Sec. 16-244d. Education outreach program for electric deregulation. Consumer Education Advisory Council established. Determination of environmental costs and benefits of energy sources.
Sec. 16-244d. Education outreach program for electric deregulation. Consumer Education Advisory Council established. Determination of environmental
costs and benefits of energy sources. (a) Not later than December 1, 1998, the Department of Public Utility Control shall develop a comprehensive public education outreach
program to educate customers about the implementation of retail competition among
electric suppliers, as defined in section 16-1. The goals of the program shall be to maximize public information, minimize customer confusion and equip all customers to participate in a restructured generation market. The program shall include, but not be limited
to: (1) The dissemination of information through mass media, interactive approaches
and written materials with the goal of reaching every electric customer; (2) the conduct
of public forums in different geographical areas of the state to foster public input and
provide opportunities for an exchange of questions and answers; (3) involvement of
community-based organizations in developing messages and in devising and implementing education strategies; (4) targeted efforts to reach rural, low income, elderly,
foreign language, disabled, ethnic minority and other traditionally underserved populations; and (5) periodic evaluations of the effectiveness of educational efforts. The department shall assign one individual within the department to coordinate the outreach program and oversee the education process. The department shall begin to implement the
outreach program not later than January 1, 1999.
(b) There shall be established a Consumer Education Advisory Council which shall
advise the outreach program coordinator on the development and implementation of
the outreach program until the termination of the standard offer under section 16-244c.
Membership of the advisory council shall be established by the Consumer Counsel not
later than December 1, 1998, and shall include, but not be limited to, representatives of
the Department of Public Utility Control, the Office of Consumer Counsel, the Office
of the Attorney General, the Office of Policy and Management, the Department of Environmental Protection, community and business organizations, consumer groups, including, but not limited to, a group that represents hardship customers, as defined in section
16-262c, electric distribution companies and electric suppliers. The advisory council
shall determine the information to be distributed to customers as part of the education
effort such as customers' rights and obligations in a restructured environment, how
customers can exercise their right to participate in retail access, the types of electric
suppliers expected to be licensed including the possibility of load aggregation, electric
generation services options that will be available, the environmental characteristics of
different types of generation facilities and other information determined by the advisory
council to be necessary for customers. The advisory council shall advise the outreach
program coordinator on the methods of distributing information in accordance with
subsection (a) of this section and the timing of such distribution. The advisory council
shall meet on a regular basis and report to the outreach program coordinator as it deems
appropriate until termination of the advisory council's role upon the termination of the
standard offer under section 16-244c.
(c) Not later than December 1, 1998, the Department of Public Utility Control shall
submit a report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy, outlining the scope of the education outreach program developed by the department and identifying the individual acting as outreach
program coordinator and the membership of the advisory council.
(d) The department may retain a consultant in accordance with section 16-18a to
assist in developing and implementing the public education outreach program, provided
the authorization to retain such consultant shall expire December 31, 2005. The reasonable and proper expenses for retaining the consultant and implementing the outreach
program shall be reimbursed through the systems benefits charge as provided in subsection (b) of said section 16-18a.
(e) The advisory council shall, in consultation with the Connecticut Academy of
Science and Engineering and the New England Conference of Public Utility Commissioners, analyze the environmental costs and benefits of the following categories of
energy sources: (1) Class I renewable energy sources by type; (2) Class II renewable
energy sources by type; (3) facilities using coal, natural gas, oil or other petroleum
products as fuel which facilities are subject to the New Source Performance Standards
in the federal Clean Air Act for such facilities; (4) facilities using coal, natural gas, oil
or other petroleum products as fuel which facilities are not subject to the New Source
Performance Standards; (5) nuclear power generating facilities; and (6) hydropower
that does not meet the criteria for a Class II renewable energy source. The advisory
council shall establish uniform standards for the disclosure of information to allow
customers to easily compare rates of air pollutant emissions and the resource mix of
various energy sources of electric suppliers.
(f) The Department of Public Utility Control, in consultation with the Office of
Consumer Counsel, shall establish a program for the dissemination of information regarding electric suppliers. Such program shall require electric distribution companies
to distribute an informational summary on electric suppliers to any new customer and
to existing customers beginning on January 1, 2004, and semiannually thereafter. Such
informational summary shall be developed by the department and shall include, but not
be limited to, the name of each licensed electric supplier, the state where the supplier
is based, information on whether the supplier has active offerings for either residential
or commercial and industrial consumers, the telephone number and Internet address of
the supplier, and information as to whether the supplier offers electric generation services from renewable energy sources in excess of the portfolio standards established
pursuant to section 16-245a. The department shall include pricing information in the
informational summary to the extent the department determines feasible. The department shall post the informational summary in a conspicuous place on its website and
provide electronic links to the website of each supplier. The department shall update
the informational summary on its website on at least a quarterly basis.
(g) The Department of Public Utility Control, in consultation with the Office of
Consumer Counsel and the Consumer Education Advisory Council, shall, not later than
October 1, 2003, develop a plan for the restart of the education outreach program on or
before October 1, 2004, and submit, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, such plan to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance
of matters relating to energy and technology.
(P.A. 98-28, S. 17, 117; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 18, 131; P.A. 03-135, S. 5.)
History: P.A. 98-28 effective July 1, 1998; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 extended the authority of the Department of Public
Utility Control to retain consultants for implementing the public education outreach program from December 31, 2000,
to December 31, 2005, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 03-135 added new Subsec. (f) re program for the dissemination of
information re electric suppliers and added new Subsec. (e) re the restart of the education outreach program, effective July
1, 2003.