97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
SB1396

 

Introduced 2/9/2011, by Sen. Mike Jacobs

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
220 ILCS 5/16-117

    Amends the Public Utilities Act. Makes a technical change in a provision concerning the Commission consumer education program.


LRB097 09365 ASK 49500 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB1396LRB097 09365 ASK 49500 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing
5Section 16-117 as follows:
 
6    (220 ILCS 5/16-117)
7    Sec. 16-117. Commission consumer education program.
8    (a) The restructuring of the the electricity industry will
9create a new electricity market with new marketers and sellers
10offering new goods and services, many of which the average
11consumer will not be able to readily evaluate. It is the intent
12of the General Assembly that (i) electricity consumers be
13provided with sufficient and reliable information so that they
14are able to compare and make informed selections of products
15and services provided in the electricity market; and (ii)
16mechanisms be provided to enable consumers to protect
17themselves from marketing practices that are unfair or abusive.
18    (b) The Commission shall implement and maintain a consumer
19education program to provide residential and small commercial
20retail customers with information to help them understand their
21service options in a competitive electric services market, and
22their rights and responsibilities.
23    (c) The Commission shall form a working group following the

 

 

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1enactment of this amendatory Act of 1997. This group shall
2consist of 5 representatives of the investor-owned electric
3utilities in this State, 2 of which shall be appointed by
4electric utilities serving over 1,000,000 retail customers in
5this State; 2 representatives of alternative retail electric
6suppliers; 3 representatives of organizations representing the
7interests of residential and small commercial retail
8customers; and the Commission.
9    (d) By March 1, 1999, with respect to educational materials
10for small commercial customers and by November 1, 2001 with
11respect to educational materials for residential customers,
12the working group appointed pursuant to this Section shall
13develop a package of printed educational materials which meet
14the requirements of subsection (e) and shall submit such
15package to the Commission for approval, along with
16recommendations for implementing this consumer education
17program. Such materials shall consider the needs of different
18types of consumers in this State, such as elderly, low-income,
19multilingual, minority, rural and disabled customers. The
20working group shall issue recommendations to the Commission on
21how such education program can be implemented through a variety
22of communication methods, including specifically mass media,
23distribution of printed material, public service
24announcements, and posting on the Internet.
25    (e) At a minimum, the materials constituting the consumer
26education program submitted to the Commission by the working

 

 

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1group shall include concise explanations or descriptions of the
2following:
3        (1) the structure of the electric utility industry
4    following this amendatory Act of 1997 and a glossary of
5    basic terms;
6        (2) the choices available to consumers to take electric
7    service from an alternative retail electric supplier or
8    remain as a retail customer of an electric utility;
9        (3) a customer's rights, risks and responsibilities in
10    receiving service from an alternative retail electric
11    supplier or remaining as a retail customer of an electric
12    utility;
13        (4) the legal obligations of alternative retail
14    electric suppliers;
15        (5) those services that may be offered on a competitive
16    basis in a deregulated electric services market, including
17    services that could be packaged with the delivery of
18    electric power and energy;
19        (6) services that an electric utility is required to
20    provide pursuant to tariffed rates;
21        (7) the components of a bill that could be received by
22    a customer taking delivery services;
23        (8) the complaint procedures set forth in Section
24    10-108 of this Act by which consumers may seek a redress of
25    grievances against an electric utility or an alternative
26    retail electric supplier and a list of phone numbers of the

 

 

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1    Commission, the Attorney General or other entities that can
2    provide information and assistance to customers; and
3        (9) additional information available from the
4    Commission upon request.
5    (f) Within 45 days following the submission required of the
6working group by subsection (d) of this Section, the Commission
7shall approve or disapprove the educational materials and
8recommendations for program implementation. The Commission
9shall be deemed to have approved the educational program
10materials and recommendations unless the Commission
11disapproves of any such material or recommendation within 45
12days following the date of receipt.
13    (g) Once approved by the Commission, materials comprising
14the consumer education program contemplated by this Section
15shall be distributed as follows:
16        (1) Electric utilities shall mail printed educational
17    materials specified by the working group and approved by
18    the Commission (a) to all residential and small commercial
19    retail customers within a reasonable period prior to the
20    date that such customers become eligible to purchase power
21    from alternative retail electric suppliers, such
22    "reasonable period" to be determined by the Commission; and
23    (b) once the applicable customer class becomes eligible to
24    receive delivery services, to all new residential and small
25    commercial retail customers at the time that such customers
26    begin taking services from the electric utility.

 

 

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1        (2) Alternative retail electric suppliers shall
2    include such materials with all initial mailings to
3    potential residential and small commercial retail
4    customers but in all circumstances prior to the time by
5    which an alternative retail electric supplier executes any
6    agreements or contracts with such customers for the supply
7    of electric services.
8        (3) Both electric utilities and alternative retail
9    electric suppliers shall provide such materials at no
10    charge to residential and small commercial retail
11    customers upon request.
12        (4) The Commission shall make available upon request
13    and at no charge, and shall make available to the public on
14    the Internet through the State of Illinois World Wide Web
15    Site:
16            (A) all printed educational materials developed by
17        the working group and approved by the Commission;
18            (B) a list of all certified alternative retail
19        electric suppliers serving residential and small
20        commercial retail customers within the service
21        territory of each electric utility;
22            (C) a list of alternative retail electric
23        suppliers serving residential or small commercial
24        retail customers which have been found in the last 3
25        years by the Commission pursuant to Section 10-108 to
26        have failed to provide service in accordance with the

 

 

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1        terms of their contracts with such retail customers;
2        and
3            (D) guidelines to assist customers in determining
4        which energy supplier is most appropriate for each
5        customer.
6    (h) The Commission may also adopt a uniform disclosure form
7which alternative retail electric suppliers would be required
8to complete enabling consumers to compare prices, terms and
9conditions offered by such suppliers.
10    (i) The Commission shall make available to the public staff
11with the ability and knowledge to respond to consumer
12inquiries.
13    (j) The costs of printing educational materials approved by
14the Commission pursuant to this Section shall be payable solely
15from funding as provided in this subsection.
16    Each year the General Assembly shall appropriate money to
17the Commission from the General Revenue Fund for the expenses
18of the Commission associated with this Section. The cost of the
19consumer education program contemplated by this Section shall
20not exceed the amount of such appropriation. In no event shall
21any electric utility, alternative retail electric supplier or
22customer be liable for the costs of printing consumer education
23program material in accordance with this Section. The
24obligations associated with this consumer education program
25shall not exceed the amounts appropriated for this program
26pursuant to this Section.

 

 

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1    (k) The Commission shall study the effectiveness of the
2consumer education program. Such study shall include a notice
3and an opportunity for participation and comment by all
4interested and potentially affected parties. Such study shall
5be completed by January 31st of each year during the mandatory
6transition period and a summary thereof, together with any
7legislative recommendations, shall be included in the
8Commission's Annual Report due in accordance with Section 4-304
9of this Act.
10(Source: P.A. 90-561, eff. 12-16-97.)