H. B. 4619

(By Delegate Canterbury)

[Introduced February 20, 2012; referred to the

Committee on Energy, Industry and Labor, Economic Development and Small Business the Government Organization.]

A BILL to amend and reenact §24-2D-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to alternative fuel initiatives; and requiring the Public Service Commission to authorize natural gas utility companies to invest in natural gas compression equipment to be installed in residential property for compressed natural gas fueling of automobiles, without authority to make rates for compressed natural gas fueling of these automobiles.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That §24-2D-2 the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 2D. ALTERNATIVE FUEL INITIATIVES.

§24-2D-2. Incentives for use of alternative fuels in new technologies; natural gas compression equipment installed in residential property for use as fuel for automobiles; no rate-making authority.

    (a) For purposes of this section, "alternative fuel vehicles" shall mean means motor vehicles whose primary source of fuel is natural gas, methanol, and/or electricity or a combination of these fuels.

    (b) Upon a finding that it is in the public interest of this state to authorize the same, as provided in section one, article one of this chapter, the Public Service Commission shall authorize ratemaking allowances for public utilities to encourage the use of alternative fuel in new demonstration technologies, including alternative fuel vehicles, which provide incentives to encourage investments in such these technologies.

    (c) Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary, the Public Service Commission shall authorize natural gas utility companies to invest in natural gas compression equipment to be installed in residential property for use as automobile fuel. If natural gas is used for an automobile equipped to operate on compressed natural gas, the Public Service Commission may not make rates for the sale and use of compressed natural gas as an alternative fuel.

    NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require the Public Service Commission to authorize natural gas utility companies to invest in natural gas compression equipment to be installed in residential property for compressed natural gas fueling of automobiles. It further provides that the Public Service Commission may not make rates for the sale and use of compressed natural gas as an alternative fuel

    Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.