Title 30, Title 30: Public Service

§ 202c. State telecommunications; policy and planning (a) The General Assembly finds that advances in telecommunications technology and changes in federal regulatory policy are rapidly reshaping telecommunications services, thereby promising the people and businesses of the State…

§ 202d. Telecommunications Plan (a) The Department of Public Service shall constitute the responsible planning agency of the State for the purpose of obtaining for all consumers in the State stable and predictable rates and a technologically advanced telecommunications network se…

§ 202e. Telecommunications and connectivity (a) Among other powers and duties specified in this title, the Department of Public Service, through the Division for Telecommunications and Connectivity, shall promote: (1) access to affordable broadband service to all residences and b…

§ 202f. Telecommunications and Connectivity Advisory Board (a) There is created the Telecommunications and Connectivity Advisory Board for the purpose of making recommendations to the Commissioner of Public Service regarding his or her telecommunications responsibilities and duti…

§ 203. Jurisdiction of certain public utilities The Public Utility Commission and the Department of Public Service shall have jurisdiction over the following described companies within the State, their directors, receivers, trustees, lessees, or other persons or companies owning …

§ 203a. Fuel Efficiency Fund (a) Fuel Efficiency Fund. There is established the Fuel Efficiency Fund to be administered by a fund administrator appointed by the Commission. Balances in the Fund shall be ratepayer funds, shall be used to support the activities authorized in this s…

§ 204. Organization; reports of public utility corporations Immediately upon the transmission of its articles of association, a corporation subject to supervision under this chapter shall file with the Department of Public Service a copy of such articles, and a copy of its certif…

§ 205. Duty to furnish copies of contracts At the request of the Department of Public Service, a corporation subject to supervision under this chapter shall submit to the Department for its approval certified copies of contracts entered into after July 1, 1961, between such corpo…

§ 206. Information to be furnished to Department On request by the Department of Public Service, a company owning or operating a plant, line, or property subject to supervision under this chapter shall furnish to the Department information required by it concerning the condition,…

§ 207. Report of accidents; investigation The superintendent or manager of any line or plant, subject to supervision under this chapter, shall, immediately after its occurrence, notify the Department in writing of any accident that occurs within this State upon such line or plant…

§ 208. Complaints; investigations; procedure A complaint to the Public Utility Commission may be made against a company subject to supervision under the provisions of this chapter concerning any claimed unlawful act or neglect adversely affecting the complainant, who may be a com…

§ 208a. Selection of telecommunications carrier (a) No provider of telecommunications services shall submit a change order for primary interexchange carrier or for local exchange carrier to any telecommunications company regarding a Vermont customer unless and until the submittin…

§ 208b. Unauthorized billing A company subject to the jurisdiction of the Public Utility Commission shall not send a bill to a consumer for goods or services that the company provides and that will appear as a charge on the consumer’s telecommunications bill without the consumer’…

§ 209. Jurisdiction; general scope (a) General jurisdiction. On due notice, the Commission shall have jurisdiction to hear, determine, render judgment, and make orders and decrees in all matters provided for in the charter or articles of any corporation owning or operating any pl…

§ 209a. Qualified cost mitigation charge orders (a) Definitions. As used in this section: (1) “Electric utility” means any entity engaged in the distribution of electricity directly to the consumers within the State of Vermont. (2) “Issuer” means any entity approved in a qualifie…

§ 209c. Electricity affordability program (a) The Public Utility Commission shall design a proposed electricity affordability program in the form of draft legislation. The program shall be developed with the aid of an electricity affordability program collaborative. The collabora…

§ 210. Electric companies; interconnection facilities (a) The Public Utility Commission shall have jurisdiction to order electric companies subject to its supervision to build or rebuild electric transmission lines in order to provide adequate interconnection between the transmis…

§ 211. Electric energy from inside or outside State (a) The Department of Public Service is hereby designated as the agent of the State of Vermont with full powers to act for and represent the State in any negotiations, arrangements, or proceedings for the procurement of electric…

§ 212. Niagara power project The Department of Public Service, in addition to the powers conferred upon it by section 211 of this title and notwithstanding any limitations on such authority imposed thereby or by any other law of this State, is hereby designated as the agent of th…

§ 212a. Retail sales by Department; statutory authorization (a) The Department of Public Service, in addition to the powers conferred upon it by sections 211 and 212 of this title and notwithstanding any limitations on that authority imposed by those sections or by any other law …

§ 212c. Retail sale by the Department; Commission approval (a) The Department shall not enter into a contract or arrangement for retail sales unless approved by the Public Utility Commission under this section. Before the Public Utility Commission approves any retail sale of ener…

§ 212d. Access; negotiations; Commission order (a) Upon a finding by the Commission that the retail sale will promote the general good of the State under section 212c of this subchapter, Vermont electric utility companies shall enter into negotiations for contracts with the Depar…

§ 212e. Representation of public; production of records (a) The Commission shall request the appearance of the Attorney General or shall appoint a member of the Vermont bar to represent the interests of the public or the State in any hearings before the Commission under section 2…

