Chapter 277 - DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. PUBLIC UTILITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY. OFFICE OF CONSUMER COUNSEL. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS Section 16-1 - Definitions Section 16-1a - Reference to Public Utilities Commission deemed to mean Public Utilities Control Authority Section 16-1b - [Repealed] Section 16-2 - [Repealed] Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. Utility commissioners. Staff Section 16-2a - Office of Consumer Counsel. Office of State Broadband. Consumer Counsel. Staff Section 16-2b - [Repealed] Section 16-2c - Division of Adjudication Section 16-2d - Office of energy efficient businesses Section 16-3 - Vacancy Section 16-3a - Appointment of initial members. Transfer of business between commission and authority Section 16-4 - Employees of public service companies, certified telecommunications providers and electric suppliers ineligible to serve on authority or in department Section 16-5 - Removal Section 16-6 - Office and records Section 16-6a - Participation in proceedings before federal agencies and federal courts. Expenses Section 16-6b - Regulations Section 16-6c - [Repealed] Section 16-7 - Right of entry. Penalty Section 16-7a - Utility commissioners authority to cause work to cease immediately Section 16-8 - Examination of witnesses and documents. Hearing officers. Management audits Section 16-8a - Protection of employee of public service company, contractor or Nuclear Regulatory Commission from retaliation. Procedures. Regulations Section 16-8b - Labor disputes at public service companies. Determination of unreasonable profits during dispute. Refunds Section 16-8c - Examination of witnesses and documents. Audits. Relationship between public service companies and subsidiaries Section 16-8d - Recovery of costs, expenses, judgments or attorney's fees for an action brought under section 16-8a Section 16-9 - Orders Section 16-9a - Party status in proceedings before authority Section 16-9b - Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to be party to proceedings before authority Section 16-9c - Participation by stakeholder groups in proceedings pertaining to a gas, water, pipeline, electric distribution company or electric supplier. Compensation program. Independent evaluation of program Section 16-10 - Enforcement of statutes and orders Section 16-10a - Revocation of franchises. Procedure. Reassignment Section 16-11 - Safety of public and employees. Powers Section 16-11a - Nuclear Energy Advisory Council; composition; duties Section 16-12 - Complaints as to dangerous conditions Section 16-13 - Procedure upon complaint Section 16-14 - Powers concerning electrolysis or escape of electricity Section 16-15 - Compliance with orders. Penalty Section 16-16 - Report of accidents. Penalties Section 16-17 - Duties as to accidents Section 16-18 - Powers concerning poles and wires Section 16-18a - Consultants: Retention, expenses, findings and recommendations Section 16-19 - Amendment of rate schedule; investigations and findings by authority; hearings; deferral of municipal rate increases; refunds; notice of application for rate amendment, interim rate amendment and reopening of rate proceeding Section 16-19a - Periodic review re gas, electric distribution and water companies' rates, services and performance. Approval of performance-based incentives and penalties Section 16-19b - Purchased gas adjustment clauses, energy adjustment clauses and transmission rate adjustment clauses Section 16-19c - [Repealed] Section 16-19d - Advertising not to be deemed an operating expense for purposes of rate-making. Disclosure of source of payment for advertising Section 16-19e - Guidelines for transfer of assets and franchises, plant expansion, internal utility management and rate structures. Public hearing. Policy coordination among state agencies. Parties to rate proceeding Section 16-19f - Rate design standards for electric public service companies and municipal electric companies. Determination of appropriateness. Implementation. Electric vehicle charging stations Section 16-19g - [Repealed] Section 16-19h - Reopening of water company rate proceedings Section 16-19i - [Repealed] Section 16-19j - Portion of authority staff to be made party to certain rate proceedings Section 16-19k - Costs of educational materials or information on water conservation included as operating costs Section 16-19l - Authorization of rates that promote water conservation Section 16-19m to 16-19q - [Repealed] Section 16-19r to 16-19t - [Repealed] Section 16-19u to 16-19w - [Repealed] Section 16-19x - Phase-in of costs of certain large electric generating facilities Section 16-19y - [Repealed] Section 16-19z - Rate treatment of land purchased, owned or retained by water companies for water supply protection or future water supply use Section 16-19aa - [Repealed] Section 16-19bb - Application or refund of electric distribution company rate moderation funds Section 16-19cc - [Repealed] Section 16-19dd - Conservation and load management programs for agricultural customers Section 16-19ee - Reports from electric distribution companies concerning electrical outages affecting at least two hundred fifty customers Section 16-19ff - Submetering. Regulations. Application process Section 16-19gg - Factors to be considered during a rate proceeding Section 16-19hh - Implementation of flexible pricing and rates. Special contracts for electric service. Exemption from competitive transition assessment. Regulations. Gas rates for certain manufacturers Section 16-19ii - [Repealed] Section 16-19jj - Alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. Settlements Section 16-19kk - Finding re conservation and load management programs. Rates of return for conservation and load management programs and programs promoting the state's economic development. Considerations in establishing company's authorized return. Performance-based incentives. Consumer Counsel authorized to retain experts. Regulations Section 16-19ll - [Repealed] Section 16-19mm - Consideration of external costs and benefits Section 16-19nn - Encouragement of specific end uses of electricity and gas Section 16-19oo - Approval of rate amendments for conservation and load management programs or programs promoting the state's economic development in proceedings other than rate proceedings. Approval of rate mechanisms to recover costs of natural gas infrastructure expansion plan in contested proceedings Section 16-19pp - Uncontested proceedings before the authority. Participating parties Section 16-19qq - [Repealed] Section 16-19rr - Rates charged by electric distribution companies and electric utilities to veterans' organizations Section 16-19ss - [Repealed] Section 16-19tt - Gas