Section 460.1089 - Recovery of costs; limitation; capitalization costs; funding level for low income residential programs; authorization of natural gas provider to implement revenue decoupling mechani
CLEAN, RENEWABLE, AND EFFICIENT ENERGY ACT (EXCERPT)
Act 295 of 2008
460.1089 Recovery of costs; limitation; capitalization costs; funding level for low income residential programs; authorization of natural gas provider to implement revenue decoupling mechanism; limitation on expenditures of total utility retail sales revenues; percentages.
Sec. 89.
(1) The commission shall allow a provider whose rates are regulated by the commission to recover the actual costs of implementing its approved energy optimization plan. However, costs exceeding the overall funding levels specified in the energy optimization plan are not recoverable unless those costs are reasonable and prudent and meet the utility system resource cost test. Furthermore, costs for load management undertaken pursuant to an energy optimization plan are not recoverable as energy optimization program costs under this section, but may be recovered as described in section 95.
(2) Under subsection (1), costs shall be recovered from all natural gas customers and from residential electric customers by volumetric charges, from all other metered electric customers by per-meter charges, and from unmetered electric customers by an appropriate charge, applied to utility bills as an itemized charge.
(3) For the electric primary customer rate class customers of electric providers and customers of natural gas providers with an aggregate annual natural gas billing demand of more than 100,000 decatherms or equivalent MCFs for all sites in the natural gas utility's service territory, the cost recovery under subsection (1) shall not exceed 1.7% of total retail sales revenue for that customer class. For electric secondary customers and for residential customers, the cost recovery shall not exceed 2.2% of total retail sales revenue for those customer classes.
(4) Upon petition by a provider whose rates are regulated by the commission, the commission shall authorize the provider to capitalize all energy efficiency and energy conservation equipment, materials, and installation costs with an expected economic life greater than 1 year incurred in implementing its energy optimization plan, including such costs paid to third parties, such as customer rebates and customer incentives. The provider shall also propose depreciation treatment with respect to its capitalized costs in its energy optimization plan, and the commission shall order reasonable depreciation treatment related to these capitalized costs. A provider shall not capitalize payments made to an independent energy optimization program administrator under section 91.
(5) The established funding level for low income residential programs shall be provided from each customer rate class in proportion to that customer rate class's funding of the provider's total energy optimization programs. Charges shall be applied to distribution customers regardless of the source of their electricity or natural gas supply.
(6) The commission shall authorize a natural gas provider that spends a minimum of 0.5% of total natural gas retail sales revenues, including natural gas commodity costs, in a year on commission-approved energy optimization programs to implement a symmetrical revenue decoupling true-up mechanism that adjusts for sales volumes that are above or below the projected levels that were used to determine the revenue requirement authorized in the natural gas provider's most recent rate case. In determining the symmetrical revenue decoupling true-up mechanism utilized for each provider, the commission shall give deference to the proposed mechanism submitted by the provider. The commission may approve an alternative mechanism if the commission determines that the alternative mechanism is reasonable and prudent. The commission shall authorize the natural gas provider to decouple rates regardless of whether the natural gas provider's energy optimization programs are administered by the provider or an independent energy optimization program administrator under section 91.
(7) A natural gas provider or an electric provider shall not spend more than the following percentage of total utility retail sales revenues, including electricity or natural gas commodity costs, in any year to comply with the energy optimization performance standard without specific approval from the commission:
(a) In 2009, 0.75% of total retail sales revenues for 2007.
(b) In 2010, 1.0% of total retail sales revenues for 2008.
(c) In 2011, 1.5% of total retail sales revenues for 2009.
(d) In 2012 and each year thereafter, 2.0% of total retail sales revenues for the 2 years preceding.
History: 2008, Act 295, Imd. Eff. Oct. 6, 2008
Compiler's Notes: Enacting section 1 of Act 295 of 2008 provides:"Enacting section 1. As provided in section 5 of 1846 RS 1, MCL 8.5, this act is severable."