State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

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92_HB2238

 
                                               LRB9205104JSpc

 1        AN ACT concerning utilities.

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

 4        Section  5.  The  Public  Utilities  Act  is  amended  by
 5    changing Section 9-220 as follows:

 6        (220 ILCS 5/9-220) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 9-220)
 7        Sec. 9-220. Rate changes based on changes in fuel costs.
 8        (a)  Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 9-201, the
 9    Commission may authorize an the increase or  decrease  in  of
10    rates and charges based upon changes in the cost of fuel used
11    in the generation or production of electric power, changes in
12    the  cost  of  purchased  power,  or  changes  in the cost of
13    purchased gas through  the  application  of  fuel  adjustment
14    clauses  or purchased gas adjustment clauses.  The Commission
15    may also authorize the increase  or  decrease  of  rates  and
16    charges  based  upon  expenditures or revenues resulting from
17    the purchase or sale of emission allowances created under the
18    federal Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, through  such  fuel
19    adjustment  clauses,  as a cost of fuel.  For the purposes of
20    this paragraph, cost  of  fuel  used  in  the  generation  or
21    production  of electric power shall include the amount of any
22    fees paid by the utility for the implementation and operation
23    of a process for the desulfurization of  the  flue  gas  when
24    burning  high sulfur coal at any location within the State of
25    Illinois irrespective of the attainment status designation of
26    such location; but shall not include transportation costs  of
27    coal (i) except to the extent that for contracts entered into
28    on  and  after  the  effective date of this amendatory Act of
29    1997, the cost of the coal, including  transportation  costs,
30    constitutes  the  lowest  cost for adequate and reliable fuel
31    supply  reasonably  available  to  the  public   utility   in
 
                            -2-                LRB9205104JSpc
 1    comparison  to  the  cost, including transportation costs, of
 2    other adequate and reliable sources of fuel supply reasonably
 3    available to the public utility, or (ii) except as  otherwise
 4    provided  in  the  next  3 sentences of this paragraph.  Such
 5    costs of fuel shall, when requested by a utility  or  at  the
 6    conclusion  of  the  utility's  next  general  electric  rate
 7    proceeding,    whichever    shall    first   occur,   include
 8    transportation costs of coal purchased  under  existing  coal
 9    purchase contracts.  For purposes of this paragraph "existing
10    coal  purchase contracts" means contracts for the purchase of
11    coal in effect on the effective date of this  amendatory  Act
12    of  1991,  as  such  contracts may thereafter be amended, but
13    only to the extent that any such amendment does not  increase
14    the  aggregate  quantity  of  coal to be purchased under such
15    contract. Nothing herein shall authorize an electric  utility
16    to  recover through its fuel adjustment clause any amounts of
17    transportation costs  of  coal  that  were  included  in  the
18    revenue requirement used to set base rates in its most recent
19    general  rate  proceeding. Cost shall be based upon uniformly
20    applied accounting principles. Annually, the Commission shall
21    initiate public hearings to  determine  whether  the  clauses
22    reflect   actual   costs   of   fuel,  gas,  power,  or  coal
23    transportation purchased to determine whether such  purchases
24    were prudent, and to reconcile any amounts collected with the
25    actual  costs  of  fuel,  power,  gas, or coal transportation
26    prudently purchased.  In each such proceeding, the burden  of
27    proof  shall be upon the utility to establish the prudence of
28    its  cost  of  fuel,  power,  gas,  or  coal   transportation
29    purchases  and  costs.  The  Commission shall issue its final
30    order in each such annual proceeding for an electric  utility
31    by  December 31 of the year immediately following the year to
32    which the proceeding pertains, provided, that the  Commission
33    shall  issue  its  final  order  with  respect to such annual
34    proceeding for the years 1996 and  earlier  by  December  31,
 
