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119-hr-1148119th CongressWALLET

SMARTER Act

Sponsored By: Representative Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2]

Introduced

Summary

Bars utilities from charging customers for smart grid investments. This bill would prohibit electric utilities from recovering any capital, operating, or other costs of deploying smart grid systems from ratepayers and would repeal a PURPA provision that could allow such recovery.

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  • Families and ratepayers: Would stop utilities from adding smart grid capital or operating costs to customer bills, removing a common channel for those costs to be passed on.
  • Electric utilities: Would block cost recovery for smart grid deployments and remove Section 111(d)(18)(B) of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, which previously related to treatment of certain ratemaking standards.
  • State regulators and nonregulated utilities: Would have to start considering the new no-recovery standard within 1 year and finish the proceeding within 2 years.
  • States with prior action: States that already implemented or considered a comparable standard or had a legislature vote in the prior 3 years are exempt from the new timing requirements.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

No smart grid costs on your bill

If enacted, electric utilities would be barred from charging customers for any costs to deploy smart grid systems. This would block recovery of capital, operating, or other related costs through your rates. It would apply to homes and small businesses and would take effect upon enactment. The bill would also repeal a related PURPA subsection to remove any authority that could allow such cost recovery under that provision.

States would review smart grid cost ban

If enacted, state utility regulators and nonregulated utilities would need to start considering the new smart grid cost standard, or set a hearing, within 1 year of enactment. They would need to finish consideration and make a decision within 2 years. For this standard, any PURPA timing rules that refer to the “date of enactment” would use the date this new paragraph is enacted. States would be exempt from these timing rules if they already implemented or considered a comparable standard, or if the legislature voted on it within the past 3 years.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2]

NJ • R

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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