Montana Code 69-3-1408. Universal system benefits programs — establishing nonbypassable rate — exemption
69-3-1408. Universal system benefits programs — establishing nonbypassable rate — exemption. (1) Except as provided in subsection (4), a natural gas utility shall implement, upon commission approval and subject to ongoing commission oversight and direction, a universal system benefits program.
Terms Used In Montana Code 69-3-1408
- commission: means the public service commission provided for in 2-15-2602. See Montana Code 69-1-101
- Natural gas utility: means a utility regulated by the commission on May 2, 1997, that provides natural gas services to the public. See Montana Code 69-3-1402
- Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Montana Code 1-1-201
- Transmission services provider: means a person controlling or operating transmission facilities. See Montana Code 69-3-1402
- Universal system benefits charge: means a nonbypassable rate or charge to be imposed on a customer to pay the customer's share of universal system benefits program costs. See Montana Code 69-3-1402
- Universal system benefits programs: means public purpose programs for cost-effective local energy conservation, low-income energy bill discounts, low-income weatherization, and emergency low-income energy bill assistance. See Montana Code 69-3-1402
(2)Except as provided in subsection (4), the commission shall establish a universal system benefits charge that natural gas transmission services providers or distribution services providers, or both, in the state of Montana shall charge to all end-use customers, taking into consideration the current level of expenditure by the natural gas utility, cost-effectiveness, and similar costs imposed in other states. The charge may be established and revised through a universal system benefits charge tracking procedure. The method of assessing the charge may not disproportionately burden a large transmission services provider‘s customers. Within the universal system benefits charge, beginning January 1, 2007, a natural gas utility’s minimum annual funding requirement for low-income weatherization and low-income energy bill assistance is established at 0.42% of a natural gas utility’s annual revenue for the previous year. A natural gas utility must receive credit for its internal programs or activities that qualify as universal system benefits programs.
(3)Except as provided in subsection (4), a natural gas utility shall file an annual report of its universal system benefits charges, programs, and program funding levels with the commission in a manner prescribed by the commission.
(4)A natural gas utility that serves 200 or fewer customers is exempt from the requirements of subsections (1) through (3).