CHAPTER 277
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITY CONTROL.
OFFICE OF CONSUMER COUNSEL.
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

      Sec. 16-1. Definitions. (a) Terms used in this title and in chapters 244, 244a, 244b, 245, 245a and 245b* shall be construed as follows, unless another meaning is expressed or is clearly apparent from the language or context:

      (1) "Authority" means the Public Utilities Control Authority and "department" means the Department of Public Utility Control;

      (2) "Commissioner" means a member of said authority;

      (3) "Commissioner of Transportation" means the Commissioner of Transportation appointed under section 13b-3;

      (4) "Public service company" includes electric, electric distribution, gas, telephone, telegraph, pipeline, sewage, water and community antenna television companies and holders of a certificate of cable franchise authority, owning, leasing, maintaining, operating, managing or controlling plants or parts of plants or equipment, and all express companies having special privileges on railroads within this state, but shall not include telegraph company functions concerning intrastate money order service, towns, cities, boroughs, any municipal corporation or department thereof, whether separately incorporated or not, a private power producer, as defined in section 16-243b, or an exempt wholesale generator, as defined in 15 USC 79z-5a;

      (5) "Plant" includes all real estate, buildings, tracks, pipes, mains, poles, wires and other fixed or stationary construction and equipment, wherever located, used in the conduct of the business of the company;

      (6) "Railroad company" includes every person owning, leasing, maintaining, operating, managing or controlling any railroad, or any cars or other equipment employed thereon or in connection therewith, for public or general use within this state;

      (7) "Street railway company" includes every person owning, leasing, maintaining, operating, managing or controlling any street railway, or any cars or other equipment employed thereon or in connection therewith, for public or general use within this state;

      (8) "Electric company" includes, until an electric company has been unbundled in accordance with the provisions of section 16-244e, every person owning, leasing, maintaining, operating, managing or controlling poles, wires, conduits or other fixtures, along public highways or streets, for the transmission or distribution of electric current for sale for light, heat or power within this state, or, engaged in generating electricity to be so transmitted or distributed for such purpose, but shall not include (A) a private power producer, as defined in section 16-243b, (B) an exempt wholesale generator, as defined in 15 USC 79z-5a, (C) a municipal electric utility established under chapter 101, (D) a municipal electric energy cooperative established under chapter 101a, (E) an electric cooperative established under chapter 597, or (F) any other electric utility owned, leased, maintained, operated, managed or controlled by any unit of local government under any general statute or any public or special act;

      (9) "Gas company" includes every person owning, leasing, maintaining, operating, managing or controlling mains, pipes or other fixtures, in public highways or streets, for the transmission or distribution of gas for sale for heat or power within this state, or engaged in the manufacture of gas to be so transmitted or distributed for such purpose, but shall not include a person manufacturing gas through the use of a biomass gasification plant provided such person does not own, lease, maintain, operate, manage or control mains, pipes or other fixtures in public highways or streets, a municipal gas utility established under chapter 101 or any other gas utility owned, leased, maintained, operated, managed or controlled by any unit of local government under any general statute or any public or special act;

      (10) "Water company" includes every person owning, leasing, maintaining, operating, managing or controlling any pond, lake, reservoir, stream, well or distributing plant or system employed for the purpose of supplying water to fifty or more consumers. A water company does not include homeowners, condominium associations providing water only to their members, homeowners associations providing water to customers at least eighty per cent of whom are members of such associations, a municipal waterworks system established under chapter 102, a district, metropolitan district, municipal district or special services district established under chapter 105, chapter 105a or any other general statute or any public or special act which is authorized to supply water, or any other waterworks system owned, leased, maintained, operated, managed or controlled by any unit of local government under any general statute or any public or special act;

      (11) "Consumer" means any private dwelling, boardinghouse, apartment, store, office building, institution, mechanical or manufacturing establishment or other place of business or industry to which water is supplied by a water company;

      (12) "Sewage company" includes every person owning, leasing, maintaining, operating, managing or controlling, for general use in any town, city or borough, or portion thereof, in this state, sewage disposal facilities which discharge treated effluent into any waterway of this state;

      (13) "Pipeline company" includes every person owning, leasing, maintaining, operating, managing or controlling mains, pipes or other fixtures through, over, across or under any public land, water, parkways, highways, parks or public grounds for the transportation, transmission or distribution of petroleum products for hire within this state;

      (14) "Community antenna television company" includes every person owning, leasing, maintaining, operating, managing or controlling a community antenna television system, in, under or over any public street or highway, for the purpose of providing community antenna television service for hire and shall include any municipality which owns or operates one or more plants for the manufacture or distribution of electricity pursuant to section 7-213 or any special act and seeks to obtain or obtains a certificate of public convenience and necessity to construct or operate a community antenna television system pursuant to section 16-331 or a certificate of cable franchise authority pursuant to section 16-331q. "Community antenna television company" does not include a certified competitive video service provider;

      (15) "Community antenna television service" means (A) the one-way transmission to subscribers of video programming or information that a community antenna television company makes available to all subscribers generally, and subscriber interaction, if any, which is required for the selection of such video programming or information, and (B) noncable communications service. "Community antenna television service" does not include video service provided by a certified competitive video service provider;

      (16) "Community antenna television system" means a facility, consisting of a set of closed transmission paths and associated signal generation, reception and control equipment that is designed to provide community antenna television service which includes video programming and which is provided in, under or over any public street or highway, for hire, to multiple subscribers within a franchise, but such term does not include (A) a facility that serves only to retransmit the television signals of one or more television broadcast stations; (B) a facility that serves only subscribers in one or more multiple unit dwellings under common ownership, control or management, unless such facility is located in, under or over a public street or highway; (C) a facility of a common carrier which is subject, in whole or in part, to the provisions of Subchapter II of Chapter 5 of the Communications Act of 1934, 47 USC 201 et seq., as amended, except that such facility shall be considered a community antenna television system and the carrier shall be considered a public service company to the extent such facility is used in the transmission of video programming directly to subscribers; or (D) a facility of an electric company which is used solely for operating its electric company systems. "Community antenna television system" does not include a facility used by a certified competitive video service provider to provide video service;

      (17) "Video programming" means programming provided by, or generally considered comparable to programming provided by, a television broadcast station;

      (18) "Noncable communications service" means any telecommunications service, as defined in section 16-247a, and which is not included in the definition of "cable service" in the Communications Act of 1934, 47 USC 522, as amended. Nothing in this definition shall be construed to affect service which is both authorized and preempted pursuant to federal law;

      (19) "Public service motor vehicle" includes all motor vehicles used for the transportation of passengers for hire;

      (20) "Motor bus" includes any public service motor vehicle operated in whole or in part upon any street or highway, by indiscriminately receiving or discharging passengers, or operated on a regular route or over any portion thereof, or operated between fixed termini, and any public service motor vehicle operated over highways within this state between points outside this state or between points within this state and points outside this state;

      (21) "Cogeneration technology" means the use for the generation of electricity of exhaust steam, waste steam, heat or resultant energy from an industrial, commercial or manufacturing plant or process, or the use of exhaust steam, waste steam or heat from a thermal power plant for an industrial, commercial or manufacturing plant or process, but shall not include steam or heat developed solely for electrical power generation;

      (22) "Renewable fuel resources" means energy sources described in subdivisions (26) and (27) of this subsection;

      (23) "Telephone company" means a telecommunications company that provides one or more noncompetitive or emerging competitive services, as defined in section 16-247a;

      (24) "Domestic telephone company" includes any telephone company which has been chartered by or organized or constituted within or under the laws of this state;

      (25) "Telecommunications company" means a person that provides telecommunications service, as defined in section 16-247a, within the state, but shall not mean a person that provides only (A) private telecommunications service, as defined in section 16-247a, (B) the one-way transmission of video programming or other programming services to subscribers, (C) subscriber interaction, if any, which is required for the selection of such video programming or other programming services, (D) the two-way transmission of educational or instructional programming to a public or private elementary or secondary school, or a public or independent institution of higher education, as required by the department pursuant to a community antenna television company franchise agreement, or provided pursuant to a contract with such a school or institution which contract has been filed with the department, or (E) a combination of the services set forth in subparagraphs (B) to (D), inclusive, of this subdivision;

      (26) "Class I renewable energy source" means (A) energy derived from solar power, wind power, a fuel cell, methane gas from landfills, ocean thermal power, wave or tidal power, low emission advanced renewable energy conversion technologies, a run-of-the-river hydropower facility provided such facility has a generating capacity of not more than five megawatts, does not cause an appreciable change in the river flow, and began operation after July 1, 2003, or a sustainable biomass facility with an average emission rate of equal to or less than .075 pounds of nitrogen oxides per million BTU of heat input for the previous calendar quarter, except that energy derived from a sustainable biomass facility with a capacity of less than five hundred kilowatts that began construction before July 1, 2003, may be considered a Class I renewable energy source, or (B) any electrical generation, including distributed generation, generated from a Class I renewable energy source;

      (27) "Class II renewable energy source" means energy derived from a trash-to-energy facility, a biomass facility that began operation before July 1, 1998, provided the average emission rate for such facility is equal to or less than .2 pounds of nitrogen oxides per million BTU of heat input for the previous calendar quarter, or a run-of-the-river hydropower facility provided such facility has a generating capacity of not more than five megawatts, does not cause an appreciable change in the riverflow, and began operation prior to July 1, 2003;

      (28) "Electric distribution services" means the owning, leasing, maintaining, operating, managing or controlling of poles, wires, conduits or other fixtures along public highways or streets for the distribution of electricity, or electric distribution-related services;