                            -3-                LRB9205104JSpc
 1    1998.
 2        (b)  A  public  utility providing electric service, other
 3    than a public utility described in subsections (e) or (f)  of
 4    this Section, may at any time during the mandatory transition
 5    period  file  with the Commission proposed tariff sheets that
 6    eliminate the public utility's  fuel  adjustment  clause  and
 7    adjust  the  public utility's base rate tariffs by the amount
 8    necessary for the base fuel component of the  base  rates  to
 9    recover  the  public  utility's average fuel and power supply
10    costs per kilowatt-hour for the 2 most recent years for which
11    the Commission has issued final orders in annual  proceedings
12    pursuant  to subsection (a), where the average fuel and power
13    supply costs per kilowatt-hour shall be calculated as the sum
14    of the public utility's prudent and allowable fuel and  power
15    supply  costs as found by the Commission in the 2 proceedings
16    divided  by  the  public  utility's   actual   jurisdictional
17    kilowatt-hour  sales  for those 2 years.  Notwithstanding any
18    contrary or inconsistent provisions in Section 9-201 of  this
19    Act,  in  subsection  (a)  of this Section or in any rules or
20    regulations  promulgated  by  the  Commission   pursuant   to
21    subsection  (g)  of this Section, the Commission shall review
22    and shall by order  approve,  or  approve  as  modified,  the
23    proposed  tariff  sheets within 60 days after the date of the
24    public utility's  filing.   The  Commission  may  modify  the
25    public  utility's  proposed  tariff sheets only to the extent
26    the Commission finds necessary to achieve conformance to  the
27    requirements  of  this  subsection  (b).   During the 5 years
28    following the date of the  Commission's  order,  but  in  any
29    event no earlier than January 1, 2005, a public utility whose
30    fuel  adjustment  clause has been eliminated pursuant to this
31    subsection shall not file proposed tariff sheets seeking,  or
32    otherwise  petition  the  Commission  for, reinstatement of a
33    fuel adjustment clause.
34        (c)  Notwithstanding   any   contrary   or   inconsistent
 
                            -4-                LRB9205104JSpc
 1    provisions in Section 9-201 of this Act, in subsection (a) of
 2    this Section or in any rules or  regulations  promulgated  by
 3    the  Commission pursuant to subsection (g) of this Section, a
 4    public utility  providing  electric  service,  other  than  a
 5    public  utility  described  in  subsection (e) or (f) of this
 6    Section, may at any  time  during  the  mandatory  transition
 7    period  file  with the Commission proposed tariff sheets that
 8    establish the rate per kilowatt-hour to be  applied  pursuant
 9    to the public utility's fuel adjustment clause at the average
10    value  for such rate during the preceding 24 months, provided
11    that such average rate results  in  a  credit  to  customers'
12    bills,  without  making any revisions to the public utility's
13    base  rate  tariffs.   The  proposed  tariff   sheets   shall
14    establish the fuel adjustment rate for a specific time period
15    of  at least 3 years but not more than 5 years, provided that
16    the terms and conditions for any reinstatement earlier than 5
17    years shall be set forth in the proposed  tariff  sheets  and
18    subject  to  modification or approval by the Commission.  The
19    Commission shall  review  and  shall  by  order  approve  the
20    proposed  tariff  sheets if it finds that the requirements of
21    this subsection are met.  The Commission  shall  not  conduct
22    the  annual  hearings  specified  in  the last 3 sentences of
23    subsection (a) of this Section for the utility for the period
24    that the factor established pursuant to this subsection is in
25    effect.
26        (d)  A public utility providing electric  service,  or  a
27    public  utility  providing  gas  service  may  file  with the
28    Commission proposed tariff sheets that eliminate  the  public
29    utility's  fuel or purchased gas adjustment clause and adjust
30    the  public  utility's  base  rate  tariffs  to  provide  for
31    recovery of power supply costs or gas supply costs that would
32    have been recovered through such clause; provided,  that  the
33    provisions of this subsection (d) shall not be available to a
34    public  utility  described  in subsections (e) or (f) of this
 
