65-407 C.M.R. ch. 302, § 4 - FUNDING

A. Level. The consumer education program shall be funded up to $1,600,000.

B. Source. To fund the design and implementation of the consumer education program, electric or transmission and distribution utilities shall pay a special assessment based on a proportion of those utilities' gross revenues from regulated services. This assessment is a just and reasonable operating cost for ratemaking purposes and shall be recoverable from ratepayers. Utilities may defer amounts paid under this section with carrying costs until an appropriate ratemaking proceeding. These amounts may be recovered from ratepayers notwithstanding any provision of a utility rate cap plan.

C. Special Assessment.

1. Amount. Every electric and transmission and distribution utility subject to assessment under 35-A M.R.S.A. §116 is subject to an additional assessment on its gross intrastate operating revenues for regulated services. This assessment shall produce no more than $200,000 in revenues in fiscal year 1997-98, no more than $600,000 in revenues in fiscal year 1998-99, no more than $600,000 in revenues in fiscal year 1999-2000, and no more than $200,000 in revenues in fiscal year 2000-01.

2. Billing and Due Dates. The assessment for fiscal year 1997-98 will be billed upon the effective date of this chapter and any enabling legislation, whichever is later. The assessment shall be due 30 days after the billing date. The assessments for subsequent fiscal years will be billed on May 1, and shall be due on July 1 of each year.

3. Accounting The revenues produced from this assessment shall be used for the design and implementation of the consumer education program. These funds shall be raised and accounted for in accordance with the provisions of 35-A M.R.S.A. §116, and shall be paid to the Treasurer of State and deposited in an account called the Public Utilities Commission Consumer Education Fund. Funds produced from this special assessment and not expended during any fiscal year may be carried over to the subsequent fiscal year. Any funds remaining in the Public Utilities Commission Consumer Education Fund at the conclusion of the program will be returned proportionally to assessed utilities by reducing their next annual assessment. The returned funds shall be flowed through to ratepayers in an appropriate ratesetting proceeding.

Notes

65-407 C.M.R. ch. 302, § 4