      (29) "Electric distribution company" or "distribution company" means any person providing electric transmission or distribution services within the state, including an electric company, subject to subparagraph (F) of this subdivision, but does not include: (A) A private power producer, as defined in section 16-243b; (B) a municipal electric utility established under chapter 101, other than a participating municipal electric utility; (C) a municipal electric energy cooperative established under chapter 101a; (D) an electric cooperative established under chapter 597; (E) any other electric utility owned, leased, maintained, operated, managed or controlled by any unit of local government under any general statute or special act; (F) after an electric company has been unbundled in accordance with the provisions of section 16-244e, a generation entity or affiliate of the former electric company; or (G) an electric supplier;

      (30) "Electric supplier" means any person, including an electric aggregator or participating municipal electric utility that is licensed by the Department of Public Utility Control in accordance with section 16-245, that provides electric generation services to end use customers in the state using the transmission or distribution facilities of an electric distribution company, regardless of whether or not such person takes title to such generation services, but does not include: (A) A municipal electric utility established under chapter 101, other than a participating municipal electric utility; (B) a municipal electric energy cooperative established under chapter 101a; (C) an electric cooperative established under chapter 597; (D) any other electric utility owned, leased, maintained, operated, managed or controlled by any unit of local government under any general statute or special act; or (E) an electric distribution company in its provision of electric generation services in accordance with subsection (a) or, prior to January 1, 2004, subsection (c) of section 16-244c;

      (31) "Electric aggregator" means (A) a person, municipality or regional water authority that gathers together electric customers for the purpose of negotiating the purchase of electric generation services from an electric supplier, or (B) the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority, if it gathers together electric customers for the purpose of negotiating the purchase of electric generation services from an electric supplier, provided such person, municipality or authority is not engaged in the purchase or resale of electric generation services, and provided further such customers contract for electric generation services directly with an electric supplier, and may include an electric cooperative established pursuant to chapter 597;

      (32) "Electric generation services" means electric energy, electric capacity or generation-related services;

      (33) "Electric transmission services" means electric transmission or transmission-related services;

      (34) "Generation entity or affiliate" means a corporate affiliate or, as provided in subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of section 16-244e, a separate division of an electric company after unbundling has occurred pursuant to section 16-244e, that provides electric generation services;

      (35) "Participating municipal electric utility" means a municipal electric utility established under chapter 101 or any other electric utility owned, leased, maintained, operated, managed or controlled by any unit of local government under any general statute or any public or special act, that is authorized by the department in accordance with section 16-245c to provide electric generation services to end use customers outside its service area, as defined in section 16-245c;

      (36) "Person" means an individual, business, firm, corporation, association, joint stock association, trust, partnership or limited liability company;

      (37) "Regional independent system operator" means the "ISO - New England, Inc.", or its successor organization as approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission;

      (38) "Certified telecommunications provider" means a person certified by the department to provide intrastate telecommunications services, as defined in section 16-247a, pursuant to sections 16-247f to 16-247h, inclusive;

      (39) "Gas registrant" means a person registered to sell natural gas pursuant to section 16-258a;

      (40) "Customer-side distributed resources" means (A) the generation of electricity from a unit with a rating of not more than sixty-five megawatts on the premises of a retail end user within the transmission and distribution system including, but not limited to, fuel cells, photovoltaic systems or small wind turbines, or (B) a reduction in the demand for electricity on the premises of a retail end user in the distribution system through methods of conservation and load management, including, but not limited to, peak reduction systems and demand response systems;

      (41) "Federally mandated congestion charges" means any cost approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as part of New England Standard Market Design including, but not limited to, locational marginal pricing, locational installed capacity payments, any cost approved by the Department of Public Utility Control to reduce federally mandated congestion charges in accordance with section 7-233y, this section, sections 16-19ss, 16-32f, 16-50i, 16-50k, 16-50x, 16-243i to 16-243q, inclusive, 16-244c, 16-244e, 16-245m, 16-245n and 16-245z, and section 21 of public act 05-1 of the June special session** and reliability must run contracts;

      (42) "Combined heat and power system" means a system that produces, from a single source, both electric power and thermal energy used in any process that results in an aggregate reduction in electricity use;

      (43) "Grid-side distributed resources" means the generation of electricity from a unit with a rating of not more than sixty-five megawatts that is connected to the transmission or distribution system, which units may include, but are not limited to, units used primarily to generate electricity to meet peak demand;

      (44) "Class III source" means the electricity output from combined heat and power systems with an operating efficiency level of no less than fifty per cent that are part of customer-side distributed resources developed at commercial and industrial facilities in this state on or after January 1, 2006, a waste heat recovery system installed on or after April 1, 2007, that produces electrical or thermal energy by capturing preexisting waste heat or pressure from industrial or commercial processes, or the electricity savings created in this state from conservation and load management programs begun on or after January 1, 2006;

      (45) "Sustainable biomass" means biomass that is cultivated and harvested in a sustainable manner. "Sustainable biomass" does not mean construction and demolition waste, as defined in section 22a-208x, finished biomass products from sawmills, paper mills or stud mills, organic refuse fuel derived separately from municipal solid waste, or biomass from old growth timber stands, except where (A) such biomass is used in a biomass gasification plant that received funding prior to May 1, 2006, from the Renewable Energy Investment Fund established pursuant to section 16-245n, or (B) the energy derived from such biomass is subject to a long-term power purchase contract pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (j) of section 16-244c entered into prior to May 1, 2006, or (C) such biomass is used in a renewable energy facility that is certified as a Class I renewable energy source by the department until such time as the department certifies that any biomass gasification plan, as defined in this subsection, is operational and accepting such biomass;

      (46) "Video service" means video programming services provided through wireline facilities, a portion of which are located in the public right-of-way, without regard to delivery technology, including Internet protocol technology. "Video service" does not include any video programming provided by a commercial mobile service provider, as defined in 47 USC 332(d), any video programming provided as part of community antenna television service in a franchise area as of October 1, 2007, any video programming provided as part of and via a service that enables users to access content, information, electronic mail or other services over the public Internet;

      (47) "Certified competitive video service provider" means an entity providing video service pursuant to a certificate of video franchise authority issued by the department in accordance with section 16-331e. "Certified competitive video service provider" does not mean an entity issued a certificate of public convenience and necessity in accordance with section 16-331 or the affiliates, successors and assigns of such entity or an entity issued a certificate of cable franchise authority in accordance with section 16-331p or the affiliates, successors and assignees of such entity;

      (48) "Certificate of video franchise authority" means an authorization issued by the Department of Public Utility Control conferring the right to an entity or person to own, lease, maintain, operate, manage or control facilities in, under or over any public highway to offer video service to any subscribers in the state; and

      (49) "Certificate of cable franchise authority" means an authorization issued by the Department of Public Utility Control pursuant to section 16-331q conferring the right to a community antenna television company to own, lease, maintain, operate, manage or control a community antenna television system in, under or over any public highway to (A) offer community antenna television service in a community antenna television company's designated franchise area, or (B) use the public rights-of-way to offer video service in a designated franchise area. The certificate of cable franchise authority shall be issued as an alternative to a certificate of public convenience and necessity pursuant to section 16-331 and shall only be available to a community antenna television company under the terms specified in sections 16-331q to 16-331aa, inclusive.

      (b) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, the terms "utility", "public utility" and "public service company" shall be deemed to include a community antenna television company and a holder of a certificate of cable franchise authority, except (1) as otherwise provided in sections 16-8, 16-27, 16-28 and 16-43, (2) that no provision of the general statutes, including but not limited to, the provisions of sections 16-6b and 16-19, shall subject a community antenna television company to regulation as a common carrier or utility by reason of providing community antenna television service, other than noncable communications service, as provided in Subchapter V-A of Chapter 5 of the Communications Act of 1934, 47 USC 521 et seq., as amended, and (3) that no provision of the general statutes, including but not limited to, sections 16-6b and 16-19, shall apply to community antenna television companies to the extent any such provision is preempted pursuant to any other provision of the Communications Act of 1934, 47 USC 151 et seq., as amended, any other federal act or any regulation adopted thereunder.

      (1949 Rev., S. 5390; February, 1965, P.A. 175, S. 1; 1967, P.A. 546, S. 1; 691, S. 1; 1969, P.A. 768, S. 208; P.A. 73-267; P.A. 75-486, S. 2, 69; P.A. 77-614, S. 162, 587, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 79-214, S. 1; 79-610, S. 7; P.A. 80-482, S. 39, 348; 80-483, S. 65, 186; P.A. 81-297, S. 3; 81-329, S. 1, 11; 81-358, S. 2; 81-439, S. 2, 14; P.A. 85-246, S. 8; 85-509, S. 1, 11; P.A. 86-403, S. 33, 132; P.A. 87-323, S. 4; 87-415, S. 7, 13; P.A. 91-310, S. 3; P.A. 92-137, S. 2; P.A. 93-149; P.A. 94-83, S. 1, 16; P.A. 95-79, S. 47, 189; P.A. 98-28, S. 1, 117; P.A. 99-222, S. 1, 19; 99-286, S. 1, 19; P.A. 00-53, S. 11, 12; P.A. 01-49, S. 1; 01-204, S. 7, 29; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 73, 131; P.A. 03-135, S. 1, 2; 03-163, S. 2; 03-221, S. 1, 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-1, S. 1, 2; P.A. 06-74, S. 1, 2; P.A. 07-242, S. 44; 07-253, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5, S. 58.)

      *Chapter 244b (Sec. 13b-101 et seq.) re motor vehicles in livery service was formerly published as chapter 288 (Sec. 16-324 et seq.).

      Chapter 245 (Sec. 13b-200 et seq.) re railroads and railways was formerly published as chapter 278 (Sec. 16-51 et seq.).

      Chapter 245a (Sec. 13b-244 et seq.) re railroad construction and location was formerly published as chapter 279 (Sec. 16-76 et seq.).

