ELECTRICITY DISCLOSURES - S.B. 1260 (S-1): FLOOR ANALYSIS
Senate Bill 1260 (Substitute S-1 as reported)
Sponsor: Senator Burton Leland
Committee: Technology and Energy
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Public Service Commission (PSC) enabling Act to require the PSC to establish minimum standards for the form and content of all disclosures, explanations, or sales information disseminated by persons selling electric service, to ensure that they provided adequate, accurate, and understandable information about the service that enabled a customer to make an informed decision relating to the source and type of electric service purchased. The standards could not be unduly burdensome or unnecessarily delay or inhibit the initiation and development of competition for electric generation service in any market.
Before 2002, the PSC would have to establish a funding mechanism for electric utilities and alternative electric suppliers to carry out an educational program to inform customers of the changes in the provision of electric service, including the availability of alternative suppliers; inform them of requirements relating to disclosures, explanations, or sales information for alternative suppliers; and assist customers in understanding and using the information to make reasonable informed choices about which service to purchase and from whom.
The PSC would have to require that, starting January 1, 2002, all electric suppliers disclose in a standardized, uniform format on a customer's bill with a bill insert, or on customer contracts, information about the environmental characteristics of electricity purchased by the customer, including: the average fuel mix, including categories for oil, gas, coal, solar, hydroelectric, wind, biofuel, nuclear, solid waste incineration, biomass (dedicated crops grown for energy production and organic waste), and other fuel sources; the average emissions, in pounds per megawatt hour, of high-level nuclear waste generated, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and oxides of nitrogen; and the regional average fuel mix and emissions profile.
The PSC also would have to establish the "Michigan Renewables Energy Program", to inform customers about the availability and value of using renewable energy generation and the potential of reduced pollution.
The bill is tie-barred to Senate Bill 937.
Proposed MCL 460.10r & 460.10s - Legislative Analyst: S. Lowe
FISCAL IMPACT
Since there is no fund source identified for the "Michigan Renewables Energy Program", the fiscal impact is indeterminate.
Date Completed: 5-18-00 - Fiscal Analyst: M. Tyszkiewiczfloor\sb1260 - Analysis available @ http://www.michiganlegislature.org
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.