                            -5-                LRB9205104JSpc
 1    Section   to   eliminate   its   fuel   adjustment    clause.
 2    Notwithstanding  any  contrary  or inconsistent provisions in
 3    Section 9-201 of this Act, in subsection (a) of this Section,
 4    or in any rules or regulations promulgated by the  Commission
 5    pursuant  to  subsection  (g) of this Section, the Commission
 6    shall review and  shall  by  order  approve,  or  approve  as
 7    modified  in  the  Commission's  order,  the  proposed tariff
 8    sheets within 240 days after the date of the public utility's
 9    filing.  The  Commission's  order  shall  approve  rates  and
10    charges  that  the  Commission,  based  on information in the
11    public utility's filing or on the record if a hearing is held
12    by the Commission, finds will recover the reasonable, prudent
13    and necessary jurisdictional power supply costs or gas supply
14    costs incurred or to be incurred by the public utility during
15    a 12 month period found by the Commission to  be  appropriate
16    for  these  purposes,  provided,  that  such  period shall be
17    either (i) a 12 month historical period occurring during  the
18    15  months ending on the date of the public utility's filing,
19    or (ii) a 12 month future period  ending  no  later  than  15
20    months  following  the  date  of the public utility's filing.
21    The public utility  shall  include  with  its  tariff  filing
22    information  showing both (1) its actual jurisdictional power
23    supply costs or gas supply costs for a  12  month  historical
24    period   conforming  to  (i)  above  and  (2)  its  projected
25    jurisdictional power supply costs or gas supply costs  for  a
26    future  12  month  period  conforming  to  (ii) above. If the
27    Commission's  order  requires  modifications  in  the  tariff
28    sheets filed by the public utility, the public utility  shall
29    have  7  days  following  the date of the order to notify the
30    Commission whether the  public  utility  will  implement  the
31    modified  tariffs  or elect to continue its fuel or purchased
32    gas adjustment clause in force as though no  order  had  been
33    entered.   The  Commission's  order  shall  provide  for  any
34    reconciliation  of power supply costs or gas supply costs, as
 
                            -6-                LRB9205104JSpc
 1    the case may be, and associated  revenues  through  the  date
 2    that  the  public  utility's fuel or purchased gas adjustment
 3    clause is eliminated.  During the 5 years following the  date
 4    of  the  Commission's  order,  a public utility whose fuel or
 5    purchased gas adjustment clause has been eliminated  pursuant
 6    to  this  subsection  shall  not  file proposed tariff sheets
 7    seeking,  or   otherwise   petition   the   Commission   for,
 8    reinstatement   or  adoption  of  a  fuel  or  purchased  gas
 9    adjustment clause. Nothing in this subsection  (d)  shall  be
10    construed as limiting the Commission's authority to eliminate
11    a  public  utility's  fuel adjustment clause or purchased gas
12    adjustment clause in accordance  with  any  other  applicable
13    provisions of this Act.
14        (e)  Notwithstanding   any   contrary   or   inconsistent
15    provisions  in   Section 9-201 of this Act, in subsection (a)
16    of this  Section,  or  in    any  rules  promulgated  by  the
17    Commission  pursuant    to  subsection (g) of this Section, a
18    public utility providing    electric  service  to  more  than
19    1,000,000  customers  in  this  State may, within the first 6
20    months after the  effective date of this  amendatory  Act  of
21    1997,  file  with the  Commission proposed tariff sheets that
22    eliminate, effective  January 1, 1997, the  public  utility's
23    fuel adjustment clause  without adjusting its base rates, and
24    such  tariff  sheets shall be  effective upon filing.  To the
25    extent the application of the fuel    adjustment  clause  had
26    resulted  in net charges to customers after  January 1, 1997,
27    the utility shall also file a tariff sheet that  provides for
28    a refund stated on a per kilowatt-hour basis of such  charges
29    over a period not to exceed 6 months; provided  however, that
30    such refund shall not include the proportional    amounts  of
31    taxes  paid  under  the  Use  Tax  Act,  Service Use Tax Act,
32    Service Occupation Tax Act, and Retailers' Occupation Tax Act
33    on  fuel used in generation.  The Commission shall  issue  an
34    order   within 45 days after the date of the public utility's
 