      Chapter 245b (Sec. 13b-324 et seq.) re railroad operations was formerly published as chapter 280 (Sec. 16-140 et seq.).

      **Note: Section 21 of public act 05-1 of the June special session is special in nature and therefore has not been codified but remains in full force and effect according to its terms.

      History: 1965 act added definition of community antenna television company; 1967 acts included sewage plants in definition of "public service company" and defined "sewage company", redefined "water company" to include companies owning, controlling etc. streams and wells and to delete phrase "for general domestic use in any town, city or borough ... within this state" and defined "consumer"; 1969 act defined "commissioner of transportation"; P.A. 73-267 included motor bus companies in definition of "public service company"; P.A. 75-486 replaced definition of "commission" with definition of "authority"; P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 included definition of division of public utility control, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-214 defined "cogeneration technology" and excluded persons owning or operating facilities producing one or less megawatt from definition of "public service company"; P.A. 79-610 defined "department", deleted railroad and motor bus companies from definition of "public service company" and added reference to leasing in definitions of "railroad company" and "water company"; P.A. 80-482 replaced definition of "division" with definition of "department" re public utility control, deleting previous definition of "department" as "department of transportation"; P.A. 80-483 added reference to leasing in definitions of "street railway company" and "sewage company"; P.A. 81-297 excluded telegraph company functions concerning intrastate money order service from definition of public service company; P.A. 81-329 added definitions of "telephone company" and "domestic telephone company"; P.A. 81-358 excluded homeowners and condominium associations providing water to members only from definition of water company; P.A. 81-439 excluded private power producers from definitions of public service company and electric company; P.A. 85-246 redefined "public service company" to omit references to street railway companies and deleted a reference to street railway companies in definition of "motor bus"; P.A. 85-509 made existing section Subsec. (a), added definitions of "community antenna television service", "community antenna television system", "video programming" and "noncable communications service" in Subsec. (a), clarified definition of "community antenna television company" to apply to an antenna television system and added Subsec. (b) re the meaning of the terms "utility", "public utility" and "public service company"; P.A. 86-403 made a technical change to Subsec. (a); (Revisor's note: In 1987 the definitions in Subsec. (a) were numbered editorially by the Revisors for ease of reference); P.A. 87-323 redefined "water company" to specifically exclude certain homeowners associations; P.A. 87-415 redefined "telephone company" to exclude entities which provide only those telecommunications services authorized under Secs. 16-247f to 16-247h, inclusive; P.A. 91-310 redefined "electric company", "gas company" and "water company" to specifically exclude municipal utilities; P.A. 92-137 redefined "community antenna television company" to include municipalities which own or operate electric plants; P.A. 93-149 redefined "community antenna television system" to include municipalities which own or operate electric plants only if they obtain a certificate of public convenience and necessity for a community antenna television system; P.A. 94-83 amended Subsec. (a) by clarifying reference to the Communications Act of 1934 in Subdivs. (16) and (18), redefined "telephone company" in Subdiv. (23) and adding new Subdiv. (25) defining "telecommunications company", and amended Subsec. (b) by clarifying reference to the Communications Act of 1934, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-79 redefined "telecommunications company" to include a limited liability company, effective May 31, 1995; P.A. 98-28 amended Subsec. (a), redefining "public service company" by adding electric distribution companies and exempting wholesale generators, by making minor changes in definitions of "electric company" and "renewable fuel resources" and added new Subdivs. (26) to (37), defining "class I renewable energy source", "class II renewable energy source", "electric distribution services", "electric distribution company", "electric supplier", "electric aggregator", "electric generation services", "electric transmission services", "generation entity or affiliate", "participating municipal electric utility", "person" and "regional independent system operator", effective July 1, 1998 (Revisor's note: In Subdiv. (22) the Revisors editorially changed the phrase "... subdivisions (26) and (27) of this section" to "... subdivisions (26) and (27) of this subsection"); P.A. 99-222 amended Subsec. (a) by inserting new Subdiv. (38) defining "certified telecommunications provider", effective June 29, 1999; P.A. 99-286 amended Subsec. (a) by making technical changes and by defining "certified telecommunications provider" in words identical to those in P.A. 99-222, effective July 19, 1999; P.A. 00-53 amended Subsec. (a) by redefining "electric aggregator" in Subdiv. (31) to include regional water authorities, and by adding a new Subdiv., designated as (39), defining "gas registrant"; P.A. 01-49 amended Subsec. (a) by making technical changes in Subdivs. (15) and (16); P.A. 01-204 amended Subsec. (a) by redefining "Class I renewable energy source" in Subdiv. (26) to include biomass gasification plants, effective July 11, 2001; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 revised effective date of P.A. 01-204 but without affecting this section; P.A. 03-135 redefined "Class I renewable energy source" in Subdiv. (26) to include "ocean thermal power, wave or tidal power, low emission advanced renewable energy conversion technologies" and certain run-of-the-river hydropower facilities, to revise the type of biomass that falls under the definition and include, as an exception, "energy derived from a biomass facility that began operation before July 1, 1998" provided "the average emission rate for such facility is equal to or less than .075 pounds of nitrogen oxides per million BTU of heat input for the previous calendar quarter", and to include "any electrical generation, including distributed generation, generated from a Class I renewable energy source", redefined "Class II renewable energy source" in Subdiv. (27) to limit the type of biomass facility included in the definition to a facility "that began operation before July 1, 1998, provided the average emission rate for such facility is equal to or less than .2 pounds of nitrogen oxides per million BTU of heat input for the previous calendar quarter" and to change the type of hydropower facility included in the definition to certain run-of-the-river hydropower facilities, and added new Subdivs. (40) and (41), defining "distributed generation" and "federally mandated congestion costs", effective July 1, 2003; P.A. 03-163 redefined "gas company" in Subdiv. (9) to exclude a person manufacturing gas through the use of a biomass gasification plant, effective June 26, 2003; P.A. 03-221 redefined "Class I renewable energy source" in Subdiv. (26) to delete provisions re the date that a biomass facility began operation, to make the emission rate applicable to all biomass facilities, and to add an exception for biomass facilities with a capacity of less than five hundred kilowatts, and redefined "federally mandated congestion costs" in Subdiv. (41) by replacing "imposed" with "approved" and adding "including, but not limited to, locational marginal pricing and reliability must run contracts", effective July 1, 2003; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-1 amended Subsec. (a) by amending Subdiv. (40) to change the definition of "distributed generation" to "customer-side distributed resources", to designate existing language as Subpara. (A), to add a unit rating limit in Subpara. (A), and to add Subpara. (B) re reduction in demand, by amending Subdiv. (41) to change the definition of "federally mandated congestion costs" to "federally mandated congestion charges" and to add additional qualifying payments and costs, and by adding Subdivs. (42) to (44), inclusive, defining "combined heat and power system", "grid-side distributed resources" and "Class III renewable energy source", effective July 21, 2005; P.A. 06-74 amended Subsec. (a)(26) to insert "sustainable" prior to each occurrence of "biomass facility", to delete language re biomass gasification plants, to make conforming changes, and to delete language within exception for biomass facilities re biomass cultivated and harvested in a sustainable manner, and added new Subdiv. (45) in Subsec. (a) defining "sustainable biomass"; P.A. 07-242 amended Subsec. (a)(44) to change term from "Class III renewable energy source" to "Class III source" and redefine the term, effective June 4, 2007; P.A. 07-253 redefined "public service company", "community antenna television company", "community antenna television service" and "community antenna television system", defined "video service", "certified competitive video service provider", "certificate of video franchise authority" and "certificate of cable franchise authority" and made technical changes in Subsec. (a), and added holder of a certificate of cable franchise authority and made technical changes in Subsec. (b); June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5 amended Subsec. (a)(45)(C) to change exception from biomass used in a facility approved before October 1, 2005, to biomass used in a facility certified as a Class I renewable energy source until department certifies that a biomass gasification plant is operational, effective October 6, 2007.

      Sec. 16-2. Public Utilities Control Authority. Members, appointment, term, qualifications. Executive director. Staff. Ethics. (a) There shall continue to be a Public Utilities Control Authority, which shall consist of five electors of this state, appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of both houses of the General Assembly. Not more than three members of said authority in office at any one time shall be members of any one political party. On or before July 1, 1983, and quadrennially thereafter, the Governor shall appoint three members to the authority and on or before July 1, 1985, and quadrennially thereafter, the Governor shall appoint two members. All such members shall serve for a term of four years. The procedure prescribed by section 4-7 shall apply to such appointments, except that the Governor shall submit each nomination on or before May first, and both houses shall confirm or reject it before adjournment sine die. The commissioners shall be sworn to the faithful performance of their duties.

      (b) The authority shall elect a chairperson and vice-chairperson each June for one-year terms starting on July first of the same year. The vice-chairperson shall perform the duties of the chairperson in his absence.

      (c) Any matter coming before the authority may be assigned by the chairperson to a panel of three commissioners, not more than two of whom shall be members of the same political party. Except as otherwise provided by statute or regulation, the panel shall determine whether a public hearing shall be held on the matter, and may designate one or two of its members to conduct such hearing or appoint an examiner to ascertain the facts and report thereon to the panel. The decision of the panel, if unanimous, shall be the decision of the authority. If the decision of the panel is not unanimous, the matter shall be referred to the entire authority for decision.

      (d) The commissioners of the authority shall serve full time and shall make full public disclosure of their assets, liabilities and income at the time of their appointment, and thereafter each member of the authority shall make such disclosure on or before July thirtieth of each year of such member's term, and shall file such disclosure with the office of the Secretary of the State. Each commissioner shall receive annually a salary equal to that established for management pay plan salary group seventy-five by the Commissioner of Administrative Services, except that the chairperson shall receive annually a salary equal to that established for management pay plan salary group seventy-seven.

