Section 556.30  Terms and Conditions

a)         The cumulative amount of increases billed under the QIP surcharge, since the utility's most recent delivery service rate order, shall not exceed an annual average 4% of the utility's delivery base rate revenues, but shall not exceed 5.5% in any given year for any utility.  [220 ILCS 5/9-220.3(g)] If, pursuant to Section 556.80(a), a different QIP surcharge percentage is ordered by the Commission to be applied to the rate zones of a utility, then the above maximum thresholds established in this subsection shall apply to each rate zone of the utility.

b)         The QIP surcharge percentage shall apply only to base rate revenues.

c)         On the effective date of new delivery base rates, the QIP surcharge shall be reduced to zero with respect to qualifying infrastructure investment that is transferred to the rate base used to establish the utility's delivery base rates, provided that the utility may continue to charge or refund any reconciliation adjustment determined in a Commission reconciliation order. [220 ILCS 5/9-220.3(g)]

d)         The utility shall provide notice of the QIP surcharge and of subsequent filings and billing to its customers in the following manner:

1)         The utility shall maintain and keep open to public inspection a copy of each filing of a QIP surcharge tariff and subsequent information sheets and shall post public notice in each office of the utility in accordance with 83 Ill. Adm. Code 255.20(a).

2)         For the initial filing of a QIP surcharge tariff, the utility, regardless of size, shall provide notice by newspaper publication in accordance with 83 Ill. Adm. Code 255.20(f)(1). For the initial filing of the QIP percentage information sheet, the utility shall provide notice of the filing of the initial billing of the QIP surcharge percentage to each customer in the form of a message on the customer's bill, an insert included with the bill, or a separately mailed notification.

3)         The utility shall provide customers with a general explanation of the QIP surcharge. The explanation shall appear on or be included with the initial billing of the new QIP surcharge percentage. The explanation may be provided as a message on the customer's bill, as a separately mailed notification, or as information on the back of the customer's bill, as included in the utility's form of bill on file with the Commission.

4)         Except as provided in this subsection (d), or by law or by Commission order, no other notice of the filing or billing of the QIP surcharge or an information sheet is required.

e)         The QIP surcharge shall be presented as a separate line item on customers' bills as the "Qualified Infrastructure Plant" charge, or as an abbreviation that clearly conveys its meaning, and shall show the applicable percentage.

f)         The revenues resulting from a QIP surcharge shall be recorded by the utility with a separate revenue identifier or in a separate revenue subaccount.