HB2172 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB101 07617 JRG 52664 b

101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB2172

Introduced , by Rep. Thomas Morrison

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

220 ILCS 5/8-512 new

Amends the Service Obligations and Conditions Article of the Public Utilities Act. Requires a natural gas public utility serving more than 35,000 customers to submit with its annual filing certain information concerning existing and newly installed pipeline facilities to the Illinois Commerce Commission. Requires the Commission to submit a report containing the information and evaluating the safety and reliability of the natural gas distribution system in Illinois to the General Assembly. Requires the reports to be made available to the public on the Commission's website.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning regulation.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by adding Section 8-512 as follows:

(220 ILCS 5/8-512 new)

Sec. 8-512. Natural gas facility reporting.

(a) The General Assembly finds that the safety and reliability of the natural gas distribution system in Illinois is important to the health and welfare of the citizenry of this State. National and local events have demonstrated the importance of regular maintenance and replacement of gas pipeline and related facilities. In order to preserve the health and welfare of citizens and avoid the burden of large financial expenditures to remedy delayed pipeline replacement, the General Assembly finds that each natural gas utility subject to this Section shall be required to annually report to the Commission its existing and newly installed pipeline facilities in order to allow the Commission to monitor and address as necessary natural gas utilities' pipeline replacement programs.

(b) Each natural gas public utility serving more than 35,000 customers shall submit to the Commission with its annual Form 21 ILCC filing the following additional information for a pipeline owned and operated by the utility as of December 31 of the preceding calendar year:

(1) the length in feet categorized by year of installation;

(2) the length in feet categorized by diameter size and material composed of;

(3) the length in feet categorized by scheduled replacement year, if any;

(4) the length in feet installed during the preceding calendar year for the purpose of replacing existing pipeline and under a tariff authorized by Section 9-220.3 categorized by diameter size and material composed of;

(5) the length in feet installed during the preceding calendar year for the purpose of replacing existing pipeline and not under a tariff authorized by Section 9-220.3 categorized by diameter size and material composed of;

(6) the length in feet installed during the preceding calendar year not for the purpose of replacing existing pipeline categorized by diameter size and material composed of;

(7) the cost incurred and associated number of meters, by individual project, for the construction activities described in paragraphs (4), (5), and (6); and

(8) for the construction activities described in paragraphs (4), (5), and (6), a brief description of the reason for the activities.

(c) No later than October 1 of each year, the Commission shall submit to the General Assembly a report containing the information set forth in subsection (b) and evaluating the safety and reliability of the natural gas distribution system in Illinois. The Commission report shall address the sufficiency of utility plans for replacing obsolete pipeline and maintaining the safety and reliability of their respective gas distribution systems.

(d) The annual reports submitted to the Commission by the natural gas utilities and the report submitted by the Commission to the General Assembly shall be made available to the public on the Commission's website. The first reports of the additional information required under subsection (b) shall be for 2018 and submitted to the Commission in 2019.

(e) If the Commission deems it necessary, it may adopt rules to facilitate implementation of the reporting requirements contained in this Section. The Commission may require additional information from the gas utilities subject to this Section if necessary to provide the report to the General Assembly required under subsection (c).