Increases the number of commissioners of the public service commission to eight; requires the commission to have a duty to protect public interest, including ensuring access to utility services for residential and business customers; prohibits commissioners from having been employed within the last two years by an electric, gas, steam, telecommunications, or water utility that is regulated by the commission.
Requires respective changes to service and delivery charges for gas or electric service to be included in the information regarding average proposed rate changes required to be published by the public service commission in certain instances.
Requires legislative approval of any utility rate or charge increase approved by the public service commission; provides that the legislature can approve, modify or rescind any rate or charge increase approved by the commission by concurrent resolution; provides that the legislature can review any rate or charge increase approved in the prior 12 months.
Requires respective changes to service and delivery charges for gas or electric service to be included in the information regarding average proposed rate changes required to be published by the public service commission in certain instances.
Enacts the "disadvantaged communities commitment act"; requires investor-owned energy utilities to collect and publish data on disadvantaged communities in certain service areas and file such statistics with the public service commission.