		-
6		-	Special Act No. 19-15
7		-
8		-
9	20		AN ACT REQUIRING THE PUBLIC UTILITIES REGULATORY
10		-	AUTHORITY TO ~~STUDY P ERFORMANCE STANDARDS~~ AND
	21	+	AUTHORITY TO ESTABLI SH PERFORMANCE STAND ARDS AND
11	22		MINIMUM STAFFING AND EQUIPMENT LEVELS FOR ELECTRIC
12	23		DISTRIBUTION COMPANI ES.
13	24		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
14	25		Assembly convened:
15	26
16		-	Section 1. (Effective July 1, 2019) (a) The chairperson of the Public
17		-	Utilities Regulatory Authority shall conduct a study regarding (1)
18		-	industry-specific standards for acceptable performance by an electric
19		-	distribution company in an emergency, and (2) minimum staffing and
20		-	equipment levels for each electric distribution company that operates
21		-	in the state, based on the number of customers served by such electric
22		-	distribution company and the nature of the infrastructure deployed to
23		-	serve such electric distribution company's customers in an emergency
24		-	in which more than ten per cent of such electric distribution company's
25		-	customers are without service for more than forty-eight consecutive
26		-	hours. Such study shall include, for each electric distribution company
27		-	that operates in the state, a review of (A) the current practices
28		-	concerning service restoration after an emergency, which shall include,
29		-	but not be limited to, an analysis of each electric distribution
30		-	company's (i) estimates concerning potential damage and service
31		-	outages prior to any emergency, (ii) damage and service outage
32		-	assessments after any emergency, (iii) restoration management after Senate Bill No. 469
	27	+	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section, 1
	28	+	"electric distribution company", "telecommunications company", 2
	29	+	"community antenna television company", "certificate of cable 3
	30	+	franchise authority" and "certified competitive video service provider" 4
	31	+	have the same meaning as provided in section 16-1 of the general 5
	32	+	statutes. 6
	33	+	(b) On or before July 1, 2019, the Public Utilities Regulatory 7
	34	+	Authority shall initiate a docket to establish: 8
	35	+	(1) Industry specific standards for acceptable performance by an 9
	36	+	electric distribution company in an emergency. Such standards shall be 10
	37	+	designed to protect public health and safety, ensure the reliability of 11
	38	+	the electric distribution company's services, prevent service outages 12
	39	+	and disruptions, minimize the number of service outages and 13 Committee Bill No. 469
33	40
34		-	Special Act No. 19-15 2 of 3
35	41
36		-	any emergency, including, but not limited to, access to alternate
37		-	restoration resources through regional and reciprocal aid contracts, (iv)
38		-	plans for at-risk and vulnerable customers, (v) policies concerning
39		-	communication with state and local officials and customers, including,
40		-	but not limited to, individual customer restoration estimates and the
41		-	timeliness and usefulness of such estimates, and (vi) need for mutual
42		-	assistance during any emergency, (B) the adequacy of the electric
43		-	distribution company's infrastructure, facilities and equipment, which
44		-	shall include, but not be limited to, an analysis of whether such electric
45		-	distribution company (i) is following standard industry practice for the
46		-	operation and maintenance of such infrastructure, facilities and
47		-	equipment, and (ii) has access to adequate replacement equipment for
48		-	such infrastructure, facilities and equipment during the course of such
49		-	emergency, (C) any current policies and procedures for coordination
50		-	efforts between the electric distribution company and any
51		-	telecommunications company, community antenna television
52		-	company, holder of a certificate of cable franchise authority or certified
53		-	competitive video service provider, including, but not limited to,
54		-	coordinated planning before any emergency, (D) any other policy,
55		-	practice or information that the authority determines is relevant to the
56		-	review of the electric distribution company's ability to ensure the
57		-	reliability of such electric distribution company's services in an
58		-	emergency and to prevent, minimize and restore any service outages
59		-	or disruptions that last for more than forty-eight consecutive hours
60		-	caused by such emergency, and (E) the staffing and equipment levels
61		-	related to the restoration of electric service after a service outage of the
62		-	electric distribution company from January 1, 1990, to the present,
63		-	provided the authority may review such levels for additional years,
64		-	and provided that such review shall include a review of the number of
65		-	line crew workers and shall distinguish between (i) line crew workers
66		-	directly employed by the electric distribution company and working
67		-	full time within the state, (ii) line crew workers directly employed by
68		-	the electric distribution company working primarily in another state, Senate Bill No. 469
	42	+	LCO 5949 {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2019SB-00469-
	43	+	R02-SB.docx }
	44	+	2 of 4
69	45
70		-	Special Act No. 19-15 3 of 3
	46	+	disruptions that do occur, reduce the duration of any such service 14
	47	+	outages and disruptions and facilitate restoration of service after any 15
	48	+	such service outages and disruptions. In establishing such standards, 16
	49	+	the authority shall review for each electric distribution company that 17
	50	+	operates in the state: 18
	51	+	(A) The current practices concerning service restoration after an 19
	52	+	emergency. Such review shall include, but not be limited to, an 20
	53	+	analysis of each electric distribution company's (i) estimates 21
	54	+	concerning potential damage and service outages prior to any 22
	55	+	emergency, (ii) damage and service outage assessments after any 23
	56	+	emergency, (iii) restoration management after any emergency, 24
	57	+	including, but not limited to, access to alternate restoration resources 25
	58	+	through regional and reciprocal aid contracts, (iv) plans for at-risk and 26
	59	+	vulnerable customers, (v) policies concerning communication with 27
	60	+	state and local officials and customers, including, but not limited to, 28
	61	+	individual customer restoration estimates and the timeliness and 29
	62	+	usefulness of such estimates, and (vi) need for mutual assistance 30
	63	+	during any emergency. 31
	64	+	(B) The adequacy of the electric distribution company's 32
	65	+	infrastructure, facilities and equipment. Such review shall include, but 33
	66	+	not be limited to, an analysis of whether such electric distribution 34
	67	+	company (i) is following standard industry practice for the operation 35
	68	+	and maintenance of such infrastructure, facilities and equipment, and 36
	69	+	(ii) has access to adequate replacement equipment for such 37
	70	+	infrastructure, facilities and equipment during the course of such 38
	71	+	emergency. 39
	72	+	(C) Any current policies and procedures for coordination efforts 40
	73	+	between the electric distribution company and any 41
	74	+	telecommunications company, community antenna television 42
	75	+	company, holder of a certificate of cable franchise authority or certified 43
	76	+	competitive video service provider, including, but not limited to, 44
	77	+	coordinated planning before any emergency. 45 Committee Bill No. 469
71	78
72		-	and (iii) line crew workers hired as contractors or subcontractors.