§ 212f. Identification of Department sales on bills (a) Each electric company, municipal, cooperative, or private, shall print on all bill statements to customers at least the following information: (1) the number of kilowatt hours of electricity available to the customer from th…

§ 213. Interchange of electric facilities; power shortage The Public Utility Commission, in the interest of public necessity, is hereby empowered to order, in writing, a company engaged in the manufacture, transmission, distribution, or sale of electricity directly to the public …

§ 214. Application for interconnection; joint use of facilities; and resolution of transmission disputes (a) The Public Utility Commission, upon application of any electric company, municipal, cooperative, or privately owned, engaged or authorized to engage in the manufacture, tr…

§ 215. Natural gas The Department of Public Service, or its duly appointed representative, is hereby authorized as an agency of the State to represent the interests of the State before the Federal Power Commission or other body in all matters relating to the transportation and di…

§ 216. Gas rate fixing The Public Utility Commission, under its general jurisdiction over public utilities, shall have authority to fix rates and determine the minimum standards of service for consumers in the event natural gas shall be piped into the State. (Amended 1959, No. 32…

§ 217. Department to prosecute The Department of Public Service, through the Director for Public Advocacy, shall represent the public at such hearing when the matters involved result directly from a proposed increase in rates, tolls, or charges, or the issuing of stock, bonds, no…

§ 218. Jurisdiction over charges and rates (a) When, after opportunity for hearing, the rates, tolls, charges, or schedules are found unjust, unreasonable, insufficient, or unjustly discriminatory, or are found to be preferential or otherwise in violation of a provision of this c…

§ 218a. Permanent telecommunications relay service (a)(1) The Department of Public Service shall develop the necessary standards for the establishment of a permanent, statewide telecommunications relay service and for an associated equipment program. (2) The standards developed b…

§ 218b. Farm customers; energy efficiency; electric energy generation Each Vermont electric distribution utility shall develop and implement comprehensive energy efficiency programs for its livestock and domestic fowl farm customers. Such programs shall include all program measur…

§ 218c. Least-cost integrated planning (a)(1) A “least-cost integrated plan” for a regulated electric or gas utility is a plan for meeting the public’s need for energy services, after safety concerns are addressed, at the lowest present value life cycle cost, including environmen…

§ 218d. Alternative regulation of electric and natural gas companies (a) Notwithstanding section 218 and sections 225-227 of this title, upon petition of an electric or natural gas company, upon request of the Department of Public Service, or on its own initiative, the Public Uti…

§ 218e. Implementing State energy policy; manufacturing To give effect to the policies of section 202a of this subchapter to provide reliable and affordable energy and ensure the State’s economic vitality, it is critical to retain and recruit manufacturing and other businesses an…

§ 219. Service Each company subject to supervision under this chapter shall be required to furnish reasonably adequate service, accommodation, and facilities to the public. The charge made by any such company for any product or service shall be reasonable and without discriminati…

§ 221. Forms; orders The Commission may prescribe the forms of all books, accounts, papers, and records of any public utility over which it has jurisdiction and such public utility shall keep and render its books, accounts, papers, and records accurately and faithfully in the man…

§ 222. Exceptions Public utilities under the jurisdiction of a federal commission shall not be required to keep any system of accounts and records that would conflict with any requirement of such federal commission.

§ 223. Appeal from municipal authorities A person or corporation aggrieved by an order or decision of the municipal authorities made under the provisions of any statute, relative to the granting of a license or permit for location, may bring an appeal to the Commission at any tim…

§ 224. Special authority to municipality, to be under supervision of Commission Any statute conferring authority upon municipalities to supervise or to make any order or regulation respecting any location, business, or company, subject to the provisions of this chapter, shall be …

§ 225. Rate schedules (a) Within a time to be fixed by the Commission, each company subject to the provisions of this chapter shall file with the Department, with separate filings to the Directors for Regulated Utility Planning and Public Advocacy, schedules that shall be open to…

§ 226. Rates, hearings, bond (a) Except in the case of municipal companies formed under local charter or under chapter 79 and cooperatives formed under chapter 81 of this title, upon six days’ notice to the company affected, the Commission may suspend a rate change until it makes…

§ 226a. Contracts regarding basic exchange telecommunications services (a) As used in this section, “basic exchange telecommunications service” shall mean the provision of publicly switched, voice grade interactive telecommunications services between or among two or more end user…

§ 226b. Incentive regulation of basic exchange telecommunications providers (a) Upon petition of a basic exchange telecommunications service provider, upon request of the Department of Public Service, or on its own initiative, the Public Utility Commission may approve alternative…

§ 227. Suspension; refund (a) If the Commission orders that a change shall not go into effect until final determination of the proceedings, it shall proceed to hear the matter as promptly as possible and shall make its determination within seven months from the date that it order…

§ 227a. Pricing of competitive telecommunications services (a) In addition to the Commission’s authority to reduce or suspend any regulatory requirements as part of a contract negotiated under section 226a of this title, the Commission may also suspend or reduce such requirements…