65- 407 C.M.R. ch. 301, § 5

Current through 2024-51, December 18, 2024

Section 407-301-5 - Obligations of the Transmission and Distribution Utility

A.Power Delivery

The transmission and distribution utility shall provide transmission and distribution services within its service territory to all standard offer service customers.

B.Billing and Metering

Each customer receiving standard offer service shall receive a single bill from the transmission and distribution utility pursuant to provisions governing consolidated utility billing in Chapter 322 of the Commission's Rules. The bill shall separately state charges for generation service supplied by the standard offer service providers and charges for services supplied by the transmission and distribution utility pursuant to section 4(H) of Chapter 305 of the Commission's Rules. The bill shall prominently display the names of the standard offer service providers that provide standard offer generation service to the customer's standard offer class. The transmission and distribution utility shall provide all meters, perform all metering and meter reading and provide all billing for standard offer service customers within its service area until such time as those services may be provided by other authorized entities.

C.Administration of Service Connections and Terminations

The transmission and distribution utility shall administer all billing, metering and other functions described in this rule in association with transfers to or from standard offer service.

D.Standard Contract Between Transmission and Distribution Company and Standard Offer Providers

Each transmission and distribution utility in the State shall have on file with the Commission a proposed standard form contract between itself and standard offer providers. The standard form contract shall include terms governing billing, metering, collections, transfer of funds, exchange of data, transmission delivery point, and other matters as determined by the Commission.

The Commission will review proposed standard form contracts filed by each transmission and distribution utility and approve the proposed or a modified version. The Commission shall provide an opportunity for interested persons to comment on substantial changes to the standard form contracts. The Commission may allow standard offer bidders to propose alternatives to the provisions in the standard form contracts during the bid process, but may only accept alternative provisions to the contract after consultation with the applicable transmission and distribution utility. Commission authority to review and approve changes to the standard form contract is delegated to the Director of Technical Analysis.

E.Provision of Standard Offer Service by an Affiliate of a Large Transmission and Distribution Utility

1. Pursuant to 35-A M.R.S.A. §3212(2)(C), a large investor-owned transmission and distribution utility may not provide standard offer service except through an affiliate, and the affiliate may submit a bid for only 20% of a standard offer class within the service territory of the affiliated large transmission and distribution utility.

2. An affiliate of a large investor-owned transmission and distribution utility may not provide a greater share of the standard offer service, within the service territory of the affiliated large transmission and distribution utility, than has been authorized pursuant to the selection process described in section 6.

3. Each large investor-owned transmission and distribution utility or the affiliate of the utility that provides standard offer service shall submit reports twice each year to the Commission demonstrating that it did not provide more than the authorized amount of standard offer service requirements in the previous six months.

4. If the Commission finds that an affiliate of a large investor-owned transmission and distribution utility provided more than the authorized amount of the standard offer service within the service area of its affiliate, the Commission may impose penalties as provided in 35-A M.R.S.A. §3205(5).

65- 407 C.M.R. ch. 301, § 5