SB2660eng 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB2660 Engrossed LRB096 17322 MJR 32673 b

AN ACT concerning utilities.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing Section 9-220 as follows:

(220 ILCS 5/9-220) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 9-220)

Sec. 9-220. Rate changes based on changes in fuel costs.

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 9-201, the Commission may authorize the increase or decrease of rates and charges based upon changes in the cost of fuel used in the generation or production of electric power, changes in the cost of purchased power, or changes in the cost of purchased gas through the application of fuel adjustment clauses or purchased gas adjustment clauses. The Commission may also authorize the increase or decrease of rates and charges based upon expenditures or revenues resulting from the purchase or sale of emission allowances created under the federal Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, through such fuel adjustment clauses, as a cost of fuel. For the purposes of this paragraph, cost of fuel used in the generation or production of electric power shall include the amount of any fees paid by the utility for the implementation and operation of a process for the desulfurization of the flue gas when burning high sulfur coal at any location within the State of Illinois irrespective of the attainment status designation of such location; but shall not include transportation costs of coal (i) except to the extent that for contracts entered into on and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997, the cost of the coal, including transportation costs, constitutes the lowest cost for adequate and reliable fuel supply reasonably available to the public utility in comparison to the cost, including transportation costs, of other adequate and reliable sources of fuel supply reasonably available to the public utility, or (ii) except as otherwise provided in the next 3 sentences of this paragraph. Such costs of fuel shall, when requested by a utility or at the conclusion of the utility's next general electric rate proceeding, whichever shall first occur, include transportation costs of coal purchased under existing coal purchase contracts. For purposes of this paragraph "existing coal purchase contracts" means contracts for the purchase of coal in effect on the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1991, as such contracts may thereafter be amended, but only to the extent that any such amendment does not increase the aggregate quantity of coal to be purchased under such contract. Nothing herein shall authorize an electric utility to recover through its fuel adjustment clause any amounts of transportation costs of coal that were included in the revenue requirement used to set base rates in its most recent general rate proceeding. Cost shall be based upon uniformly applied accounting principles. Annually, the Commission shall initiate public hearings to determine whether the clauses reflect actual costs of fuel, gas, power, or coal transportation purchased to determine whether such purchases were prudent, and to reconcile any amounts collected with the actual costs of fuel, power, gas, or coal transportation prudently purchased. In each such proceeding, the burden of proof shall be upon the utility to establish the prudence of its cost of fuel, power, gas, or coal transportation purchases and costs. The Commission shall issue its final order in each such annual proceeding for an electric utility by December 31 of the year immediately following the year to which the proceeding pertains, provided, that the Commission shall issue its final order with respect to such annual proceeding for the years 1996 and earlier by December 31, 1998.

(b) A public utility providing electric service, other than a public utility described in subsections (e) or (f) of this Section, may at any time during the mandatory transition period file with the Commission proposed tariff sheets that eliminate the public utility's fuel adjustment clause and adjust the public utility's base rate tariffs by the amount necessary for the base fuel component of the base rates to recover the public utility's average fuel and power supply costs per kilowatt-hour for the 2 most recent years for which the Commission has issued final orders in annual proceedings pursuant to subsection (a), where the average fuel and power supply costs per kilowatt-hour shall be calculated as the sum of the public utility's prudent and allowable fuel and power supply costs as found by the Commission in the 2 proceedings divided by the public utility's actual jurisdictional kilowatt-hour sales for those 2 years. Notwithstanding any contrary or inconsistent provisions in Section 9-201 of this Act, in subsection (a) of this Section or in any rules or regulations promulgated by the Commission pursuant to subsection (g) of this Section, the Commission shall review and shall by order approve, or approve as modified, the proposed tariff sheets within 60 days after the date of the public utility's filing. The Commission may modify the public utility's proposed tariff sheets only to the extent the Commission finds necessary to achieve conformance to the requirements of this subsection (b). During the 5 years following the date of the Commission's order, but in any event no earlier than January 1, 2007, a public utility whose fuel adjustment clause has been eliminated pursuant to this subsection shall not file proposed tariff sheets seeking, or otherwise petition the Commission for, reinstatement of a fuel adjustment clause.

