2010 Wisconsin Code
Chapter 196. Regulation of public utilities.
196.20 Rules on service; changes in rates.

196.20

196.20 Rules on service; changes in rates.

196.20(1)

(1) The rate schedules of any public utility shall include all rules applicable to the rendition or discontinuance of the service to which the rates specified in the schedules are applicable. No change may be made by any public utility in its schedules except by filing the change as proposed with the commission. Except for a telecommunications utility, no change in any public utility rule which purports to curtail the obligation or undertaking of service of the public utility shall be effective without the written approval of the commission after hearing, except that the commission, by emergency order, may make the rule, as filed, effective from the date of the order, pending final approval of the rule after hearing.

196.20(1m)

(1m)

196.20(1m)(a)

(a) A telecommunications utility may discontinue a service to an exchange if the service is optional and not essential to the provision of basic local exchange service, business access line and usage service within a local calling area or access services, or if one or more other telecommunications providers, whether or not the telecommunications providers are telecommunications utilities or otherwise subject to this chapter, are furnishing substantially the same telecommunications service to customers in the exchange, or if reasonable alternative services are available from the utility or other telecommunications providers.

196.20(1m)(b)

(b) A telecommunications utility proposing to discontinue a service to an exchange shall file a notice of discontinuance of service with the commission, publish the notice in a newspaper of general circulation within the exchange, and provide other notice as reasonably required by the commission. Written notice of the discontinuation of a service under this subsection shall be given to affected customers.

196.20(1m)(c)

(c) Within 30 days after the date of publication of the notice, the commission, on its own motion or on the application of a person or other telecommunications utility, may initiate an investigation to determine if the discontinuance of service is authorized under this subsection. Following an opportunity for hearing, the commission may order the continued provision of any service not authorized to be discontinued.

196.20(1m)(d)

(d) The commission shall determine when and under what conditions a telecommunications utility may discontinue basic local exchange service, basic message telecommunications service or any element of universal service to an exchange or part of an exchange.

196.20(2)

(2)

196.20(2)(a)

(a) Except for a telecommunications utility, a proposed change which constitutes a decrease in rates shall be effective at the time specified in the change as filed but not earlier than 10 days after the date of filing the change with the commission, unless any of the following occurs:

196.20(2)(a)1.

1. During the 10-day period the commission, either upon complaint or upon its own motion, by order, suspends the operation of the proposed change.

196.20(2)(a)2.

2. The commission, upon application of any public utility, directs that a proposed reduction in rates be made effective less than 10 days after filing the proposed reduction.

196.20(2)(am)

(am) For telecommunications utilities, a proposed change which constitutes a decrease in rates shall be effective at the time specified in the tariff as filed unless the commission, either upon complaint or upon its own motion, finds after investigation and hearing that the rate reduction violates s. 196.204 or 196.219. Upon such a finding, the commission may order changes in the rates, terms and conditions.

196.20(2)(b)

(b)

196.20(2)(b)1.

1. A suspension under par. (a) 1. shall be effective for a period not exceeding 4 months, during which period the commission shall investigate any matter relative to the reasonableness or lawfulness of any change in schedule as filed. After the investigation the commission, by order, shall approve or disapprove the change, except as provided under subd. 2. The commission shall give the public utility proposing the change an opportunity for hearing prior to issuing any order disapproving a change. If the commission disapproves the change, the change shall be ineffective.

196.20(2)(b)2.

2. If the commission orders a suspension under par. (a) 1., the commission, after notice to the public utility of its objections to the change and after giving the public utility an opportunity to be heard on the objections, may prescribe a schedule which, revised on the basis of the objections, the commission finds to be lawful and reasonable instead of disapproving the schedule under subd. 1.

196.20(2m)

(2m) Except as provided under sub. (5) and ss. 196.193, 196.195 (12) and 196.196, no change in schedules which constitutes an increase in rates to consumers may be made except by order of the commission, after an investigation and opportunity for hearing. The commission may waive a hearing under this subsection for a proposed change in a telecommunications utility schedule. By rule or order, the commission shall specify the notice and procedural requirements applicable to a telecommunications utility proposal for which a hearing is waived.

196.20(2r)

(2r) In setting the rates charged for basic residential local exchange telecommunications service under this section in local exchange areas served by the same telecommunications utility, the commission may investigate those areas where changes in these rates may be warranted because of the number of access lines accessible from the local exchange area.

196.20(3)

(3) Except as provided in subs. (1m) and (5) (a), this section does not apply to telecommunications cooperatives, unincorporated telecommunications cooperative associations, or small telecommunications utilities unless made subject to this section under s. 196.205 or 196.215 (2).

196.20(4)

(4)

196.20(4)(a)

(a) In this subsection:

196.20(4)(a)1.

