Senate Bill S6822

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S6822

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the public service law, in relation giving customers
the option to receive a consolidated bill for both energy service
companies and utility corporation services

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

The purpose of this bill is to allow electricity and natural gas
customers the option to receive a single bill for both commodity and
utility distribution charges from either their energy services company
(ESCO) or utility.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

Section 1. Provides that every customer of an energy services company
shall have the option to receive a single consolidated bill for both
ESCO and utility corporation services from either the ESCO, if it
offers a consolidated bill, or the utility corporation. Requires the
Public Service Commission to ensure that: customers who elect to
receive a consolidated bill from an ESCO are provided a credit or
other rate adjustment reflecting the costs avoided by the utility in
no longer billing the customer directly; utilities recover prudently
incurred and incremental costs related to implementing the single
              

consolidated bill option; and utilities have an opportunity to earn an
appropriate incentive for the efficient implementation of the single
consolidated bill option.

Section 2. Sets the effective date at one year after enactment.

 JUSTIFICATION :

As the state and energy industry move forward with the adoption of new
market structures to encourage customers of all sizes to deploy more
innovative technologies and sophisticated product and service
packages, it will be Important to provide ESCOs and their customers
the option to receive one bill for services from not only the utility,
but from the ESCO if available. Customers seeking to procure energy
related (e.g. energy efficiency, renewables, demand response and
distributed generation value added products)and non-energy related
services (e.g. smart home, home maintenance, theft protection,
entertainment and communications services) will often prefer a single
bill from the entity that is providing the preponderance of services
to them. Energy services will likely become embedded in a suite of
services being offered to consumers, and it will often be more
practical to include the utility's charges for distribution services
as part of larger bill than the other way around. In addition, ESCOs
operating on a national level can bring larger economies of scale to
the billing function, while Incorporating charges for standardized
products and services for customers across the country.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New bill

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None to the State