(c) Notwithstanding any contrary or inconsistent provisions in Section 9-201 of this Act, in subsection (a) of this Section or in any rules or regulations promulgated by the Commission pursuant to subsection (g) of this Section, a public utility providing electric service, other than a public utility described in subsection (e) or (f) of this Section, may at any time during the mandatory transition period file with the Commission proposed tariff sheets that establish the rate per kilowatt-hour to be applied pursuant to the public utility's fuel adjustment clause at the average value for such rate during the preceding 24 months, provided that such average rate results in a credit to customers' bills, without making any revisions to the public utility's base rate tariffs. The proposed tariff sheets shall establish the fuel adjustment rate for a specific time period of at least 3 years but not more than 5 years, provided that the terms and conditions for any reinstatement earlier than 5 years shall be set forth in the proposed tariff sheets and subject to modification or approval by the Commission. The Commission shall review and shall by order approve the proposed tariff sheets if it finds that the requirements of this subsection are met. The Commission shall not conduct the annual hearings specified in the last 3 sentences of subsection (a) of this Section for the utility for the period that the factor established pursuant to this subsection is in effect.

(d) A public utility providing electric service, or a public utility providing gas service may file with the Commission proposed tariff sheets that eliminate the public utility's fuel or purchased gas adjustment clause and adjust the public utility's base rate tariffs to provide for recovery of power supply costs or gas supply costs that would have been recovered through such clause; provided, that the provisions of this subsection (d) shall not be available to a public utility described in subsections (e) or (f) of this Section to eliminate its fuel adjustment clause. Notwithstanding any contrary or inconsistent provisions in Section 9-201 of this Act, in subsection (a) of this Section, or in any rules or regulations promulgated by the Commission pursuant to subsection (g) of this Section, the Commission shall review and shall by order approve, or approve as modified in the Commission's order, the proposed tariff sheets within 240 days after the date of the public utility's filing. The Commission's order shall approve rates and charges that the Commission, based on information in the public utility's filing or on the record if a hearing is held by the Commission, finds will recover the reasonable, prudent and necessary jurisdictional power supply costs or gas supply costs incurred or to be incurred by the public utility during a 12 month period found by the Commission to be appropriate for these purposes, provided, that such period shall be either (i) a 12 month historical period occurring during the 15 months ending on the date of the public utility's filing, or (ii) a 12 month future period ending no later than 15 months following the date of the public utility's filing. The public utility shall include with its tariff filing information showing both (1) its actual jurisdictional power supply costs or gas supply costs for a 12 month historical period conforming to (i) above and (2) its projected jurisdictional power supply costs or gas supply costs for a future 12 month period conforming to (ii) above. If the Commission's order requires modifications in the tariff sheets filed by the public utility, the public utility shall have 7 days following the date of the order to notify the Commission whether the public utility will implement the modified tariffs or elect to continue its fuel or purchased gas adjustment clause in force as though no order had been entered. The Commission's order shall provide for any reconciliation of power supply costs or gas supply costs, as the case may be, and associated revenues through the date that the public utility's fuel or purchased gas adjustment clause is eliminated. During the 5 years following the date of the Commission's order, a public utility whose fuel or purchased gas adjustment clause has been eliminated pursuant to this subsection shall not file proposed tariff sheets seeking, or otherwise petition the Commission for, reinstatement or adoption of a fuel or purchased gas adjustment clause. Nothing in this subsection (d) shall be construed as limiting the Commission's authority to eliminate a public utility's fuel adjustment clause or purchased gas adjustment clause in accordance with any other applicable provisions of this Act.

