Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0630 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2025 -- S 0630
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7	7	LC001883
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9	9	S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- TRANSPARENCY IN ELECTRIC
16	16	AND GAS BILLS ACT
17	17	Introduced By: Senators Rogers, and de la Cruz
18	18	Date Introduced: March 07, 2025
19	19	Referred To: Senate Commerce
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22	22	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
23	23	SECTION 1. Findings. 1
24	24	The general assembly finds and declares that ensuring transparency in the electric and gas 2
25	25	billing process is a matter of critical public importance. Consumers have a right to clearly 3
26	26	understand the components of their utility bills including, but not limited to, supply charges, 4
27	27	delivery charges, and any public policy costs related to renewable energy and public benefits 5
28	28	programs. To further these goals, it is imperative that utility companies provide detailed 6
29	29	breakdowns of these charges in an easily understandable manner on each bill. 7
30	30	SECTION 2. Title 39 of the General Laws entitled "PUBLIC UTILITIES AND 8
31	31	CARRIERS" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 9
32	32	CHAPTER 36 10
33	33	TRANSPARENCY IN ELECTRIC AND GAS BILLS ACT 11
34	34	39-36-1. Short title. 12
35	35	This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Transparency in Electric and Gas 13
36	36	Bills Act". 14
37	37	39-36-2. Definitions. 15
38	38	For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and terms have the following 16
39	39	meanings: 17
40	40	(1) "Supply charges" means the cost of generating or procuring electricity or gas for the 18
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44	44	customer. 1
45	45	(2) "Delivery charges" means the cost associated with the transmission and distribution of 2
46	46	electricity or gas to the customer’s premises. 3
47	47	(3) "Public policy" costs refers to costs mandated by federal, state, or local policy to support 4
48	48	renewable energy mandates, energy efficiency programs, and public benefits programs. 5
49	49	(4) "Renewable energy sources" refers to energy generation from wind, solar, hydro, 6
50	50	geothermal, or any other sources deemed renewable by the public utilities commission (“PUC”). 7
51	51	39-36-3. Utility bill breakdown requirements. 8
52	52	(a) Beginning on July 1, 2025, all electric and gas utilities operating in the state shall 9
53	53	include, on each bill issued to a residential or commercial customer, a clear and itemized breakdown 10
54	54	of all charges. This breakdown shall include the following: 11
55	55	(1) Supply charges. A clear itemization of the charges for electricity and gas supply, 12
56	56	including a separate line item indicating the portion of the supply charge attributable to each 13
57	57	renewable energy source, broken down by wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, and any other renewable 14
58	58	sources, utilized by the utility to meet the customer’s needs. 15
59	59	(2) Delivery charges. A separate line item indicating the charges for the delivery of 16
60	60	electricity or gas to the customer’s premises. 17
61	61	(3) Public policy costs. A separate line item indicating all public policy costs associated 18
62	62	with the customer’s bill. This shall include, but not be limited to, costs for renewable energy credits 19
63	63	(hereinafter referred to in this chapter as “RECs”), energy efficiency programs, and other programs 20
64	64	related to state or federal renewable energy mandates. 21
65	65	(4) Breakdown of renewable energy mandates. A further itemization within the supply 22
66	66	charges to indicate the costs associated with specific renewable energy mandates. Each renewable 23
67	67	energy mandate should be individually identified with an associated cost breakdown including, but 24
68	68	not limited to: 25
69	69	(i) Wind energy mandates; 26
70	70	(ii) Solar energy mandates; 27
71	71	(iii) Hydro energy mandates; 28
72	72	(iv) Geothermal energy mandates; or 29
73	73	(v) Any other renewable energy mandates. 30
74	74	(b) The bill shall provide an explanation of how the customer’s costs for each renewable 31
75	75	energy source are determined, including the methodology used to allocate these costs and the 32
76	76	percentage of the customer’s supply charge attributed to each renewable energy source. 33
77	77	(c) The utility shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that this breakdown is presented in a 34
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81	81	user-friendly format that is easily readable and comprehensible to a typical residential or 1
82	82	commercial customer. 2
83	83	39-36-4. Public comment and review. 3
84	84	(a) Beginning on January 1, 2026, each utility shall submit to the public utilities 4
85	85	commission (“PUC”) a proposed plan for the implementation of the bill breakdown requirements 5
86	86	outlined in this chapter. The plan shall include sample bills and any technology or processes 6
87	87	required to ensure compliance with this section. 7
88	88	(b) The PUC shall hold a public comment period on the proposed bill breakdown plans for 8
89	89	a period of no less than sixty (60) days, during which time stakeholders, including residential and 9
90	90	commercial customers, consumer advocacy organizations, and other interested parties, may 10
91	91	provide feedback on the proposed plans. 11
92	92	(c) The PUC shall consider all comments and make any necessary revisions to the proposed 12
93	93	plans before approving the final implementation standards for the bill breakdown requirements. 13
94	94	39-36-5. Enforcement and compliance. 14
95	95	(a) Utilities shall be required to implement the finalized billing breakdown plans no later 15
96	96	than one year after the PUC approval of the final plan. 16
97	97	(b) The PUC shall have the authority to enforce compliance with the provisions of this 17
98	98	chapter. Any utility found in violation of these requirements shall be subject to penalties as 18
99	99	determined by the PUC including, but not limited to, fines or remedial actions to ensure 19
100	100	compliance. 20
101	101	39-36-6. Public outreach and education. 21
102	102	(a) The PUC shall conduct a public outreach and education campaign to ensure that 22
103	103	residential and commercial customers are aware of the changes to the billing system and can 23
104	104	understand the new bill breakdown. The outreach program may include, but is not limited to, public 24
105	105	service announcements, educational materials, and online resources. 25
106	106	(b) The PUC shall provide utilities with guidance and resources on best practices for 26
107	107	explaining the new breakdown of charges to customers, particularly focusing on the renewable 27
108	108	energy mandate breakdown. 28
109	109	SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. 29
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116	116	EXPLANATION
117	117	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
118	118	OF
119	119	A N A C T
120	120	RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- TRANSPARENCY IN ELECTRIC
121	121	AND GAS BILLS ACT
122	122	***
123	123	This act would require electric and gas utilities to provide a detailed breakdown of supply, 1
124	124	delivery, and public policy costs on electric and gas bills, including specific costs for renewable 2
125	125	energy sources, and mandates public comment and PUC approval. 3
126	126	This act would take effect upon passage. 4
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