      (e) To insure the highest standard of public utility regulation, on and after October 1, 2007, any newly appointed commissioner of the authority shall have education or training and three or more years of experience in one or more of the following fields: Economics, engineering, law, accounting, finance, utility regulation, public or government administration, consumer advocacy, business management, and environmental management. On and after July 1, 1997, at least three of these fields shall be represented on the authority by individual commissioners at all times. Any time a commissioner is newly appointed, at least one of the commissioners shall have experience in utility customer advocacy.

      (f) The chairperson of the authority, with the consent of two or more other members of the authority, shall appoint an executive director, who shall be the chief administrative officer of the Department of Public Utility Control. The executive director shall be supervised by the chairperson of the authority, serve for a term of four years and annually receive a salary equal to that established for management pay plan salary group seventy-two by the Commissioner of Administrative Services. The executive director (1) shall conduct comprehensive planning with respect to the functions of the department; (2) shall coordinate the activities of the department; (3) shall cause the administrative organization of the department to be examined with a view to promoting economy and efficiency; (4) shall, in concurrence with the chairperson of the authority, organize the department into such divisions, bureaus or other units as he deems necessary for the efficient conduct of the business of the department and may from time to time abolish, transfer or consolidate within the department, any division, bureau or other units as may be necessary for the efficient conduct of the business of the department, provided such organization shall include any division, bureau or other unit which is specifically required by the general statutes; (5) shall, for any proceeding on a proposed rate amendment in which staff of the department are to be made a party pursuant to section 16-19j, determine which staff shall appear and participate in the proceedings and which shall serve the members of the authority; (6) may enter into such contractual agreements, in accordance with established procedures, as may be necessary for the discharge of his duties; and (7) may, subject to the provisions of section 4-32, and unless otherwise provided by law, receive any money, revenue or services from the federal government, corporations, associations or individuals, including payments from the sale of printed matter or any other material or services. The executive director shall require the staff of the department to have expertise in public utility engineering and accounting, finance, economics, computers and rate design. Subject to the provisions of chapter 67 and within available funds in any fiscal year, the executive director may appoint a secretary, and may employ such accountants, clerical assistants, engineers, inspectors, experts, consultants and agents as the department may require.

      (g) No member of the authority or employee of the department shall, while serving as such, have any interest, financial or otherwise, direct or indirect, or engage in any business, employment, transaction or professional activity, or incur any obligation of any nature, which is in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of his duties or employment in the public interest and of his responsibilities as prescribed in the laws of this state, as defined in section 1-85; provided, no such substantial conflict shall be deemed to exist solely by virtue of the fact that a member of the authority or employee of the department, or any business in which such a person has an interest, receives utility service from one or more Connecticut utilities under the normal rates and conditions of service.

      (h) No member of the authority or employee of the department shall accept other employment which will either impair his independence of judgment as to his official duties or employment or require him, or induce him, to disclose confidential information acquired by him in the course of and by reason of his official duties.

      (i) No member of the authority or employee of the department shall wilfully and knowingly disclose, for pecuniary gain, to any other person, confidential information acquired by him in the course of and by reason of his official duties or employment or use any such information for the purpose of pecuniary gain.

      (j) No member of the authority or employee of the department shall agree to accept, or be in partnership or association with any person, or a member of a professional corporation or in membership with any union or professional association which partnership, association, professional corporation, union or professional association agrees to accept any employment, fee or other thing of value, or portion thereof, in consideration of his appearing, agreeing to appear, or taking any other action on behalf of another person before the authority, the Connecticut Siting Council, the Office of Policy and Management or the Commissioner of Environmental Protection.

      (k) No commissioner of the authority shall, for a period of one year following the termination of his or her service as a commissioner, accept employment: (1) By a public service company or by any person, firm or corporation engaged in lobbying activities with regard to governmental regulation of public service companies; (2) by a certified telecommunications provider or by any person, firm or corporation engaged in lobbying activities with regard to governmental regulation of persons, firms or corporations so certified; or (3) by an electric supplier or by any person, firm or corporation engaged in lobbying activities with regard to governmental regulation of electric suppliers. No such commissioner who is also an attorney shall in any capacity, appear or participate in any matter, or accept any compensation regarding a matter, before the authority, for a period of one year following the termination of his or her service as a commissioner.

      (1949, Rev., S. 5391; 1959, P.A. 383, S. 1; P.A. 74-216, S. 1, 8; P.A. 75-486, S. 3, 69; P.A. 77-614, S. 19, 67, 162, 589, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 13, 136; P.A. 80-462, S. 1; P.A. 82-150, S. 1; P.A. 84-342, S. 4, 13; P.A. 85-552, S. 3, 8; P.A. 86-187, S. 4, 10; P.A. 89-291, S. 1, 8; P.A. 94-74, S. 1, 11; 94-77; P.A. 98-28, S. 78, 117; P.A. 99-248, S. 1, 3; 99-286, S. 3, 19; P.A. 00-112, S. 4, 5; P.A. 02-89, S. 22; P.A. 07-242, S. 57.)

      History: 1959 act provided appointment of members be subject to the consent of either house of the general assembly rather than both, provided for minority representation and added provision that appointment procedure of Sec. 4-7 is generally applicable; P.A. 74-216 increased membership from three to five members with not more than three of the same political party, rather than two, reduced terms from six to five years, deleted reference to appointment in odd-numbered years, added provision to cover terms during transition period and added Subsecs. (b) and (c); P.A. 75-486 amended section to replace public utilities commission with public utilities control authority, requiring consent of both houses rather then either house for appointments, increasing terms to six years and providing for transition period and added Subsecs. (d) to (k); P.A. 77-614 replaced personnel policy board with commissioner of administrative services in Subsec. (d), replaced "Connecticut energy agency", i.e. department of planning and energy policy, with office of policy and management and, effective January 1, 1979, replaced public utilities control authority with division of public utility control within the department of business regulation and revised appointment provisions in Subsec. (a) to cover transition period; P.A. 78-303 restored public utilities control authority; P.A. 80-462 replaced former Subsec. (k) re applicability of Secs. 1-69 to 1-78 with new provisions re employment by public service company after serving as commissioner; P.A. 82-150 updated provisions re appointment of members and election of officers transferred the provisions of Sec. 16-50 to Subsec. (f) and made other technical changes; P.A. 84-342 established position of executive director in Subsec. (f) and replaced "staff" of the authority with "employee of the department" in Subsecs. (g), (h), (i) and (j); P.A. 85-552 amended Subsec. (k) to prohibit any commissioner from accepting employment with entity engaged in lobbying with regard to regulation of public service companies; P.A. 86-187 replaced power facility evaluation council with Connecticut siting council in Subsec. (j); P.A. 89-291 updated salary group references for commissioners in Subsec. (d) and for the chairpersons in Subsec. (f); P.A. 94-74 amended Subsec. (k) by adding provision restricting commissioner's employment by persons, firms or corporations certified to provide intrastate telecommunication services, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 94-77 amended Subsec. (e) by adding "prior to July 1, 1997," in Subdiv. (1) and adding Subdiv. (2) re standards for commissioners on and after July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-28 amended Subsec. (k) by rearranging language, deleting obsolete provisions and adding electric suppliers, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 99-248 amended Subsec. (d) to increase the salary of commissioners from group seventy-four to group seventy-five, to increase the salary of the chairman from group seventy-six to group seventy-seven and to make a technical change, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 99-286 amended Subsec. (k)(2) by changing reference to person, firm or corporation certified by the department to "certified telecommunications provider", effective July 19, 1999; P.A. 00-112 amended Subsec. (d) to make a technical change, effective May 26, 2000; P.A. 02-89 amended Subsec. (e) to delete as obsolete former Subdiv. (1) re qualifications for commissioners prior to July 1, 1997, and to delete Subdiv. (2) designator; P.A. 07-242 amended Subsec. (e) to change qualifications from applying on and after July 1, 1997, to at least three commissioners, to on and after October 1, 2007, to any newly appointed commissioner and to provide that any time a commissioner is newly appointed, at least one commissioner shall have experience in utility customer advocacy.

      See Sec. 4d-100 re chairperson as ex-officio member of Broadband Internet Coordinating Council.

      Sec. 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. (a) In the exercise of its powers under the provisions of this title, the Department of Public Utility Control shall examine and regulate the transfer of existing assets and franchises, the expansion of the plant and equipment of existing public service companies, the operations and internal workings of public service companies and the establishment of the level and structure of rates in accordance with the following principles: (1) That there is a clear public need for the service being proposed or provided; (2) that the public service company shall be fully competent to provide efficient and adequate service to the public in that such company is technically, financially and managerially expert and efficient; (3) that the department and all public service companies shall perform all of their respective public responsibilities with economy, efficiency and care for public safety and energy security, and so as to promote economic development within the state with consideration for energy and water conservation, energy efficiency and the development and utilization of renewable sources of energy and for the prudent management of the natural environment; (4) that the level and structure of rates be sufficient, but no more than sufficient, to allow public service companies to cover their operating costs including, but not limited to, appropriate staffing levels, and capital costs, to attract needed capital and to maintain their financial integrity, and yet provide appropriate protection to the relevant public interests, both existing and foreseeable which shall include, but not be limited to, reasonable costs of security of assets, facilities and equipment that are incurred solely for the purpose of responding to security needs associated with the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the continuing war on terrorism; (5) that the level and structure of rates charged customers shall reflect prudent and efficient management of the franchise operation; and (6) that the rates, charges, conditions of service and categories of service of the companies not discriminate against customers which utilize renewable energy sources or cogeneration technology to meet a portion of their energy requirements.