73		-	(b) Not later than January 1, 2020, the chairperson of the Public
74		-	Utilities Regulatory Authority, in accordance with section 11-4a of the
75		-	general statutes, shall report the results of the study conducted
76		-	pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to the joint standing
77		-	committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters
78		-	relating to energy and technology.
	79	+
	80	+	LCO 5949 {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2019SB-00469-
	81	+	R02-SB.docx }
	82	+	3 of 4
	83	+
	84	+	(D) Any other policy, practice or information that the authority 46
	85	+	determines is relevant to the review of the electric distribution 47
	86	+	company's ability to ensure the reliability of such electric distribution 48
	87	+	company's services in an emergency and to prevent, minimize and 49
	88	+	restore any service outages or disruptions that last for more than forty-50
	89	+	eight consecutive hours caused by such emergency. 51
	90	+	(E) The staffing and equipment levels related to the restoration of 52
	91	+	electric service after a service outage of the electric distribution 53
	92	+	company from January 1, 1990, to the present, provided the authority 54
	93	+	may review such levels for additional years. Such review shall include 55
	94	+	a review of the number of line crew workers and shall distinguish 56
	95	+	between (i) line crew workers directly employed by the electric 57
	96	+	distribution company and working full time within the state, (ii) line 58
	97	+	crew workers directly employed by the electric distribution company 59
	98	+	working primarily in another state, and (iii) line crew workers hired as 60
	99	+	contractors or subcontractors. 61
	100	+	(2) Minimum staffing and equipment levels for each electric 62
	101	+	distribution company that operates in the state, based on the number 63
	102	+	of customers served by such electric distribution company and the 64
	103	+	nature of the infrastructure deployed to serve such electric distribution 65
	104	+	company's customers in an emergency in which more than ten per cent 66
	105	+	of such electric distribution company's customers are without service 67
	106	+	for more than forty-eight consecutive hours. Such staffing levels shall 68
	107	+	include separate specific minimums for staff who (A) are directly 69
	108	+	employed by the electric distribution company and working full time 70
	109	+	within the state, provided such minimum shall not be less than ninety-71
	110	+	five per cent of the historic maximum level of such workers as 72
	111	+	determined by the authority pursuant to subparagraph (E) of 73
	112	+	subdivision (1) of this subsection, (B) are directly employed by the 74
	113	+	electric distribution company but work primarily in another state, and 75
	114	+	(C) are employed as contractors or subcontractors. 76
	115	+	(c) Each electric distribution company operating in the state shall 77
	116	+	provide the authority with any information the authority requests to 78 Committee Bill No. 469
	117	+
	118	+
	119	+	LCO 5949 {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2019SB-00469-
	120	+	R02-SB.docx }
	121	+	4 of 4
	122	+
	123	+	conduct the docket initiated pursuant to this section, provided any 79
	124	+	such requests or disclosure of information does not violate any other 80
	125	+	state or federal law. 81
	126	+	(d) On or before January 1, 2020, the authority shall issue a final 82
	127	+	decision in the docket initiated pursuant to subsection (b) of this 83
	128	+	section. Such decision shall include a summary and any findings from 84
	129	+	the authority's review of the items in subparagraphs (A) to (E), 85
	130	+	inclusive, of subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this section. The 86
	131	+	authority shall submit such final decision, in accordance with the 87
	132	+	provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing 88
	133	+	committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 89
	134	+	relating to energy. 90
	135	+	(e) The authority may from time to time, on its own motion, open a 91
	136	+	docket to revise the minimum staffing and equipment levels 92
	137	+	established pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section, 93
	138	+	pursuant to the requirements of the general statutes and this section. 94
	139	+	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
	140	+	sections:
	141	+
	142	+	Section 1 from passage New section
	143	+
	144	+	ET Joint Favorable
79	145