Energy Affordability

The bill requires an investor-owned electric utility (utility) to submit a proposal to the public utilities commission (PUC) that establishes a first allotment of residential electricity service (FARE service) program.

The FARE service program provides a minimum level of electricity at a marginal cost rate for income-qualified utility customers. A FARE service proposal that a utility submits to the PUC must include:

• The amount of electricity that qualifies as a minimum level of electricity for an average income-qualified utility customer based on monthly usage to support a customer's basic needs;
• A marginal cost rate on a per-kilowatt-hour basis for delivering electricity to a customer, which marginal cost rate must be lower than the residential customer rate that the income-qualified utility customer would normally be charged; and
• A description of the process by which an income-qualified utility customer may enroll in the FARE service program.

The PUC shall approve a utility's FARE service proposal if the PUC determines that the proposed FARE service would be in the public interest.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)