Virginia Code 30-205.1: (Expires July 1, 2029) Ratepayer impact statements for electric utility regulation
A. As used in this section:
Terms Used In Virginia Code 30-205.1
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245
“Ratepayer” means a residential, commercial, or industrial customer who is billed for the consumption of electricity by an electric utility in the Commonwealth.
“Ratepayer impact statement” means a statement prepared using data or other relevant information to estimate the potential impact on ratepayers’ electric bills of proposed legislation related to electric utilities.
B. Upon the request by the Chairman for the House Committee on Commerce and Energy or the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor, the Commission shall prepare a ratepayer impact statement for any proposed legislation related to electric utility regulation specified by such Chairman. Each such Chairman may request up to five ratepayer impact statements in any given regular or special session of the General Assembly. Additionally, upon the request of any other member of the General Assembly, the Commission, at the Commission’s discretion, may prepare a ratepayer impact statement for any proposed legislation related to electric utility regulation specified by such member.
C. The Commission shall provide any such ratepayer impact statement to the requesting Chairman or member, the patron of the legislation, and the members of any committee considering the legislation.
D. Upon request of the Commission, the State Corporation Commission, the Office of the Attorney General, and all agencies of the Commonwealth shall expeditiously provide the Commission with assistance in the preparation of any ratepayer impact statement including providing the Commission with any necessary data or other relevant information.
E. The Commission shall ensure that any ratepayer impact statement provides a neutral and accurate analysis of the potential impact on ratepayers’ electric bills of the proposed legislation. Any ratepayer impact statement shall include the methodology used by the Commission to prepare such ratepayer impact statement.