(e) Notwithstanding any contrary or inconsistent provisions in Section 9-201 of this Act, in subsection (a) of this Section, or in any rules promulgated by the Commission pursuant to subsection (g) of this Section, a public utility providing electric service to more than 1,000,000 customers in this State may, within the first 6 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997, file with the Commission proposed tariff sheets that eliminate, effective January 1, 1997, the public utility's fuel adjustment clause without adjusting its base rates, and such tariff sheets shall be effective upon filing. To the extent the application of the fuel adjustment clause had resulted in net charges to customers after January 1, 1997, the utility shall also file a tariff sheet that provides for a refund stated on a per kilowatt-hour basis of such charges over a period not to exceed 6 months; provided however, that such refund shall not include the proportional amounts of taxes paid under the Use Tax Act, Service Use Tax Act, Service Occupation Tax Act, and Retailers' Occupation Tax Act on fuel used in generation. The Commission shall issue an order within 45 days after the date of the public utility's filing approving or approving as modified such tariff sheet. If the fuel adjustment clause is eliminated pursuant to this subsection, the Commission shall not conduct the annual hearings specified in the last 3 sentences of subsection (a) of this Section for the utility for any period after December 31, 1996 and prior to any reinstatement of such clause. A public utility whose fuel adjustment clause has been eliminated pursuant to this subsection shall not file a proposed tariff sheet seeking, or otherwise petition the Commission for, reinstatement of the fuel adjustment clause prior to January 1, 2007.

(f) Notwithstanding any contrary or inconsistent provisions in Section 9-201 of this Act, in subsection (a) of this Section, or in any rules or regulations promulgated by the Commission pursuant to subsection (g) of this Section, a public utility providing electric service to more than 500,000 customers but fewer than 1,000,000 customers in this State may, within the first 6 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997, file with the Commission proposed tariff sheets that eliminate, effective January 1, 1997, the public utility's fuel adjustment clause and adjust its base rates by the amount necessary for the base fuel component of the base rates to recover 91% of the public utility's average fuel and power supply costs for the 2 most recent years for which the Commission, as of January 1, 1997, has issued final orders in annual proceedings pursuant to subsection (a), where the average fuel and power supply costs per kilowatt-hour shall be calculated as the sum of the public utility's prudent and allowable fuel and power supply costs as found by the Commission in the 2 proceedings divided by the public utility's actual jurisdictional kilowatt-hour sales for those 2 years, provided, that such tariff sheets shall be effective upon filing. To the extent the application of the fuel adjustment clause had resulted in net charges to customers after January 1, 1997, the utility shall also file a tariff sheet that provides for a refund stated on a per kilowatt-hour basis of such charges over a period not to exceed 6 months. Provided however, that such refund shall not include the proportional amounts of taxes paid under the Use Tax Act, Service Use Tax Act, Service Occupation Tax Act, and Retailers' Occupation Tax Act on fuel used in generation. The Commission shall issue an order within 45 days after the date of the public utility's filing approving or approving as modified such tariff sheet. If the fuel adjustment clause is eliminated pursuant to this subsection, the Commission shall not conduct the annual hearings specified in the last 3 sentences of subsection (a) of this Section for the utility for any period after December 31, 1996 and prior to any reinstatement of such clause. A public utility whose fuel adjustment clause has been eliminated pursuant to this subsection shall not file a proposed tariff sheet seeking, or otherwise petition the Commission for, reinstatement of the fuel adjustment clause prior to January 1, 2007.

(g) The Commission shall have authority to promulgate rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this Section.

