2009 Connecticut Code
Title 16 Public Service Companies
Chapter 283 Department Of Public Utility Control: Telegraph, Telephone, Illuminating, Power And Water Companies
Sec. 16-244d. Education outreach program for electric deregulation. Consumer Education Advisory Council established. Determination of environmental costs and benefits of energy sources.

      Sec. 16-244d. Education outreach program for electric deregulation. Consumer Education Advisory Council established. Determination of environmental costs and benefits of energy sources. (a) Not later than December 1, 1998, the Department of Public Utility Control shall develop a comprehensive public education outreach program to educate customers about the implementation of retail competition among electric suppliers, as defined in section 16-1. The goals of the program shall be to maximize public information, minimize customer confusion and equip all customers to participate in a restructured generation market. The program shall include, but not be limited to: (1) The dissemination of information through mass media, interactive approaches and written materials with the goal of reaching every electric customer; (2) the conduct of public forums in different geographical areas of the state to foster public input and provide opportunities for an exchange of questions and answers; (3) involvement of community-based organizations in developing messages and in devising and implementing education strategies; (4) targeted efforts to reach rural, low income, elderly, foreign language, disabled, ethnic minority and other traditionally underserved populations; and (5) periodic evaluations of the effectiveness of educational efforts. The department shall assign one individual within the department to coordinate the outreach program and oversee the education process. The department shall begin to implement the outreach program not later than January 1, 1999.

      (b) There shall be established a Consumer Education Advisory Council which shall advise the outreach program coordinator on the development and implementation of the outreach program until the termination of the standard offer under section 16-244c. Membership of the advisory council shall be established by the Consumer Counsel not later than December 1, 1998, and shall include, but not be limited to, representatives of the Department of Public Utility Control, the Office of Consumer Counsel, the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of Policy and Management, the Department of Environmental Protection, community and business organizations, consumer groups, including, but not limited to, a group that represents hardship customers, as defined in section 16-262c, electric distribution companies and electric suppliers. The advisory council shall determine the information to be distributed to customers as part of the education effort such as customers' rights and obligations in a restructured environment, how customers can exercise their right to participate in retail access, the types of electric suppliers expected to be licensed including the possibility of load aggregation, electric generation services options that will be available, the environmental characteristics of different types of generation facilities and other information determined by the advisory council to be necessary for customers. The advisory council shall advise the outreach program coordinator on the methods of distributing information in accordance with subsection (a) of this section and the timing of such distribution. The advisory council shall meet on a regular basis and report to the outreach program coordinator as it deems appropriate until termination of the advisory council's role upon the termination of the standard offer under section 16-244c.

      (c) Not later than December 1, 1998, the Department of Public Utility Control shall submit a report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy, outlining the scope of the education outreach program developed by the department and identifying the individual acting as outreach program coordinator and the membership of the advisory council.

      (d) The department may retain a consultant in accordance with section 16-18a to assist in developing and implementing the public education outreach program, provided the authorization to retain such consultant shall expire December 31, 2005. The reasonable and proper expenses for retaining the consultant and implementing the outreach program shall be reimbursed through the systems benefits charge as provided in subsection (b) of said section 16-18a.

      (e) The advisory council shall, in consultation with the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering and the New England Conference of Public Utility Commissioners, analyze the environmental costs and benefits of the following categories of energy sources: (1) Class I renewable energy sources by type; (2) Class II renewable energy sources by type; (3) facilities using coal, natural gas, oil or other petroleum products as fuel which facilities are subject to the New Source Performance Standards in the federal Clean Air Act for such facilities; (4) facilities using coal, natural gas, oil or other petroleum products as fuel which facilities are not subject to the New Source Performance Standards; (5) nuclear power generating facilities; and (6) hydropower that does not meet the criteria for a Class II renewable energy source. The advisory council shall establish uniform standards for the disclosure of information to allow customers to easily compare rates of air pollutant emissions and the resource mix of various energy sources of electric suppliers.

      (f) The Department of Public Utility Control, in consultation with the Office of Consumer Counsel, shall establish a program for the dissemination of information regarding electric suppliers. Such program shall require electric distribution companies to distribute an informational summary on electric suppliers to any new customer and to existing customers beginning on January 1, 2004, and semiannually thereafter. Such informational summary shall be developed by the department and shall include, but not be limited to, the name of each licensed electric supplier, the state where the supplier is based, information on whether the supplier has active offerings for either residential or commercial and industrial consumers, the telephone number and Internet address of the supplier, and information as to whether the supplier offers electric generation services from renewable energy sources in excess of the portfolio standards established pursuant to section 16-245a. The department shall include pricing information in the informational summary to the extent the department determines feasible. The department shall post the informational summary in a conspicuous place on its website and provide electronic links to the website of each supplier. The department shall update the informational summary on its website on at least a quarterly basis.

      (g) The Department of Public Utility Control, in consultation with the Office of Consumer Counsel and the Consumer Education Advisory Council, shall, not later than October 1, 2003, develop a plan for the restart of the education outreach program on or before October 1, 2004, and submit, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, such plan to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy and technology.

      (P.A. 98-28, S. 17, 117; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 18, 131; P.A. 03-135, S. 5.)

      History: P.A. 98-28 effective July 1, 1998; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 extended the authority of the Department of Public Utility Control to retain consultants for implementing the public education outreach program from December 31, 2000, to December 31, 2005, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 03-135 added new Subsec. (f) re program for the dissemination of information re electric suppliers and added new Subsec. (e) re the restart of the education outreach program, effective July 1, 2003.