NY State Senate Bill 2019-S7549

Senate Bill S7549

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Requires combination gas and electric corporations, the New York Power Authority, and the Long Island Power Authority to provide an annual transparency statement to customers

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Energy And Telecommunications Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 24, 2020	referred to energy and telecommunications

2019-S7549 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Energy And Telecommunications
Law Section:: Public Service Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §44, Pub Serv L; amd §1005, ren §§1020-jj - 1020-ll to be §§1020-ww - 1020-zz, add §1020-jj, Pub Auth L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: S6335
2021-2022: S4151

2019-S7549 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires combination gas and electric corporations, the New York Power Authority, and the Long Island Power Authority to provide an annual transparency statement to customers detailing certain charges on a gross basis which are included in each customer's delivery service portion of their utility bill.

2019-S7549 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S7549

SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public service law and the public authorities law,
in relation to requiring combination gas and electric corporations, the
New York Power Authority and the Long Island Power Authority to provide
an annual transparency statement to customers

 
PURPOSE:

This bill would require every combination gas and electric corporation,
the New York Power Authority, and the Long Island Power Authority to
provide each customer with an annual transparency statement, which shall
detail charges on a gross basis included in each customer's delivery
service portion of their utility bill including various taxes as well as
charges and costs imposed by the public service commission that are
embedded in the customer bill.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one of the bill provides that commencing on January 1, 2022,
every combination gas and electric corporation, the New York Power
Authority, and the Long Island Power Authority on an annual basis shall
provide each customer with an annual transparency statement which shall
detail charges included in each customer's delivery service portion of
their utility bill, including property taxes, sales and compensating use
taxes, costs and expenses of the Department of Public Service, gross
receipts taxes, franchise and income taxes, MTA authority payroll taxes
and fees, charges and costs imposed by the Public Service Commission
which are embedded in the customer bill.

Section two of the bill sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Electric bills are increasingly complex with numerous components. The
electric industry in New York State is in transition as the Public
Service Commission (PSC) implements Reforming the Energy Vision. In
addition, the Clean Energy Standard has been adopted by the PSC.  These
programs will result in mandates on the utilities, which will translate
into additional costs for electric customers. The charges on the elec-
tric utility bill are simplistically listed for delivery services and
supply services. There are multiple constituent costs included in supply
services, which are continuing to evolve under the new regulatory
regime.

The requirement for utilities, the New York Power Authority, and the
Long Island Power Authority to provide an annual transparency statement
will assist customers in eliminating confusion about their bills. It
will also eliminate the perception by many that the complexity is
designed to conceal the cost structure. An annual transparency statement
provides the consumer with an opportunity to examine and understand what
costs are on their bill. The delineation of charges such as legacy tran-
sition, municipal underground, clean energy deliver, systems benefit,
zero emissions credit, and state and local taxes will provide the
consumer with a detailed view of what is included in the charge and the
percentage impact on their:electric bill. This information will encour-
age customers to be more cognizant of the charges included on their bill
as a result of PSC actions. Many consumers are not aware of these costs,
which are included in the delivery services portion of their bill or
embedded elsewhere in the bill. These various charges constitute signif-
icant cost drivers in their utility bill. This legislation is intended
to increase awareness, which could result in increased public partic-
ipation and interest in the PSC proceedings by members of the general
public.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

A.8288-8, 2018, veto memo 337. Same as S.6335-c, veto memo 337.
A.8288, 2017, referred to corporations, authorities and commissions Same
as S.6335-c, 2017, committed to rules.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2019-S7549 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7549
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 24, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on  Energy  and  Telecommuni-
   cations
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the public service law and the public authorities law,
   in relation to requiring combination gas  and  electric  corporations,
   the  New  York  Power Authority and the Long Island Power Authority to
   provide an annual transparency statement to customers
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 44 of the public service law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision 6 to read as follows:
   6.  COMMENCING ON JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-TWO, EVERY COMBI-
 NATION GAS AND ELECTRIC CORPORATION ON AN ANNUAL  BASIS,  SHALL  PROVIDE
 EACH  CUSTOMER  WITH AN ANNUAL TRANSPARENCY STATEMENT WHICH SHALL DETAIL
 THE FOLLOWING CHARGES ON A  GROSS  BASIS  WHICH  ARE  INCLUDED  IN  EACH
 CUSTOMER'S DELIVERY SERVICE PORTION OF THEIR UTILITY BILL, INCLUDING BUT
 NOT  LIMITED  TO:  (I)  PROPERTY  TAXES; (II) SALES AND COMPENSATING USE
 TAXES; (III) COSTS AND EXPENSES OF THE COMMISSION AND DEPARTMENT  PURSU-
 ANT  TO  SECTION  EIGHTEEN-A OF THIS CHAPTER; (IV) GROSS RECEIPTS TAXES;
 (V) FRANCHISE AND INCOME TAXES; (VI) METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHOR-
 ITY PAYROLL TAXES; AND (VII) FEES, CHARGES  AND  COSTS  IMPOSED  BY  THE
 PUBLIC  SERVICE COMMISSION WHICH ARE EMBEDDED IN THE CUSTOMER BILL. SUCH
 FEES, CHARGES AND COSTS SHALL INCLUDE COSTS FROM THE  IMPLEMENTATION  OF
 REFORMING ENERGY VISION, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCES
 AND  ZERO  EMISSION CREDITS. SUCH TRANSPARENCY STATEMENT SHALL PROVIDE A
 PERCENTAGE OF THE FOREGOING CHARGES AS APPLIED TO THE AVERAGE BILL OF  A
 CUSTOMER OF SUCH UTILITY.
   § 2. Section 1005 of the public authorities law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision 28 to read as follows:
   28. COMMENCING ON JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-TWO, THE AUTHORI-
 TY, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, SHALL PROVIDE EACH CUSTOMER WITH AN ANNUAL TRAN-
 SPARENCY  STATEMENT  WHICH SHALL DETAIL THE FOLLOWING CHARGES ON A GROSS
 BASIS WHICH ARE INCLUDED IN EACH CUSTOMER'S DELIVERY SERVICE PORTION  OF
 THEIR  UTILITY  BILL,  INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: (I) PROPERTY TAXES;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07018-02-0

