(a) The General Assembly finds that if the earnings of electric, gas, telephone and water public service companies, as defined in § 16-1, are adversely affected by such companies’ conservation and load management programs or other programs promoting the state’s economic development, energy and other policy, those companies will have a disincentive to implement such programs. The General Assembly further finds that in order to further the implementation of such programs the earnings of electric, gas, telephone and water public service companies should be consistent with the principles and guidelines set forth in this section and sections 16-19e and 16-19ll to 16-19oo, inclusive, and 16a-49 notwithstanding participation in conservation and load management programs and other programs authorized by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, promoting the state’s economic development, energy and other policy.

(b) The authority shall, on or before July 1, 1993, implement rate-making and other procedures and practices in order to encourage the implementation of conservation and load management programs and other programs authorized by the authority promoting the state’s economic development, energy and other policy. Such procedures to implement a modification or elimination of any direct relationship between the volume of sales and the earnings of electric, gas, telephone and water public service companies may include the adoption of a sales adjustment clause pursuant to subsection (j) of § 16-19b, or other adjustment clause similar thereto.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of § 16-19e, in a proceeding under subsection (a) of § 16-19 the authority shall consider for an electric, gas, telephone or water public service company, as defined in § 16-1, in establishing the company’s authorized return within the range of reasonable rates of return: Quality, reliability and cost of service provided by the company, the reduced or shifted demand for electricity, gas or water resulting from the company’s conservation and load management programs approved by the authority, the company’s successful implementation of programs supporting economic development of the state and the company’s success in decreasing or constraining dependence on the use of petroleum or any other criteria consistent with the state energy or other policy. The authority may also establish other performance-based incentives both related and unrelated to the company’s rate of return designed to implement the purposes of said sections 16-19e, 16-19kk to 16-19oo, inclusive, and 16a-49.

(d) In any proceeding before the authority in which a company seeks beneficial rate treatment pursuant to this section, the Office of Consumer Counsel may retain independent experts to provide analysis, evaluation and testimony to address the issue of the appropriateness of such beneficial treatment under consideration in the proceeding, and all reasonable and proper expenses, to provide such analysis, evaluation and testimony, to a maximum of fifty thousand dollars per proceeding, shall be paid by the company and shall be proper rate-making expenses.

(e) The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to carry out the purposes of this section.