      (b) The Department of Public Utility Control shall promptly undertake a separate, general investigation of, and shall hold at least one public hearing on new pricing principles and rate structures for electric companies and for gas companies to consider, without limitation, long run incremental cost of marginal cost pricing, peak load or time of day pricing and proposals for optimizing the utilization of energy and restraining its wasteful use and encouraging energy conservation, and any other matter with respect to pricing principles and rate structures as the department shall deem appropriate. The department shall determine whether existing or future rate structures place an undue burden upon those persons of poverty status and shall make such adjustment in the rate structure as is necessary or desirable to take account of their indigency. The department shall require the utilization of such new principles and structures to the extent that the department determines that their implementation is in the public interest and necessary or desirable to accomplish the purposes of this provision without being unfair or discriminatory or unduly burdensome or disruptive to any group or class of customers, and determines that such principles and structures are capable of yielding required revenues. In reviewing the rates and rate structures of electric and gas companies, the department shall take into consideration appropriate energy policies, including those of the state as expressed in subsection (c) of this section. The authority shall issue its initial findings on such investigation by December 1, 1976, and its final findings and order by June 1, 1977; provided that after such final findings and order are issued, the department shall at least once every two years undertake such further investigations as it deems appropriate with respect to new developments or desirable modifications in pricing principles and rate structures and, after holding at least one public hearing thereon, shall issue its findings and order thereon.

      (c) The Department of Public Utility Control shall consult at least once each year with the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, the Connecticut Siting Council and the Office of Policy and Management, so as to coordinate and integrate its actions, decisions and policies pertaining to gas and electric companies, so far as possible, with the actions, decisions and policies of said other agencies and instrumentalities in order to further the development and optimum use of the state's energy resources and conform to the greatest practicable extent with the state energy policy as stated in section 16a-35k, taking into account prudent management of the natural environment and continued promotion of economic development within the state. In the performance of its duties, the department shall take into consideration the energy policies of the state as expressed in this subsection and in any annual reports prepared or filed by such other agencies and instrumentalities, and shall defer, as appropriate, to any actions taken by such other agencies and instrumentalities on matters within their respective jurisdictions.

      (d) The Commissioner of Environmental Protection, the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, the Connecticut Siting Council and the Office of Policy and Management shall be made parties to each proceeding on a rate amendment proposed by a gas, electric or electric distribution company based upon an alleged need for increased revenues to finance an expansion of capital equipment and facilities, and shall participate in such proceedings to the extent necessary.

      (e) The Department of Public Utility Control, in a proceeding on a rate amendment proposed by an electric distribution company based upon an alleged need for increased revenues to finance an expansion of the capacity of its electric distribution system, shall determine whether demand-side management would be more cost-effective in meeting any demand for electricity for which the increase in capacity is proposed.

      (f) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the regulation of a telecommunications service which is a competitive service, as defined in section 16-247a, or to a telecommunications service to which an approved plan for an alternative form of regulation applies, pursuant to section 16-247k.

      (g) The department may, upon application of any gas or electric public service company, which has, as part of its existing rate plan, an earnings sharing mechanism, modify such rate plan to allow the gas or electric public service company, after a hearing that is conducted as a contested case, in accordance with chapter 54, to include in its rates the reasonable costs of security of assets, facilities, and equipment, both existing and foreseeable, that are incurred solely for the purpose of responding to security needs associated with the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the continuing war on terrorism.

      (P.A. 75-486, S. 5, 69; P.A. 77-614, S. 19, 162, 284, 587, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 79-449, S. 4, 7; P.A. 80-482, S. 59, 348; P.A. 81-439, S. 7, 14; P.A. 86-187, S. 5, 10; P.A. 87-202, S. 2; P.A. 94-83, S. 13, 16; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; P.A. 98-28, S. 52, 117; P.A. 02-94, S. 1, 2; P.A. 07-242, S. 7.)

      History: P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 replaced "Connecticut energy agency", i.e. department of planning and energy policy, with office of policy and management and, effective January 1, 1979, replaced public utilities control authority with division of public utility control within the department of business regulation and commissioner of commerce with commissioner of economic development; P.A. 79-449 required conformity "to the greatest practicable extent with the state energy policy" in Subsec. (c); P.A. 80-482 made division an independent department and deleted reference to abolished department of business regulation; P.A. 81-439 amended principles to include energy efficiency and development and utilization of renewable energy and to prohibit discrimination against users of renewable energy sources or cogeneration technology; P.A. 86-187 replaced power facility evaluation council with Connecticut siting council in Subsecs. (c) and (d); P.A. 87-202 amended Subsec. (a) principles to include water conservation; P.A. 94-83 added new Subsec. (e) re applicability to telecommunications service which is competitive or to which an approved plan for an alternative form of regulation applies, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-250 and P.A. 96-211 replaced Commissioner and Department of Economic Development with Commissioner and Department of Economic and Community Development; P.A. 98-28 amended Subsec. (d) by adding electric distribution companies, added new Subsec. (e) requiring consideration of demand-side management for electric distribution companies and redesignated former Subsec. (e) as Subsec. (f), effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 02-94 amended Subsec. (a)(4) by adding provisions to include reasonable costs of security associated with the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the continuing war on terrorism, made a technical change in Subsec. (a)(5) and added Subsec. (g) to allow the department to modify a rate plan with an earnings sharing mechanism to include such security costs; P.A. 07-242 amended Subsec. (a)(3) to add care for energy security and Subsec. (a)(4) to include appropriate staffing levels as part of operating costs.

      Sec. 16-19ss. Solicitations for the provision of temporary electric generation facilities. (a) The Department of Public Utility Control may, from July 1, 2003, to January 1, 2008, inclusive, determine, by an affirmative vote of four commissioners of the Public Utilities Control Authority, that (1) safe, adequate and reasonably priced electricity is not available on the wholesale market; (2) additional temporary electric generation facilities will result in reductions in federally mandated congestion costs for which the ratepayers of the state are responsible; and (3) the prices and costs specified in subdivision (2) of this subsection will exceed the cost of investment in temporary electric generation facilities. Such determination shall be in writing and shall state the reasons supporting the determination.

      (b) Upon issuing a determination pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the department shall hold a contested case proceeding, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to develop a request for proposal to solicit the provision of such additional temporary electric generation facilities, containing such terms and conditions that will best serve the interests of the public. The request for proposal process shall be designed to ensure fairness and full participation by all qualified responders.

      (c) The department may negotiate for terms and conditions necessary to conclude a transaction with one or more entities responding to a request for proposal, after notice to all entities that responded. The department shall base its decision to conclude a transaction on the best interest of the public and ratepayers.

      (d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to allow an electric distribution company to own, operate, lease or control any facility or asset that generates electricity, or retain any interest in such facility or asset as part of any transaction concluded pursuant to this section, except as provided in subsection (e) of section 16-244e and sections 16-43d, 16-243m, 16-243u, 16a-3b and 16a-3c.

      (P.A. 03-135, S. 17; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-1, S. 3; P.A. 07-242, S. 64.)

      History: P.A. 03-135 effective June 26, 2003; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-1 amended Subsec. (d) to add exception re generation of electricity by an electric distribution company, effective July 21, 2005; P.A. 07-242 amended Subsec. (d) to add exceptions re generation of electricity by electric distribution company, effective July 1, 2007.

      Sec. 16-19tt. Gas and electric distribution companies' distribution revenue decoupling. In any rate case initiated on and after June 4, 2007, the Department of Public Utility Control shall order the state's gas and electric distribution companies to decouple distribution revenues from the volume of natural gas or electricity sales through any of the following strategies, singly or in combination: (1) A mechanism that adjusts actual distribution revenues to allowed distribution revenues, (2) rate design changes that increase the amount of revenue recovered through fixed distribution charges, or (3) a sales adjustment clause, rate design changes that increase the amount of revenue recovered through fixed distribution charges, or both. In making its determination on this matter, the department shall consider the impact of decoupling on the gas or electric distribution company's return on equity and make necessary adjustments thereto.

      (P.A. 07-242, S. 107.)

      History: P.A. 07-242 effective June 4, 2007.

      Sec. 16-27. Returns from public service companies. Reports from community antenna television companies. Penalty. Form 8-K reports. (a) The Department of Public Utility Control shall, on or before December thirty-first, annually, furnish to each public service company, except community antenna television companies, duplicate blank report forms, which may be in such format as the department prescribes or the same blank report forms required by the Interstate Commerce Commission or its successor agency, the Federal Communications Commission or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Any company which does not receive the forms by said date shall request the department to furnish the forms. Each such company shall return one report form with all questions fully answered to the department not later than the following May thirty-first or, where the department has authorized an accounting period other than December thirty-first, the company shall return its completed form no later than one hundred fifty days following the close of the company's accounting period. The department may, for good cause shown, grant an extension of such deadline of up to sixty days, provided the company desiring an extension files a request in writing setting forth the reasons for such request. All such reports shall be for the year ending on December thirty-first, or such other annual accounting period as the department may authorize. Each such company shall make such reports strictly according to the forms provided. If the company finds it impracticable to answer all the items in detail as required, it shall state in its report the reasons why such details cannot be given, but no such company shall be excused from giving such details for the reason that it does not keep its accounts in such manner as will enable it to do so.

      (b) Each community antenna television company shall, not later than April thirtieth annually, file with the department a report on the company's operations. Such report shall be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and shall be for a twelve-month period corresponding to the company's fiscal year.

      (c) All reports under subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall be signed and sworn to by the chief executive officer, president or vice president and chief financial officer, treasurer or assistant treasurer of the company, or by a majority of the trustees or receivers making the same.

      (d) Each public service company shall also file with the department one copy of each Securities and Exchange Commission Form 8-K "Current Report" at the same time the report is filed with the commission.