and electric distribution companies' distribution revenue decoupling Section 16-19uu - Adjustments to competitive transition assessment with respect to economic recovery revenue bonds Section 16-19vv - Public service companies' customer deposits Section 16-19ww - Natural gas infrastructure expansion plan. Hurdle rate; rate for new customers added pursuant to the plan; rate mechanism for gas companies to recover prudent investments made pursuant to the plan outside a rate proceeding; assignment of nonfirm margin credit Section 16-19xx - Deferral of public service company tax expense increase Section 16-19yy - Compensation rate recovery for electric distribution companies, gas companies or water companies Section 16-19zz - Interim rate decreases, low-income rates and economic development rates for customers of electric distribution companies Section 16-19aaa to 16-19ddd - Reserved for future use Section 16-19eee - Definitions Section 16-19fff - Electric vehicle charging load projections Section 16-19ggg - Public electric vehicle charging stations. Parking restrictions Section 16-20 - Inadequate service or unreasonable rates; petition to authority. Small community water system rates and service Section 16-21 - Change of rates fixed pursuant to charter or contract Section 16-22 - Rates; transfer of assets or franchise; burden of proof Section 16-23 - Regulations and service prescribed by authority deemed reasonable Section 16-24 - Classification of service Section 16-24a - Low-income discounted rates for electric and gas service Section 16-24b - Low-income rates for gas and water companies with more than seventy-five thousand customers Section 16-25 - Time and place of hearings. Notice Section 16-25a - Hearings on Office of Consumer Counsel petitions Section 16-26 - Public hearing to be held in locality affected Section 16-27 - Returns from public service companies. Reports from community antenna television companies. Penalty. Form 8-K reports Section 16-28 - Correction of returns and reports Section 16-29 - Reports from municipalities Section 16-30 - [Repealed] Section 16-31 - [Repealed] Section 16-32 - Annual audit report Section 16-32a - Filing re procurement practices. Public hearing. Regulations re competitive bidding Section 16-32b - Regional water authority or water district to submit annual report Section 16-32c - Water company rate adjustments. Application. Notice to customers Section 16-32d - Reserved for future use Section 16-32e - Emergency plans to be filed by public service companies, telecommunications companies, voice over Internet protocol service providers and municipal utilities. Hearings. Revisions. Staffing of electric distribution companies' emergency operations centers Section 16-32f - Gas company supply and demand forecast reports Section 16-32g - Electric wire maintenance plans. Regulations Section 16-32h - Performance standards for electric distribution companies and gas companies in emergencies. Emergency response report Section 16-32i - Performance review of electric distribution companies and gas companies after emergencies. Hearing. Penalty Section 16-32j - Procedures for expedited road clearing after emergencies Section 16-32k - Vegetation management practices review. Report Section 16-32l - Residential customer credits for distribution-system service outage. Recovery of costs. Waiver of requirements Section 16-32m - Residential customer compensation for expiration of medicine and food due to distribution-system service outage. Recovery of costs. Waiver of requirements Section 16-32n - Cost-benefit analysis concerning resources expended and existing staffing levels during storm events. Minimum staffing levels and acceptable performance standards for electric distribution companies. Penalties Section 16-33 - Obstructing authority; false entries and returns to; penalty Section 16-34 - [Repealed] Section 16-34a - Annual report re lost and unaccounted for gas. Docket to investigate Section 16-35 - Appeals to Superior Court. Uncontested proceedings re acquiring electricity products or services. Stays of orders of authority Section 16-36 to 16-39 - [Repealed] Section 16-40 - Rights and duties of trustees and receivers Section 16-41 - Imposition of civil penalties by authority Section 16-42 - Not to affect labor contracts Section 16-43 - Merger or sale of public service companies. Issuance and approval of securities. Net proceeds from sale of water company land. Allocation of economic benefits of sale of water company land Section 16-43a - Validity of securities issued pursuant to order of authority Section 16-43b - Definitions applicable to apportionment of land sales benefits Section 16-43c - Sale of water company land to certain municipal corporations for construction of a school Section 16-43d - Sale of existing electric generation plants Section 16-44 - Notice of formation, consolidation or discontinuance of public service companies; change of name. Penalty Section 16-44a - Disclosure of salaries of directors and officers of public service companies Section 16-45 - Increase or reduction of capital stock by public service companies Section 16-46 - Dissolution or termination of public service company. Cessation of public service operations Section 16-47 - Holding companies. Approval of authority re exercise of control. Investigation and hearing. Annual reports. Injunctive relief. Exemption Section 16-47a - Code of conduct for gas company transactions with affiliates Section 16-48 - Electricity and gas; transmission between this state and other states Section 16-48a - Consumer Counsel and Public Utility Control Fund established Section 16-49 - Expenses of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's Bureau of Energy and Technology, the Office of Consumer Counsel, the Office of Policy and Management and the operations of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. Assessment of regulated companies Section 16-49a to 16-49c - [Repealed] Section 16-49d - [Repealed] Section 16-49e - Public service company may request identification from person opening an account. Telecommunications company may request identification prior to providing service Section 16-49f - Verification of Social Security number prior to opening new account. Minor not liable for services fraudulently obtained using minor's Social Security number Section 16-50 - [Repealed] Section 16-50a - Local filing of maps on acquisition of property Section 16-50b - Declaration of policy Section 16-50c - Notification of intent to dispose of unimproved real property. Approval or disapproval by authority. Hearing Section 16-50d - Action to acquire property Section 16-50e - Notices to town clerk Section 16-50f - Solicitation of insurance applications from employees of public service companies. Payroll deductions