1. "Automatic adjustment clause" means a provision included in the rate schedule of an electric public utility after investigation, notice and hearing which permits the electric public utility to recover in rates, without prior hearing and order of the commission, an increase in costs incurred by the electric public utility.

196.20(4)(a)2.

2. "Electric public utility" means a public utility whose purpose is the generation, transmission, delivery or furnishing of electric power but does not include a public utility owned and operated wholly by a municipality or cooperative and does not include any public utility which purchases, under federal or state approved wholesale rates, more than 50% of its electric power requirements from other than an affiliated interest as defined under s. 196.52. "Electric public utility" does not include any Class A utility, as defined under s. 199.03 (4), whose electric generation equipment has a total capacity of less than 30 megawatts.

196.20(4)(b)

(b) An electric public utility may not recover in rates any increase in cost, including fuel, by means of the operation of an automatic adjustment clause.

196.20(4)(c)

(c)

196.20(4)(c)1.

1. If an electric public utility has an approved fuel cost plan, the commission shall defer any under-collection or over-collection of fuel costs that are outside of the utility's symmetrical fuel cost annual tolerance, as established by the commission, for subsequent rate recovery or refund.

196.20(4)(c)2.

2. The commission may commence a proceeding to adjust rates for an electric public utility outside of a general rate case proceeding if the utility's actual fuel costs are outside of the utility's fuel cost annual tolerance, as established by the commission.

196.20(4)(c)3.

3. Approval of a fuel cost plan and any rate adjustment for deferred fuel costs or refund of over-collected fuel costs shall be determined by the commission after opportunity for hearing.

196.20(4)(d)

(d) The commission shall promulgate a rule to implement this subsection.

196.20(5)

(5)

196.20(5)(a)

(a) This subsection applies to any of the following:

196.20(5)(a)1.

1. A small telecommunications utility subject to this section under s. 196.215 (2) that files with the commission a proposed change in its rate schedules that constitutes an increase in rates, tolls or charges to consumers.

196.20(5)(a)2.

2. A small telecommunications utility subject to this subsection under s. 196.215 (5) to (7).

196.20(5)(b)

(b)

196.20(5)(b)1.

1. If a small telecommunications utility files a proposed change in rate schedule with the commission, it shall file with the proposed change, on a form prescribed by the commission by rule, information sufficient for the commission to consider the proposed change.

196.20(5)(b)1g.

1g. If the commission orders a review of a proposed rate increase under s. 196.215 (5), the small telecommunications utility shall file information sufficient for the commission to consider rates, tolls and charges within 120 days after the date on which the small telecommunications utility receives notice from the commission that it is subject to this subsection.

196.20(5)(b)1r.

1r. If the commission orders a review of rates, tolls or charges under s. 196.215 (6) or (7), the small telecommunications utility shall file information sufficient for the commission to consider rates, tolls and charges within 120 days after the small telecommunications utility receives notice from the commission that it is subject to this subsection.

196.20(5)(b)2.

2. Within 30 days after a small telecommunications utility files information under subds. 1. to 1r., the commission shall inform the small telecommunications utility if any additional information is necessary. The commission may dismiss a proposed rate increase if the small telecommunications utility fails to submit information requested by the commission. A proposed rate increase dismissed under this subdivision may be refiled at any time.

196.20(5)(c)

(c)

196.20(5)(c)1.

1. No later than 14 days after a small telecommunications utility files information under par. (b) 1. to 1r., unless the commission grants an extension, the small telecommunications utility shall send a written notice to all of its consumers and to any other person requesting notice. The notice shall designate a period of time during which the commission will receive written comments in favor of or against the small telecommunications utility's proposed rate increase or the small telecommunications utility's rates, tolls or charges and during which a request for a hearing may be submitted under subd. 2.

196.20(5)(c)2.

2. After a small telecommunications utility sends the notice under subd. 1., any person may submit to the commission a written objection to the proposed rate increase or to rates, tolls or charges or may request a hearing.

196.20(5)(c)3.

3. The commission shall give the small telecommunications utility, commission staff and all parties an opportunity to propose stipulations of facts, identify any issue between the parties and submit arguments in writing on such issues. Unless the commission and the small telecommunications utility agree to a later date, the commission shall serve any proposed stipulation on all parties and shall give any notice required under subd. 4. within 120 days after the commission receives the application for the proposed rate increase or receives the information under par. (b) 1r.

196.20(5)(c)4.

4. The commission shall give any person submitting a written objection or requesting a hearing under subd. 2. notice of a proposed stipulation by regular mail. Within 10 days after the commission mails the notice, a person may submit to the commission a written request for a hearing, specifying his or her interest in the proceeding. If the commission determines that the person is entitled to have all rights of a party under s. 227.44, the commission shall conduct a hearing under s. 227.44. If the notice is returned undelivered or if a person does not request a hearing under this subdivision within 10 days after the commission mails the notice, the person waives the right to request a hearing.

