Or. Admin. R. 860-021-0407 - Severe Weather Moratorium on Involuntary Disconnection of Residential and Small Commercial Electric or Gas Utility Service for Nonpayment
(1) Except as set forth in section (10) of
this rule, an energy utility must put into effect a moratorium on the
disconnection of residential service for nonpayment from November through March
on any day a temperature of less than 32 degrees Fahrenheit is forecasted by
the applicable weather reporting service or a winter storm warning indicating
weather conditions pose a threat to life or property is issued by the
applicable weather reporting service.
(2) An electric utility must put into effect
a moratorium on the disconnection of residential service for nonpayment on any
day a local Heat Advisory is issued by the applicable weather reporting
service.
(3) An energy utility must
put into effect a moratorium on the disconnection of residential and small
commercial service for nonpayment when the Air Quality Index is at or above 100
as issued on the website AirNow.gov or a similar air quality reporting service
that may be designated by the utility.
(4) Any moratorium activated as a result of
section (1), (2), or (3) of this rule must remain in effect at least through
the start of the next business day.
(5) For purposes of sections (1) and (2) of
this rule, an energy utility must base the need for a moratorium on data
available from the National Weather Service or another weather reporting
service that may be designated by the utility.
(6) An energy utility need only apply a
moratorium to the geographic area that meets the conditions in sections (1) to
(3) of this rule.
(7) The energy
utility must obtain the required forecast data no later than 8:00 a.m. each
business day.
(8) Each energy
utility must notify the Commission's Consumer Services Section which weather
reporting service and air quality service it will utilize in each geographic
area served by the utility in complying with the requirements of this rule; and
the energy utility must notify the Commission's Consumer Services Section upon
choosing a different weather reporting service.
(9) Upon request from a customer who has been
disconnected for nonpayment within the previous 72 hours of a severe weather or
air quality condition outlined in sections (1), (2), and (3) of this rule, an
energy utility must make best efforts to reconnect service. The energy utility
may apply reconnection fees authorized in OAR 860-021-0330 to any
reconnection.
(10) The temperature
threshold specified in section (1) of this rule does not apply if an energy
utility offers a Commission-approved winter protection program.
Notes
Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 756.060
Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 756.040
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
(1) Except as set forth in section (8) of this rule, an energy utility must put into effect a moratorium on the disconnection of residential service for nonpayment on any day a high temperature of less than 32 degrees Fahrenheit is forecast by the applicable weather reporting service.
(2) An electric utility must put into effect a moratorium on the disconnection of residential service for nonpayment on any day a local Heat Advisory is issued by the applicable weather reporting service.
(3) Any moratorium activated as a result of section (1) or section (2) of this rule must remain in effect at least through the start of the next business day.
(4) An energy utility must base the need for a moratorium on data available from the National Weather Service or another weather reporting service that may be designated by the utility.
(5) An energy utility need only apply a moratorium to the geographic area that meets the conditions in section (1) and section (2) of this rule.
(6) The energy utility must obtain the required forecast data no later than 8:00 a.m. each business day.
(7) Each energy utility must notify the Commission's Consumer Services Section which weather reporting service it will utilize in each geographic area served by the utility in complying with the requirements of this rule; and the energy utility must notify the Commission's Consumer Services Section upon choosing a different weather reporting service.
(8) The temperature threshold specified in section (1) of this rule does not apply if an energy utility offers a Commission-approved winter protection program.
Notes
Stat. Auth: ORS 756.060
Stats. Implemented: ORS 756.040