                            -7-                LRB9205104JSpc
 1    filing  approving or approving as modified such tariff sheet.
 2    If the fuel  adjustment clause is eliminated pursuant to this
 3    subsection, the  Commission  shall  not  conduct  the  annual
 4    hearings specified in the  last 3 sentences of subsection (a)
 5    of  this  Section  for  the    utility  for  any period after
 6    December 31, 1996 and prior to any    reinstatement  of  such
 7    clause.  A  public  utility whose fuel  adjustment clause has
 8    been eliminated pursuant to this subsection  shall not file a
 9    proposed tariff sheet seeking, or  otherwise    petition  the
10    Commission  for, reinstatement of the fuel adjustment  clause
11    prior to January 1, 2005.
12        (f)  Notwithstanding   any   contrary   or   inconsistent
13    provisions in Section 9-201 of this Act, in subsection (a) of
14    this Section, or in any rules or regulations  promulgated  by
15    the  Commission pursuant to subsection (g) of this Section, a
16    public  utility  providing  electric  service  to  more  than
17    500,000 customers but fewer than 1,000,000 customers in  this
18    State may, within the first 6 months after the effective date
19    of  this  amendatory  Act  of  1997, file with the Commission
20    proposed tariff sheets that eliminate, effective  January  1,
21    1997,  the public utility's fuel adjustment clause and adjust
22    its base rates by the amount  necessary  for  the  base  fuel
23    component  of  the  base  rates  to recover 91% of the public
24    utility's average fuel and power supply costs for the 2  most
25    recent years for which the Commission, as of January 1, 1997,
26    has  issued  final  orders  in annual proceedings pursuant to
27    subsection (a), where the average fuel and power supply costs
28    per kilowatt-hour shall be  calculated  as  the  sum  of  the
29    public  utility's prudent and allowable fuel and power supply
30    costs as found by the Commission in the 2 proceedings divided
31    by the public utility's actual  jurisdictional  kilowatt-hour
32    sales  for  those  2 years, provided, that such tariff sheets
33    shall  be  effective  upon  filing.   To   the   extent   the
34    application of the fuel adjustment clause had resulted in net
 
                            -8-                LRB9205104JSpc
 1    charges to customers after January 1, 1997, the utility shall
 2    also file a tariff sheet that provides for a refund stated on
 3    a  per  kilowatt-hour basis of such charges over a period not
 4    to exceed 6 months.  Provided however, that such refund shall
 5    not include the proportional amounts of taxes paid under  the
 6    Use Tax Act, Service Use Tax Act, Service Occupation Tax Act,
 7    and Retailers' Occupation Tax Act on fuel used in generation.
 8    The  Commission shall issue an order within 45 days after the
 9    date of the public utility's filing approving or approving as
10    modified such tariff sheet.  If the fuel adjustment clause is
11    eliminated pursuant to this subsection, the Commission  shall
12    not  conduct  the  annual  hearings  specified  in the last 3
13    sentences of subsection (a) of this Section for  the  utility
14    for  any  period  after  December  31,  1996 and prior to any
15    reinstatement of such clause.  A public  utility  whose  fuel
16    adjustment  clause  has  been  eliminated  pursuant  to  this
17    subsection shall not file a proposed tariff sheet seeking, or
18    otherwise  petition  the Commission for, reinstatement of the
19    fuel adjustment clause prior to January 1, 2005.
20        (g)  The Commission shall have  authority  to  promulgate
21    rules  and  regulations  to  carry out the provisions of this
22    Section.
23    (Source: P.A. 90-561, eff. 12-16-97.)

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