196.20(5)(c)5.

5. The commission shall conduct a hearing under this subsection if a stipulation is not reached on all issues, if the commission determines that a hearing is required under subd. 4. or if the small telecommunications utility or the commission staff requests a hearing. The small telecommunications utility and the commission staff shall serve proposed testimony on all parties at least 10 days before a hearing.

196.20(5)(d)

(d) If the commission does not conduct a hearing under this subsection, a proposed rate increase or change in a rate schedule becomes effective as proposed and any rates, tolls or charges under review under s. 196.215 (6) or (7) may not be altered unless the commission issues a final order no later than 150 days after the commission receives the application or receives the information under par. (b) 1g. and 1r. If the commission conducts a hearing, a proposed rate increase or change in a rate schedule becomes effective as proposed and any rates, tolls or charges under review under s. 196.215 (6) or (7) may not be altered unless the commission issues the final order no later than 180 days after the commission receives the application or receives the information under par. (b) 1g. and 1r. If the commission conducts a hearing, the hearing examiner may extend the time for issuing a final order up to 30 additional days. The commission and the small telecommunications utility may agree in writing to extend the time for issuing a final order.

196.20 - ANNOT.

Cross Reference: See also chs. PSC 116 and 164, Wis. adm. code.

196.20(6)

(6) If a telecommunications utility that is not a small telecommunications utility and that has 150,000 or less access lines in use in this state files with the commission an application for a rate change that constitutes an increase in rates, the rate change becomes effective as proposed unless the commission issues the final order on the application no later than 180 days after the commission receives the application. The hearing examiner may extend the time for issuing a final order up to 30 additional days. The commission and the telecommunications utility may agree in writing to extend the time for issuing a final order.

196.20(7)

(7)

196.20(7)(a)

(a) In this subsection, "mitigation payment" means, as approved by the commission, an unrestricted or recurring monetary payment to a local unit of government in which an electric generating facility is located to mitigate the impact of the electric generating facility on the local unit of government. "Mitigation payment" does not include payments made or in-kind contributions for restricted purposes to directly address health or safety impacts of the electric generating facility on the local unit of government.

196.20(7)(b)

(b) Except as provided in par. (c), an electric public utility may not recover in rates any of the following:

196.20(7)(b)1.

1. The cost of mitigation payments paid by the utility.

196.20(7)(b)2.

2. The cost of mitigation payments paid by the owner or operator of an electric generating facility that the owner or operator recovers from the utility by selling electricity to the utility, by leasing the facility to the utility, or by any agreement between the owner or operator of the electric generating facility and the public utility.

196.20(7)(c)

(c)

196.20(7)(c)1.

1. Except as provided in subd. 2., the commission shall only approve a mitigation payment agreement that is received by the commission before June 10, 2003, and, if the commission finds the agreement to be reasonable, shall not subsequently modify the agreement.

196.20(7)(c)2.

2. If the commission receives a mitigation payment agreement before June 10, 2003, and does not determine that the agreement is unreasonable before November 11, 2003, mitigation payments in accordance with the terms of the agreement shall be recoverable in rates, notwithstanding any subsequent limitations imposed by the commission on the mitigation payments.

196.20 - ANNOT.

History: 1981 c. 148; 1983 a. 27, 53, 461, 502; 1985 a. 182 s. 57; 1985 a. 297; 1989 a. 344; 1993 a. 496; 1995 a. 27, 363; 1997 a. 27; 2003 a. 89; 2005 a. 337, 441; 2009 a. 403.

196.20 - ANNOT.

A utility's expanded adjustment clause violated the requirement of public hearings prior to rate increases under sub. (2) [now sub. (2m)]. Wisconsin Environmental Decade, Inc. v. PSC, 81 Wis. 2d 344, 260 N.W.2d 712.

196.20 - ANNOT.

The inclusion of nuclear fuel in an adjustment clause did not violate sub. (2) [now sub. (2m)]. Wisconsin Environmental Decade, Inc. v. PSC, 105 Wis. 2d 457, 313 N.W.2d 863 (Ct. App. 1981).

196.20 - ANNOT.

Sub. (2m) requires a utility to charge only those rates that have been filed with the PSC in conformity with applicable statutes. Filed rates are those rates filed in compliance with applicable statutes, including those under sub. (2m) for changes in schedules that increase rates. CenturyTel of the Midwest-Kendall, Inc. v. PSC, 2002 WI App 236, 257 Wis. 2d 837, 653 N.W.2d 130, 02-0053.