 S. 7549                             2
 
 (II) SALES AND COMPENSATING USE TAXES; (III) COSTS AND EXPENSES  OF  THE
 AUTHORITY  AND  THE  PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO SECTION EIGH-
 TEEN-A OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE LAW; (IV) GROSS RECEIPTS TAXES;  (V)  FRAN-
 CHISE  AND  INCOME  TAXES;  (VI)  METROPOLITAN  TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY
 PAYROLL TAXES; AND (VII) FEES, CHARGES AND COSTS IMPOSED BY THE AUTHORI-
 TY WHICH ARE EMBEDDED IN THE CUSTOMER BILL. SUCH FEES, CHARGES AND COSTS
 SHALL INCLUDE COSTS FROM THE IMPLEMENTATION OF REFORMING ENERGY  VISION,
 ENERGY  EFFICIENCY, DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCES AND ZERO EMISSION CRED-
 ITS. SUCH TRANSPARENCY STATEMENT SHALL PROVIDE A PERCENTAGE OF THE FORE-
 GOING CHARGES AS APPLIED TO THE AVERAGE BILL OF A CUSTOMER OF SUCH UTIL-
 ITY.
   § 3. Sections 1020-jj, 1020-kk, 1020-ll  and  1020-ll  of  the  public
 authorities  law, sections 1020-jj, 1020-kk and 1020-ll as renumbered by
 chapter 520 of the laws of 2018, and section 1020-ll  as  renumbered  by
 chapter  415 of the laws of 2017, are renumbered sections 1020-ww, 1020-
 xx, 1020-yy, and 1020-zz and a new section 1020-jj is added to  read  as
 follows:
   §  1020-JJ.  CUSTOMER BILLS. COMMENCING ON JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND
 TWENTY-TWO, THE AUTHORITY,  ON  AN  ANNUAL  BASIS,  SHALL  PROVIDE  EACH
 CUSTOMER  WITH  AN  ANNUAL TRANSPARENCY STATEMENT WHICH SHALL DETAIL THE
 FOLLOWING CHARGES ON A GROSS BASIS WHICH ARE INCLUDED IN EACH CUSTOMER'S
 DELIVERY SERVICE PORTION OF THEIR UTILITY BILL, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMIT-
 ED TO: (I) PROPERTY TAXES; (II) SALES AND COMPENSATING USE TAXES;  (III)
 COSTS  AND  EXPENSES  OF THE AUTHORITY AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
 PURSUANT TO SECTION EIGHTEEN-A OF THE PUBLIC  SERVICE  LAW;  (IV)  GROSS
 RECEIPTS TAXES; (V) FRANCHISE AND INCOME TAXES; (VI) METROPOLITAN TRANS-
 PORTATION  AUTHORITY  PAYROLL  TAXES;  AND (VII) FEES, CHARGES AND COSTS
 IMPOSED BY THE AUTHORITY WHICH ARE EMBEDDED IN THE CUSTOMER  BILL.  SUCH
 FEES,  CHARGES  AND COSTS SHALL INCLUDE COSTS FROM THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
 REFORMING ENERGY VISION, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCES
 AND ZERO EMISSION CREDITS. SUCH TRANSPARENCY STATEMENT SHALL  PROVIDE  A
 PERCENTAGE  OF THE FOREGOING CHARGES AS APPLIED TO THE AVERAGE BILL OF A
 CUSTOMER OF SUCH UTILITY.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

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