Title 30, Title 30: Public Service

§ 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…

§ 227b. Wireless telecommunications (a)(1) The Secretary of Administration is designated as the exclusive agent for the State of Vermont to contract for the use of State-owned buildings, structures, and land for wireless, two-way interactive telecommunications facilities. The Sec…

§ 227c. Nondominant carriers (a) The Commission may modify, reduce, or suspend the requirements under this title as applied to nondominant providers of telecommunications service. The Commission may act by rule, or, after notice and opportunity for hearing, it may act by order. T…

§ 227d. Small eligible telecommunications carriers (a) A carrier that serves fewer than 10 percent of subscriber lines installed in the aggregate statewide and has been designated as an eligible telecommunications carrier in a service area where a competitive eligible telecommuni…

§ 227e. Leasing or licensing of State land; public notice (a) Beginning July 1, 2011, State land may not be leased or licensed for the purpose of construction or installation of a wireless telecommunications facility, as defined in subsection 248a(b) of this title, unless authori…

§ 228. Copy of schedules Each company, subject to the provisions of this chapter, shall keep on file in every station or office thereof where payments are made by consumers or users a copy printed in plain type of so much of its schedules as the Commission shall deem necessary. S…

§ 229. Rebates; exceptions A public service company shall not directly or indirectly or by any special rate, rebate, drawback, or other device or method make any deviation from the rates, fares, charges, or prices for any service rendered by it or in services rendered or to be re…

§ 230. Special rate or rebate; penalty Except as provided in section 229 of this subchapter, an officer or employee of a public service company who grants a special rate or rebate or knowingly consents to one shall be subject to a civil penalty imposed by the Commission, after no…

§ 231. Certificate of public good; abandonment of service; hearing (a) A person, partnership, unincorporated association, or previously incorporated association that desires to own or operate a business over which the Public Utility Commission has jurisdiction under the provision…

§ 231a. Registration of billing aggregators (a) Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates: (1) “Bill” means a direct statement of payments due and any other form of notice soliciting payment. (2) “Billing agent” means a local exchange carrier or…

§ 232. Sales, leases, pledges, bonds, notes; hearings (a) Except in connection with replacement or exchange, an individual, partnership, or unincorporated association conducting such public service business shall not make a sale or lease or series of sales or leases in any one ca…

§ 234. Appeal A person, partnership, or unincorporated association aggrieved by any act or order of the Public Utility Commission may transfer such cause to the Supreme Court under the provisions of section 12 of this title. (Amended 1959, No. 329 (Adj. Sess.), § 39(b), eff. Marc…

§ 235. Heating and process fuel efficiency program (a) After consultation with fuel dealers, any appointed efficiency entity, financial institutions, the Commission, representatives of the weatherization program, and other stakeholders, the Department of Public Service shall prop…

§ 246. Temporary siting of meteorological stations (a) As used in this section, a “meteorological station” consists of one temporary tower, which may include guy wires, and attached instrumentation to collect and record wind speed, wind direction, and atmospheric conditions. (b) …

§ 247. Penalty In addition to any civil penalty imposed under section 30 and section 230 of this title, any person, partnership, unincorporated association, company, or corporation, or the officers of any unincorporated association, company, or corporation who violates section 23…

§ 248. New gas and electric purchases, investments, and facilities; certificate of public good (a)(1) No company, as defined in section 201 of this subchapter, may: (A) in any way purchase electric capacity or energy from outside the State: (i) for a period exceeding five years, …

§ 248a. Certificate of public good for communications facilities (a) Certificate. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if the applicant seeks approval for the construction or installation of telecommunications facilities that are to be interconnected with other telecommuni…

§ 248b. Fees; Agency of Natural Resources; participation in siting proceedings (a) Establishment. This section establishes fees for the purpose of supporting the role of the Agency of Natural Resources (the Agency) in reviewing applications for in-state facilities under sections …

§ 248c. Fees; Department of Public Service and Public Utility Commission; participation in certification and siting proceedings (a) Establishment. This section establishes fees for the purpose of supporting the role of the Department of Public Service (Department) and the Public …

§ 248d. Fee refund If an applicant withdraws an application and seeks a fee refund, then a written request for an application fee refund shall be submitted to the Public Utility Commission (Commission) within 90 days following the withdrawal of the application. (1) As used in thi…

§ 249. Service territories; Commission jurisdiction (a) The Public Utility Commission shall have jurisdiction to establish service territories for companies subject to its supervision that are engaged in the distribution of electrical energy in the State and to alter those territ…

§ 249a. Campground submetering Notwithstanding the provisions of section 249 of this title or any other provision of this title, a person operating a recreational campground may provide submetered electric service to campground users on a nonprofit basis, if such service is provi…

§ 250. Application; maps Within six months after July 1, 1970, or at such later date as the Public Utility Commission may establish, each company engaged in the distribution of electrical energy in the State shall apply to the Commission for a service territory consisting of the …

§ 251. Areas served by several companies (a) In any area that two or more companies distributing electrical energy are authorized to serve, a company shall not construct or extend its facilities, or furnish or offer to furnish its service to any person or property presently serve…

§ 252. Experts, payment of expense The Public Utility Commission may employ technical and professional assistance as may be required in making the service territory determinations under sections 249-251 of this title and may allocate equitably that portion of the expense to the c…

§ 253. National Environmental Policy Act review The Governor may authorize a State agency, including the Public Utility Commission, to participate as a lead agency or a cooperating agency in any environmental review pursuant to the provisions of the National Environmental Policy …

§ 254. Construction or extended operation of nuclear plant; public engagement process (a) Timelines for approval. (1) Any petition for approval of construction of a nuclear energy generating plant within the State, or any petition for approval of the operation of a nuclear energy…

§ 254a. Joint Fiscal Committee; nuclear energy analysis (a) The Joint Fiscal Committee may authorize or retain services or resources to assist the General Assembly: (1) in any legislative proceeding under or related to subsection 248(e) of this title or 10 V.S.A. chapter 157; or …

§ 255. Regional coordination to reduce greenhouse gases (a) Legislative findings. The General Assembly finds: (1) There is a growing scientific consensus that the increased anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases are enhancing the natural greenhouse effect, resulting in chang…

§ 311. Public Utility Commission’s authority A consolidation or merger under the provisions of this chapter shall not become effective without the approval of the Public Utility Commission after due notice and opportunity for hearing, and the finding on its part that such consoli…

§ 401. Lake Seymour The Public Utility Commission shall ascertain and establish the natural maximum and minimum water levels of Lake Seymour at the outlet, excluding from its determination of such levels the effect on natural conditions disturbed by blasting of the barrier, chang…