(h) Any Illinois gas utility may enter into a contract for up to 10 20 years of supply with any company for the purchase of substitute natural gas (SNG) produced from coal through the gasification process if the company has commenced construction of a coal gasification facility by July 1, 2012 in Jefferson County and commencement of construction shall mean that material physical site work has occurred, such as site clearing and excavation, water runoff prevention, water retention reservoir preparation, or foundation development 2010. The contract shall contain the following provisions cost for the SNG is reasonable and prudent and recoverable through the purchased gas adjustment clause for years one through 10 of the contract if: (i) the only coal to be used in the gasification process has high volatile bituminous rank and greater than 1.7 pounds of sulfur per million Btu content; (ii) at the time the contract term commences, the price per million Btu may does not exceed $7.95 in 2008 dollars, adjusted annually based on the change in the Annual Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for the Midwest Region as published in April by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (or a suitable Consumer Price Index calculation if this Consumer Price Index is not available) for the previous calendar year; provided that the price per million Btu shall not exceed $9.95 at any time during the contract; (iii) the utility's aggregate long-term supply contracts for the purchase of SNG does not exceed 25% of the annual system supply requirements of the utility as of 2008 at the time the contract is entered into and the quantity of SNG supplied to a utility may not exceed 16 million MMBtus; and (iv) contract costs pursuant to subsection (h-10) of this Section shall not include any lobbying expenses, charitable contributions, advertising, organizational memberships, or marketing expenses by any one producer may not exceed 20 billion cubic feet per year; and (iv) the contract is entered into within 120 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly and terminates no more than 20 years after the commencement of the commercial production of SNG at the facility. Contracts greater than 10 years shall provide that if, at any time during supply years 11 through 20 of the contract, the Commission determines that the cost for the synthetic natural gas purchased under the contract during supply years 11 through 20 is not reasonable and prudent, then the company shall reimburse the utility for the difference between the cost deemed reasonable and prudent by the Commission and the cost imposed under the contract.

(h-5) The Attorney General, on behalf of the people of the State of Illinois, may specifically enforce the requirements of this subsection (h-5). All such contracts, regardless of duration, shall require the owner of any facility supplying SNG under the contract to provide documentation to the Commission each year, starting in the facility's first year of commercial operation, accurately reporting the quantity of carbon dioxide emissions from the facility that have been captured and sequestered and reporting any quantities of carbon dioxide released from the site or sites at which carbon dioxide emissions were sequestered in prior years, based on continuous monitoring of those sites. If, in any year, the owner of the facility fails to demonstrate that the SNG facility captured and sequestered at least 90% of the total carbon dioxide emissions that the facility would otherwise emit or that sequestration of emissions from prior years has failed, resulting in the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, then the owner of the facility must offset excess emissions. Any such carbon dioxide offsets must be permanent, additional, verifiable, real, located within the State of Illinois, and legally and practicably enforceable; provided that the owner of the facility shall not be obligated to acquire carbon dioxide emission offsets to the extent that the cost of acquiring . The costs of such offsets would shall not exceed $40 million in any given year. No costs of any purchases of carbon offsets may be recovered from a utility or its customers. All carbon offsets purchased for this purpose must be permanently retired. In addition, carbon dioxide emission credits equivalent to 50% of the amount of credits associated with the required sequestration of carbon dioxide from the facility must be permanently retired. Compliance with the sequestration requirements and the offset purchase requirements specified in this subsection (h-5) (h) shall be assessed annually by an independent expert retained by the owner of the SNG facility, with the advance written approval of the Attorney General. A An SNG facility operating pursuant to this subsection (h-5) (h) shall not forfeit its designation as a clean coal SNG facility if the facility fails to fully comply with the applicable carbon sequestration requirements in any given year, provided the requisite offsets are purchased. However, the Attorney General, on behalf of the People of the State of Illinois, may specifically enforce the facility's sequestration requirements.