      (1949 Rev., S. 5418; P.A. 75-486, S. 1, 69; P.A. 77-614, S. 162, 610; P.A. 80-482, S. 66, 348; P.A. 82-252, S. 1; P.A. 83-29, S. 2; P.A. 85-33, S. 2; 85-509, S. 3, 11; P.A. 90-221, S. 5, 15; P.A. 92-25, S. 2; P.A. 96-222, S. 18, 41; P.A. 07-217, S. 60.)

      History: P.A. 75-486 replaced public utilities commission with public utilities control authority; P.A. 77-614 replaced public utilities control authority with division of public utility control within the department of business regulation, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 80-482 made division an independent department and deleted reference to abolished department of business regulation; P.A. 82-252 permitted department to use forms required by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, allowed companies option to return forms 30 days after receipt and authorized chief executive officers, chief financial officers and assistant treasurers to sign reports; P.A. 83-29 changed deadline for report from March thirty-first to April thirtieth; P.A. 85-33 required companies to request forms if not received and added new Subsec. requiring companies to file SEC form 8-K, incorporated as Subsec. (d); P.A. 85-509 designated existing provisions as Subsecs. (a) and (c), limited Subsec. (a) to public service companies other than community antenna television companies, transferred language from Sec. 16-28 re procedure for making reports to Subsec. (a) and inserted new Subsec. (b) re community antenna television company reports; P.A. 90-221 changed deadline for reports in Subsec. (a) from April thirtieth to May thirty-first and added provision allowing the department to grant an extension of time in which to file report and in Subsec. (c) deleted penalty provision for companies' failure to file a report; P.A. 92-25 amended Subsec. (a) allowing companies having accounting periods other than December thirty-first to return form no later than 150 days following the close of their accounting periods; P.A. 96-222 amended Subsec. (a) to insert "or its successor agency" after "Interstate Commerce Commission", effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 07-217 made a technical change in Subsec. (c), effective July 12, 2007.

      Sec. 16-32f. Gas company supply and demand forecast reports and conservation plans. (a) On or before October first of each even-numbered year, a gas company, as defined in section 16-1, shall furnish a report to the Department of Public Utility Control containing a five-year forecast of loads and resources. The report shall describe the facilities and supply sources that, in the judgment of such gas company, will be required to meet gas demands during the forecast period. The report shall be made available to the public and shall be furnished to the chief executive officer of each municipality in the service area of such gas company, the regional planning agency which encompasses each such municipality, the Attorney General, the president pro tempore of the Senate, the speaker of the House of Representatives, the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public utilities, any other member of the General Assembly making a request to the department for the report and such other state and municipal entities as the department may designate by regulation. The report shall include: (1) A tabulation of estimated peak loads and resources for each year; (2) data on gas use and peak loads for the five preceding calendar years; (3) a list of present and projected gas supply sources; (4) specific measures to control load growth and promote conservation; and (5) such other information as the department may require by regulation. A full description of the methodology used to arrive at the forecast of loads and resources shall also be furnished to the department. The department shall hold a public hearing on such reports upon the request of any person. On or before August first of each odd-numbered year, the department may request a gas company to furnish to the department an updated report. A gas company shall furnish any such updated report not later than sixty days following the request of the department.

      (b) Not later than October 1, 2005, and annually thereafter, a gas company, as defined in section 16-1, shall submit to the Department of Public Utility Control a gas conservation plan, in accordance with the provisions of this section, to implement cost-effective energy conservation programs and market transformation initiatives. All supply and conservation and load management options shall be evaluated and selected within an integrated supply and demand planning framework. Such plan shall be funded during each state fiscal year by the revenue from the tax imposed by section 12-264 on the gross receipts of sales of all public services companies that is in excess of the revenue estimate for said tax that is approved by the General Assembly in the appropriations act for such fiscal year, provided the amount of such excess revenue that shall be allocated to fund such plan in any state fiscal year shall not exceed ten million dollars. Before the accounts for the General Fund have been closed for each fiscal year, such excess revenue shall be deposited by the Comptroller in an account held by the Energy Conservation Management Board, established pursuant to section 16-245m. Services provided under the plan shall be available to all gas company customers. Each gas company shall apply to the Energy Conservation Management Board for reimbursement for expenditures pursuant to the plan. The department shall, in an uncontested proceeding during which the department may hold a public hearing, approve, modify or reject the plan.

      (c) (1) The Energy Conservation Management Board shall advise and assist each such gas company in the development and implementation of the plan submitted under subsection (b) of this section. Each program contained in the plan shall be reviewed by each such gas company and shall be either accepted, modified or rejected by the Energy Conservation Management Board before submission of the plan to the department for approval. The Energy Conservation Management Board shall, as part of its review, examine opportunities to offer joint programs providing similar efficiency measures that save more than one fuel resource or to otherwise coordinate programs targeted at saving more than one fuel resource. Any costs for joint programs shall be allocated equitably among the conservation programs.

      (2) Programs included in the plan shall be screened through cost-effectiveness testing that compares the value and payback period of program benefits to program costs to ensure that the programs are designed to obtain gas savings whose value is greater than the costs of the program. Program cost-effectiveness shall be reviewed annually by the department, or otherwise as is practicable. If the department determines that a program fails the cost-effectiveness test as part of the review process, the program shall either be modified to meet the test or be terminated. On or before January 1, 2007, and annually thereafter, the board shall provide a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy and the environment, that documents expenditures and funding for such programs and evaluates the cost-effectiveness of such programs conducted in the preceding year, including any increased cost-effectiveness owing to offering programs that save more than one fuel resource.

      (3) Programs included in the plan may include, but are not limited to: (A) Conservation and load management programs, including programs that benefit low-income individuals; (B) research, development and commercialization of products or processes that are more energy-efficient than those generally available; (C) development of markets for such products and processes; (D) support for energy use assessment, engineering studies and services related to new construction or major building renovations; (E) the design, manufacture, commercialization and purchase of energy-efficient appliances, air conditioning and heating devices; (F) program planning and evaluation; (G) joint fuel conservation initiatives and programs targeted at saving more than one fuel resource; and (H) public education regarding conservation. Such support may be by direct funding, manufacturers' rebates, sale price and loan subsidies, leases and promotional and educational activities. The plan shall also provide for expenditures by the Energy Conservation Management Board for the retention of expert consultants and reasonable administrative costs, provided such consultants shall not be employed by, or have any contractual relationship with, a gas company. Such costs shall not exceed five per cent of the total cost of the plan.

      (P.A. 87-32; P.A. 89-50; 89-291, S. 5, 8; P.A. 94-1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1, S. 6, 121; P.A. 02-16, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-1, S. 22; P.A. 06-196, S. 230; P.A. 07-242, S. 115; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-1, S. 130.)

      History: P.A. 89-50 added new Subsec. (b) re submission of gas conservation plans; P.A. 89-291 changed submission date of 10-year forecast report; P.A. 94-1 changed annual reports to biennial reports and added provisions re updated reports and plans and supply and load management; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective June 24, 1998; P.A. 02-16 changed the forecast period from 10 years to 5 years throughout, amended Subsec. (a) to add "upon the request of any person" and made a technical change in Subsec. (b); June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-1 amended Subsec. (b) to make technical changes, to delete provisions re the content of the plan and substitute broader language re compliance with section, to delete language re public hearings and submission of updated plans and substitute language re an uncontested proceeding, added Subsec. (c) re assistance from and review by the Energy Conservation Management Board, cost-effectiveness testing, contents of the programs included in the plan, source of funding, and authority for expenditures, and added Subsec. (d) re the lack of requirement for conservation charge, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 06-196 made a technical change in Subsec. (c)(2), effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 07-242 amended Subsec. (b) to provide that tax imposed by Sec. 12-264 shall fund the plan, that services shall be available to all gas company customers, and that each company shall apply to board for expense reimbursement, made a technical change in Subsec. (c)(1) and deleted former Subsec. (d) re conservation charge, effective July 1, 2007; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-1 amended Subsec. (b) to specify that Comptroller shall deposit excess revenue before accounts for the General Fund have been closed for each fiscal year, effective July 1, 2007.

      Sec. 16-32g. Electric wire maintenance plans. Regulations. Not later than January 1, 2008, and annually thereafter, each electric or electric distribution company shall submit to the Department of Public Utility Control a plan for the maintenance of poles, wires, conduits or other fixtures, along public highways or streets for the transmission or distribution of electric current, owned, operated, managed or controlled by such company, in such format as the department shall prescribe. Such plan shall include a summary of appropriate staffing levels necessary for the maintenance of said fixtures and a program for the trimming of tree branches and limbs located in close proximity to overhead electric wires where such branches and limbs may cause damage to such electric wires. The department shall review each plan and may issue such orders as may be necessary to ensure compliance with this section. The department may require each electric or electric distribution company to submit an updated plan at such time and containing such information as the department may prescribe. The department shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to carry out the provisions of this section.

      (P.A. 87-68, S. 1, 2; P.A. 98-28, S. 97, 117; P.A. 07-242, S. 6.)

      History: P.A. 98-28 added electric distribution companies and made technical changes, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 07-242 changed "January 1, 1988," to "January 1, 2008, and annually thereafter" and required summary of appropriate staffing levels in plan.

