Sec. 16-244i. Duties of electric distribution companies.
Sec. 16-244i. Duties of electric distribution companies. (a) The Department of
Public Utility Control shall continue to regulate electric distribution companies, as defined in section 16-1, in accordance with the provisions of section 16-19 and subsection
(a) of section 16-19e and in accordance with existing rate orders except for assets for
which funds have been received by the company pursuant to sections 16-245g to 16-245k, inclusive. Each electric distribution company shall maintain the integrity of the
distribution system in conformity with the National Electric Safety Code and such other
standards found applicable by the department that are practiced by the electric distribution industry, in a manner sufficient to provide safe and reliable service, regardless of
whether or not its generation entity or affiliate is the electric supplier, to all customers
connected to the system consistent with this title and regulations adopted thereunder.
Each electric distribution company shall provide nondiscriminatory access of its distribution facilities to every electric supplier, as defined in said section 16-1, provided no
electric distribution company shall provide access of its distribution facilities to an entity
that is not licensed as an electric supplier pursuant to section 16-245 except as provided
under federal law.
(b) Each electric distribution company shall have the obligation to connect all customers to the company's distribution system, subject to rates, terms and conditions as
may be approved by the Department of Public Utility Control in accordance with section
16-19 and the principles in subsection (a) of section 16-19e.
(c) Each electric distribution company shall continue to provide metering, billing
and collection services, except that, on and after the effective date of the regulations
adopted pursuant to section 16-245d, which allow an electric supplier to provide direct
billing and collection services for electric generation services and related federally mandated congestion costs that such supplier provides to its customers that use a demand
meter or have a maximum demand of not less than five hundred kilowatts and that
choose to receive a bill directly from their electric supplier, an electric distribution
company shall not provide such billing and collection services for such customers. The
department shall determine billing and metering protocols and any appropriate cost-sharing allocations among electric distribution companies and electric suppliers. Notwithstanding an electric supplier's right, in accordance with the general statutes, to
terminate its contract with a customer for the provision of generation service by reason
of the customer's nonpayment of the charges directly billed by the supplier to the customer, an electric supplier shall not disconnect electric service to the customer or otherwise terminate the physical delivery of electricity to customers directly billed by the
electric supplier.
(d) The department shall oversee quality and reliability of service for each electric
distribution company and ensure that quality and reliability are the same as or better
than levels that existed on July 1, 1998.
(P.A. 98-28, S. 16, 117; P.A. 04-86, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 98-28 effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 04-86 amended Subsec. (c) to add provisions re direct billing and
metering by an electric supplier and prohibition against the disconnection of electric service by an electric supplier.