(h-10) All contract costs for SNG incurred by any utility are reasonable and prudent and recoverable through the purchased gas adjustment clause and are not subject to review or disallowance by the Commission. Contract costs are any costs incurred by the utility under the terms of any contract that incorporates the terms stated in subsection (h) of this Section as confirmed in writing by the Illinois Power Agency as set forth in subsection (h-20) of this Section, which confirmation shall be deemed conclusive, or as a consequence of or condition to its performance under the contract, including without limitation, (i) amounts paid under the SNG contract; (ii) costs incurred in its performance of any obligation, its resolution of any claim or dispute, or its waiver, amendment, or modification of any provision of such contract; and (iii) costs of transportation, storage, and gas supply back-up services purchased by a utility to receive, transport, and deliver SNG pursuant to this subsection (h-10). Any contract, the terms of which have been confirmed in writing by the Illinois Power Agency as set forth in subsection (h-20) of this Section and the performance of the parties under such contract cannot be grounds for challenging prudence or cost recovery by the utility through the purchased gas adjustment clause, and in such cases, the Commission is directed not to consider, and has no authority to consider, any attempted challenges.

Transportation and storage services purchased from interstate pipelines will be provided under federally approved tariffs. Any storage and gas supply back-up services not purchased under federally approved tariffs shall be purchased under arms-length transactions and shall in no instance be purchased from an affiliate of the Illinois utility making said purchase.

The contracts entered into by Illinois gas utilities shall provide that the utility retains the right to terminate the contract without further obligation or liability to any party if the contract has been impaired as a result of any legislative, administrative, judicial, or other governmental action that is taken that eliminates all or part of the prudence protection of this subsection (h-10) or denies the recoverability of all or part of the contract costs through the purchased gas adjustment clause. Should any utility exercise its right under this subsection (h-10) to terminate the contract, all contract costs incurred prior to termination are and will be deemed reasonable, prudent, and recoverable as and when incurred and not subject to review or disallowance by the Commission. Any act of or by the State of Illinois, the Illinois Finance Authority, or any agency or agents thereof that gives rise to the right of a utility to terminate a contract pursuant to this subsection (h-10) constitutes an impermissible impairment in violation of subsection (h-25) of this Section.

(h-15) With respect to each contract entered into by the company with an Illinois utility in accordance with the terms stated in subsection (h) of this Section, within 60 days following the completion of purchases of SNG, the Illinois Power Agency shall conduct an analysis to determine (i) the average contract SNG cost, which shall be calculated as the total amount paid to a company for SNG over the contract term, plus the cost to the utility of required transportation, storage, and gas supply back-up service costs for such SNG, divided by the total number of MMBtus of SNG actually purchased under the utility contract; (ii) the average natural gas purchase cost, which shall be calculated as the total annual supply costs paid for natural gas (excluding SNG) purchased by such utility over the contract term, plus the cost of all transportation, storage, and gas supply back-up service costs for such natural gas (excluding such costs for SNG), divided by the total number of MMBtus of natural gas (excluding SNG) actually purchased by the utility during the contract term; (iii) the cost differential, which shall be the difference between the average contract SNG cost and the average natural gas purchase cost; and (iv) the revenue share target, which shall be the cost differential multiplied by the total amount of SNG purchased under such utility contract. If the average contract SNG cost is equal to or less than the average natural gas purchase cost, then the company shall have no further obligation to the utility. If the average contract SNG cost for such SNG contract is greater than the average natural gas purchase cost for such utility, then the company shall market the daily production of SNG and distribute on a monthly basis 5% of amounts collected with respect to such future sales to the utilities in proportion to each utility's SNG purchases from the company during the term of the SNG contract to be used to reduce the utility's natural gas costs through the purchased gas adjustment clause; such payments to the utility shall continue until such time as the sum of such payments equals the revenue share target of that utility. The company or utilities shall have no obligation to repay the revenue share target except as provided for in this subsection (h-15).