      Sec. 16-41. Imposition of civil penalties by the department. (a) Each (1) public service company and its officers, agents and employees, (2) electric supplier or person providing electric generation services without a license in violation of section 16-245, and its officers, agents and employees, (3) certified telecommunications provider or person providing telecommunications services without authorization pursuant to sections 16-247f to 16-247h, inclusive, and its officers, agents and employees, (4) person, public agency or public utility, as such terms are defined in section 16-345, subject to the requirements of chapter 293, (5) person subject to the registration requirements under section 16-258a, (6) cellular mobile telephone carrier, as described in section 16-250b, (7) Connecticut electric efficiency partner, as defined in section 16-243v, and (8) company, as defined in section 16-49, shall obey, observe and comply with all applicable provisions of this title and each applicable order made or applicable regulations adopted by the Department of Public Utility Control by virtue of this title as long as the same remains in force. Any such company, electric supplier, certified telecommunications provider, cellular mobile telephone carrier, Connecticut electric efficiency partner, person, any officer, agent or employee thereof, public agency or public utility which the department finds has failed to obey or comply with any such provision of this title, order or regulation shall be fined by order of the department in accordance with the penalty prescribed for the violated provision of this title or, if no penalty is prescribed, not more than ten thousand dollars for each offense, except that the penalty shall be a fine of not more than forty thousand dollars for failure to comply with an order of the department made in accordance with the provisions of section 16-19 or 16-247k or within thirty days of such order or within any specific time period for compliance specified in such order. Each distinct violation of any such provision of this title, order or regulation shall be a separate offense and, in case of a continued violation, each day thereof shall be deemed a separate offense. Each such penalty and any interest charged pursuant to subsection (g) or (h) of section 16-49 shall be excluded from operating expenses for purposes of rate-making.

      (b) Any regional water authority, any regional water district, any municipal gas or electric plant established under chapter 101, any municipal waterworks system established under chapter 102, or any other municipality or department thereof owning, leasing, operating or managing a plant for the supplying or furnishing of any public utility, which the Department of Public Utility Control finds has failed to comply with the procedures of section 16-29, shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than five thousand dollars for any annual report which is not submitted or submitted late in violation of said section.

      (c) If the department has reason to believe that a violation has occurred for which a civil penalty is authorized by subsection (a) or (b) of this section, it shall notify the alleged violator by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by personal service. The notice shall include:

      (1) A reference to the sections of the title, regulation or order involved;

      (2) A short and plain statement of the matter asserted or charged;

      (3) A statement of the prescribed civil penalty for the violation; and

      (4) A statement of the person's right to a hearing.

      (d) The person to whom the notice is addressed shall have twenty days from the date of receipt of the notice in which to deliver to the department a written application for a hearing. If a hearing is requested, then, after a hearing and upon a finding that a violation has occurred, the department may issue a final order assessing a civil penalty under this section which shall not be greater than the penalty stated in the notice. If a hearing is not requested, or if such a request is later withdrawn, then the notice shall, on the first day after the expiration of the twenty-day period or on the first day after the withdrawal of the request for hearing, whichever is later, become a final order of the department and the matters asserted or charged in the notice shall be deemed admitted, unless the notice is modified by a consent order before it becomes a final order. A consent order shall be deemed a final order.

      (e) All hearings under this section shall be conducted under sections 4-176e to 4-184, inclusive. The final order of the department assessing a civil penalty shall be subject to appeal under section 4-183. No challenge to any final order of the department assessing a civil penalty shall be allowed as to any issue which could have been raised by an appeal of an earlier order of the department. Any civil penalty authorized by this section shall become due and payable (1) at the time of receipt of a final order in the case of a civil penalty assessed in such order after a hearing, (2) on the first day after the expiration of the period in which a hearing may be requested if no hearing is requested or (3) on the first day after the withdrawal of a request for hearing.

      (f) A civil penalty assessed in a final order of the department under this section may be enforced in the same manner as a judgment of the Superior Court. The final order shall be delivered to the respondent by personal service or by certified mail, return receipt requested. After entry of such final order, the department may file a transcript without the payment of costs, in the office of the clerk of the superior court in the judicial district in which the respondent resides, has a place of business, owns real property, or in which any real property which is the subject of the proceedings is located or, if the respondent is not a resident of the state of Connecticut, in the judicial district of Hartford. Upon the filing, the clerk shall docket the order in the same manner and with the same effect as a judgment entered in the superior court within the judicial district. Upon the docketing, the order may be enforced as a judgment of the court.

      (1949 Rev., S. 5431; P.A. 75-486, S. 16, 69; P.A. 77-614, S. 162, 610; P.A. 80-482, S. 73, 348; P.A. 81-297, S. 1; Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 81-8, S. 2, 4; P.A. 85-552, S. 2, 8; P.A. 87-71, S. 1, 13; P.A. 88-230, S. 1, 12; 88-317, S. 63, 107; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; 90-221, S. 7, 15; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1, S. 19, 130; P.A. 95-220, S. 4-6; P.A. 98-28, S. 35, 117; P.A. 99-105, S. 1, 4; 99-222, S. 13, 19; P.A. 00-91, S. 2; P.A. 05-241, S. 3; P.A. 06-196, S. 200; P.A. 07-242, S. 96.)

      History: P.A. 75-486 replaced public utilities commission with public utilities control authority, added exception to allow $20,000 maximum fine for failure to comply within time limit with orders under Sec. 16-19 and excluded penalties and interest from consideration as operating expenses; P.A. 77-614 replaced the authority with division of public utility control within the department of business regulation, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 80-482 made division of public utility control an independent department and deleted reference to abolished department of business regulation; P.A. 81-297 added Subsecs. (b) to (e) authorizing department to impose civil penalties and setting forth procedure for such penalties; Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 81-8 changed reference in Subsec. (a) from Subsec. (b) to Subsec. (g) of Sec. 16-49 to conform to amendment of said section in the same act; P.A. 85-552 made technical change in Subsec. (a), substituting reference to Sec. 16-49(f) for reference to Sec. 16-49(g); P.A. 87-71 amended Subsec. (a) to include persons, public agencies and public utilities subject to the requirements of chapter 293; P.A. 88-230 replaced "judicial district of Hartford-New Britain" with "judicial district of Hartford", effective September 1, 1991; P.A. 88-317 amended reference to Secs. 4-177 to 4-184 in Subsec. (d) to include new sections added to Ch. 54, effective July 1, 1989, and applicable to all agency proceedings commencing on or after that date; P.A. 90-98 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1991, to September 1, 1993; P.A. 90-221 inserted new Subsec. (b) establishing a penalty for regional water authorities or districts or municipalities which fail to file reports to the department and renumbered the remaining Subsecs; P.A. 93-142 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1993, to September 1, 1996, effective June 14, 1993; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1 made technical change, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-220 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1996, to September 1, 1998, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 98-28 amended Subsec. (a) by adding electric suppliers, persons providing electric generation services without a license and their officers, agents and employees, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 99-105 amended Subsec. (a) to apply provisions to companies, as defined in Sec. 16-49, to add reference to Sec. 16-49(h) and to make technical changes, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 99-222 amended Subsec. (a) by adding reference to certified telecommunications provider or person providing telecommunications services without authorization and its officers, agents and employees, by changing to $10,000 the maximum penalty for violating a provision of title 16 if no other penalty is prescribed, by changing to $40,000 the maximum penalty for failure to comply with order made in accordance with Sec. 16-19, by adding reference to Sec. 16-247k and by making technical changes, effective June 29, 1999 (Revisor's note: In codifying and merging the provisions of P.A. 99-105 and P.A. 99-222 the Revisors inserted "(3)" before and a comma after new language re certified telecommunications providers, deleted the word "each" from before the word "certified" and inserted the word "and" before the words "its officers, agents and employees"); P.A. 00-91 added new Subsec. (a)(5) re persons subject to registration requirements under Sec. 16-258a, redesignating former Subdiv. (5) as Subdiv. (6); P.A. 05-241 added new Subsec. (a)(6) re cellular mobile telephone carriers, redesignating existing Subdiv. (6) as Subdiv. (7) and adding reference to cellular mobile telephone carrier therein, effective July 8, 2005; P.A. 06-196 made technical changes in Subsec. (a), effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 07-242 amended Subsec. (a) to add provisions re Connecticut electric efficiency partners, effective July 1, 2007.

      Sec. 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. (a) A public service company shall obtain the approval of the Department of Public Utility Control to directly or indirectly (1) merge, consolidate or make common stock with any other company, or (2) sell, lease, assign, mortgage, except by supplemental indenture in accord with the terms of a mortgage outstanding May 29, 1935, or otherwise dispose of any essential part of its franchise, plant, equipment or other property necessary or useful in the performance of its duty to the public. Any such disposition of an essential part of such other real property of a public service company shall be by public auction or other procedure for public sale, provided such auction or public sale shall be conducted upon notice of auction or sale published at least once each week for two weeks preceding the date of such auction or sale in a newspaper having a substantial circulation in the county in which such property is located. The public service company shall submit evidence to the department of the notice given. On a showing of good cause by such company to use a means of disposal other than by public auction or other procedure for public sale, the department may, on a finding of such good cause, authorize the use of an alternative sales process. No public auction or other procedure for public sale shall be required for the sale or other disposition of real property by a water company to the state, a municipality or land conservation organization if at least seventy per cent of the area of the real property sold or disposed of is to be used for open space or recreational purposes, as defined in subsection (f) of section 16-50d, and if the consideration received for such sale or disposition is not less than the appraised value of such property. A public service company other than a water company may sell, lease, assign, mortgage or otherwise dispose of improved real property with an appraised value of two hundred fifty thousand dollars or less or unimproved real property with an appraised value of fifty thousand dollars or less without such approval. The department shall follow the procedures in section 16-50c for transactions involving unimproved land owned by a public service company other than a water company. A water company supplying water to more than five hundred consumers may sell, lease, assign, mortgage, or otherwise dispose of real property, other than public watershed or water supply lands, with an appraised value of fifty thousand dollars or less without such approval. The department shall not accept an application to sell watershed or water supply lands until the Commissioner of Public Health issues a permit pursuant to section 25-32. The condemnation by a state department, institution or agency of any land owned by a public service company shall be subject to the provisions of this subsection. On February 1, 1996, and annually thereafter, each public service company shall submit a report to the Department of Public Utility Control of all real property sold, leased, assigned, mortgaged, or otherwise disposed of without the approval of said department during the previous calendar year. Such report shall include for each transaction involving such property, without limitation, the appraised value of the real property, the actual value of the transaction and the accounting journal entry which recorded the transaction.