(h-20) The General Assembly authorizes the Illinois Finance Authority to issue bonds to the maximum extent permitted to finance coal gasification facilities described in this Section, which constitute both "industrial projects" under Article 801 of the Illinois Finance Authority Act and "clean coal and energy projects" under Sections 825-65 through 825-75 of the Illinois Finance Authority Act. The General Assembly further authorizes the Illinois Power Agency to become party to agreements and take such actions as necessary to enable the Illinois Power Agency or its designate to (i) review and confirm in writing that the terms stated in subsection (h) of this Section are incorporated in the SNG contract, and (ii) conduct an analysis pursuant to subsection (h-15) of this Section. Administrative costs incurred by the Illinois Finance Authority and Illinois Power Agency in performance of this subsection (h-20) shall be subject to reimbursement by the company on terms as the Illinois Finance Authority, the Illinois Power Agency, and the company may agree. The utility and its customers shall have no obligation to reimburse the company, the Illinois Finance Authority, or the Illinois Power Agency for any such costs.

(h-25) The State of Illinois, including, but not limited to, the Commission and the Illinois Finance Authority pledges, covenants, and agrees with the company, Illinois utilities entering into SNG contracts under or in accordance with this Section, the Illinois Finance Authority, as well as the holders of the bonds and notes issued by the Illinois Finance Authority pursuant to Sections 801-40 and 825-65 through 825-75 of the Illinois Finance Authority Act, which bonds or notes are expected to be paid in whole or in part from revenues derived from any contract entered into pursuant to or in accordance with this Section, that, notwithstanding any change in law subsequent to the making of such contract in accordance with this Section, until all of such bonds and notes have been paid in full, the State will not take or permit any action to be taken that would (i) impair any contract entered into pursuant to this Section causing financial harm to the company, Illinois utilities entering into SNG contracts under or in accordance with this Section, the Illinois Finance Authority, or the holders of the bonds and notes issued by the Illinois Finance Authority pursuant to Sections 801-40 and 825-65 through 825-75 of the Illinois Finance Authority Act, which bonds or notes are expected to be paid in whole or in part from revenues derived from any contract entered into pursuant to or in accordance with this Section, including, without limitation, any action of or by the State of Illinois, the Illinois Finance Authority, or any agency or agents thereof which gives rise to the right of a utility to terminate a contract as provided under subsection (h-10) of this Section, (ii) limit, alter, or impair the ability of the Illinois Finance Authority, the company, or any Illinois utility to satisfy its contractual obligations, or in the case of any utility, to continue purchasing SNG, pursuant to or in accordance with this Section, or (iii) issue an order requiring or authorizing the discontinuation of the merchant function in a manner that limits, reduces, or impairs the value of any contract hereunder over its full term. The Illinois Finance Authority is authorized to include these pledges, covenants, and agreements of the State of Illinois in any contract with the holders of bonds or notes, which bonds or notes are expected to be paid in whole or in part from revenues derived from any contract entered into pursuant to or in accordance with this Section, the company, and Illinois gas utilities.

(h-30) The company, Illinois utilities entering into SNG contracts under or in accordance with this Section, as well as the holders of the bonds and notes issued by the Illinois Finance Authority pursuant to Sections 801-40 and 825-65 through 825-75 of the Illinois Finance Authority Act, which bonds or notes are expected to be paid in whole or in part from revenues derived from any contract entered into pursuant to or in accordance with this Section, may bring suits at law or proceedings in equity to compel the performance and observance by any person or by the State of Illinois, or the Illinois Finance Authority or any of their respective agents, officers, or employees of any contract, covenant, or pledge made in this Section or entered into pursuant to or in accordance with this Section and to compel such person or the State of Illinois or the Illinois Finance Authority and any of their respective agents, officers, or employees to perform any duties required to be performed pursuant to any such contract, covenant, or pledge, and to enjoin such person or the State of Illinois or the Illinois Finance Authority and any of their respective agents, officers, or employees from taking any action in conflict with any such contract, covenant, or pledge.

(i) If a gas utility or an affiliate of a gas utility has an ownership interest in any entity that produces or sells synthetic natural gas, Article VII of this Act shall apply.

(Source: P.A. 94-63, eff. 6-21-05; 95-1027, eff. 6-1-09.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.