      (b) A public service company shall obtain the approval of the Department of Public Utility Control to (1) issue any notes, bonds or other evidences of indebtedness or securities of any nature, (2) lend or borrow any moneys for a period of more than one year for any purpose other than paying the expenses, including taxes, of conducting its business or for the payment of dividends, or (3) amend any provision of an indenture or similar financial instrument if such amendment would affect the issuance or terms of any such notes, bonds or other evidences of indebtedness or securities. The department shall approve or disapprove each such issue or amendment within thirty days after the filing of a written application for such approval unless the applicant agrees to an extension of time. If not disapproved within said thirty days or within such extension, such issue shall be deemed to be approved. The department shall not require a company to issue its common stock under terms or conditions not required by the general statutes. The provisions of this subsection shall apply to a community antenna television company only with regard to any noncable communications services which the company may provide.

      (c) Any managerial service contract made by a public service company shall be voidable on order of the department, but may be enforced as between the parties unless disapproved.

      (d) Any water company selling land that at any time has been in the water company's rate base shall use the net proceeds from the sale of such land for capital projects which improve or protect the water supply system or for the acquisition of a water supply source or land to protect a water supply source. In the case of a water company required to file a water supply plan pursuant to section 25-32d, the capital projects or acquisition shall be consistent with such plan.

      (e) For the purposes of rate making, the department shall use an accounting method for allocating the economic benefits of sales of land by a water company, as defined in section 16-1, that at any time has been in the water company's rate base that equitably allocates all of the economic benefits of any such sale between the ratepayers and the shareholders of the company based on the facts of each application for sale, except as follows:

      (1) For any sale of land where the property is not more than ten acres and has not been taxed under the provisions of sections 12-107c to 12-107e, inclusive, during the previous ten years, the department shall equitably allocate all of the economic benefits of any such sale between the ratepayers and the shareholders of the company. Any such allocation shall be based on the facts of each application for sale and the department may allocate all of the economic benefits of any such sale to either the ratepayers or the shareholders.

      (2) For a sale of class I or class II land to another water company for water supply purposes or to the state, a municipality, or a land conservation organization, which land has a permanent conservation easement in accordance with section 25-32, the department shall equitably allocate, in a contested case proceeding, all of the economic benefits of any such sale between the ratepayers and the shareholders of the company.

      (3) For the sale of land for an educational use, as defined in section 16-43b, the department shall allocate the economic benefits of any such sale in accordance with past practices for nonopen space transactions pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

      (4) For the sale of class III land where the property is more than ten acres and promotes a perpetual public interest in the use of land for open space or recreation purposes, as defined in section 16-43b, the department shall allocate the benefits in accordance with the following:

      (A) If twenty-five per cent of the land or less is to be used for open space or recreational purposes, the department shall allocate one hundred per cent of the benefits to the ratepayers;

      (B) If more than twenty-five per cent but less than eighty per cent of the land is to be used for open space or recreational purposes, the department shall calculate the benefit allocated to a water company's shareholders by multiplying by a factor of eighty per cent of the portion of class III land in the transaction that is reserved for open space;

      (C) If eighty per cent or more but less than ninety per cent of the area of such land is to be used for open space or recreational purposes, the department shall allocate the benefits of such sale in favor of a water company's shareholders in an amount that is proportionate to the percentage of class III land in such sale that is to be used for open space or recreational purposes;

      (D) If not less than ninety per cent of the area of such land is to be used for open space or recreational purposes, the department shall allocate one hundred per cent of the benefits to the shareholders.

      (f) For the sale of class III land by a water company that at any time has been in the water company's rate base and that is to be used for open space or recreational purposes, the water company shall file with the department a certified copy of a conservation easement that is recorded on the land records for the portion of class III land preserved as open space. Such conservation easement shall state that the land subject to such easement shall be permanently dedicated for land uses such as public parks or forests or natural areas, including, but not limited to, reservoirs and water company land. Such land shall be preserved predominantly in its natural scenic and open space condition that may allow for camping, hiking, forestry, fishing, wildlife or natural resource conservation, which easement shall prohibit all other building or development except as may be required for source protection and to meet water quality standards, if used as a public water supply.

      (1949 Rev., S. 5433; 1969, P.A. 644, S. 3; P.A. 74-303, S. 2; P.A. 75-486, S. 1, 69; P.A. 77-614, S. 162, 323, 610; P.A. 80-156; 80-482, S. 75, 348; P.A. 82-252, S. 3; P.A. 85-509, S. 5, 11; P.A. 88-354, S. 3, 11; P.A. 89-301, S. 6; P.A. 90-221, S. 10; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-48, S. 1; 95-211, S. 4; 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 98-157, S. 9, 15; P.A. 01-49, S. 5; P.A. 03-163, S. 1; P.A. 04-200, S. 1; P.A. 05-288, S. 216; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-1, S. 36; P.A. 07-252, S. 86.)

      History: 1969 act added proviso in Subdiv. (2) re bonds etc. for construction of power plants on islands in Long Island Sound prior to July 1, 1971; P.A. 74-303 required health commissioner's approval before commission approves sale of watershed or water supply lands by water companies; P.A. 75-486 replaced public utilities commission with public utilities control authority; P.A. 77-614 replaced public utilities control authority with division of public utility control within the department of business regulation and commissioner of health with commissioner of health services, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 80-156 allowed extensions of time for approval or disapproval; P.A. 80-482 made division of public utility control an independent department and deleted reference to abolished department of business regulation; P.A. 82-252 required department approval for state condemnation of public service company land and amendment by any such company of indenture or similar financial instrument which affects notes, bonds or other evidences of indebtedness or securities, deleted obsolete provision exempting railroad companies' securities which are subject to Interstate Commerce Commission jurisdiction from provisions of section and divided section into two subsections; P.A. 85-509 provided that, on and after December 30, 1986, the provisions of Subsec. (a)(2) shall apply to a community antenna television company only with regard to noncable communications services; P.A. 88-354 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision requiring that a permit be issued under Sec. 25-32 prior to acceptance of an application by the department and added new Subsec. (c) re the use by a water company of the net proceeds from the sale of water company land, and Subsec. (d) re an accounting method for the net proceeds of class III water company land; P.A. 89-301 amended Subsec. (c) by adding provision applying section to land that has ever been in the rate base; P.A. 90-221 added provision in Subsec. (d) concerning the allocation of economic benefits gained from the sale of water company land for open space or recreational purposes; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-48 divided Subsec. (a) into Subsecs. (a) and (b), relettered Subsecs. (b) to (d) as (c) to (e), amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. indicators and Subparas. (A) and (B) re property with appraised value of $50,000 or less and reporting requirement, amended Subsec. (b) by dividing Subsec. into Subdivs., deleting provision re constructing generating facility in Long Island Sound and adding provision re applicability to community antenna television companies, and made technical changes; P.A. 95-211 replaced reference to class III land with reference to land for which the commissioner has issued a permit; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 98-157 amended Subsec. (e) to modify the method of apportioning economic benefits of land sales, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 01-49 amended Subsec. (a) to make a technical change; P.A. 03-163 amended Subsec. (a) to change the appraised value amount for a public service company other than a water company from $50,000 or less to $250,000 or less for improved real property and $50,000 or less for unimproved real property, to require that the department follow procedures in Sec. 16-50c for transactions involving unimproved land owned by public service companies other than water companies, and to make technical changes; P.A. 04-200 amended Subsec. (d) to authorize purchase of water supply source, amended Subsec. (e) to revise the method of allocating the net proceeds from the sale of water company land by adding provisions re allocation of economic benefits between ratepayers and shareholders, by adding Subdiv. (1) re property not more than ten acres and not taxed under certain provisions, Subdiv. (2) re class I or II land, Subdiv. (3) re land for an educational use, and Subdiv. (4) re tiered approach for class III land, and by making conforming changes, and added Subsec. (f) re the filing of a certified copy of a conservation easement for the sale of class III land for use as open space, effective June 3, 2004; P.A. 05-288 made a technical change in Subsec. (e)(4)(B), effective July 13, 2005; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-1 amended Subsec. (a) to require a public sale or an approved alternate sales process for the disposition of an essential part of real property, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 07-252 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision eliminating requirement for public auction or other procedure for public sale with respect to sale or other disposition of real property by a water company to the state, a municipality or a land conservation organization, effective July 1, 2007.

      Sec. 16-43d. Sale of existing electric generation plants. If any existing electric generation plant within the state is offered for sale, the Department of Public Utility Control shall authorize the electric distribution companies to purchase and operate such plants if the department, through a contested case proceeding, determines that such purchase and operation is in the public interest, provided any acquisition plan shall include provisions for payment of property taxes on the value of the purchased plant and provisions for employee protections consistent with subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of section 16-244f. An electric distribution company purchasing such generation plants shall be entitled to recover the costs of such purchase in an annual retail generation rate contested case consistent with the principles set forth in sections 16-19, 16-19b and 16-19e, provided the return on equity associated with such purchase and operation shall be established in said contested case proceeding and updated at least once every four years. The department shall review and approve the cost recovery provisions in the proceeding to determine that such purchase and operation are in the public interest.

      (P.A. 07-242, S. 83.)

      History: P.A. 07-242 effective June 4, 2007.