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Introduced Version House Concurrent Resolution 5 History

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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 59

(By Delegates Shott, Frazier, Perry, Porter, Shaver,

McGeehan, Sumner, Louisos, Williams, Beach and Phillips)



Requesting the Legislature establish a Joint Legislative Committee on Public Service Commission Accountability and Effectiveness for the purpose of studying the accountability and effectiveness of the Public Service Commission, and proposing legislation consistent with the committee's findings.

W
HEREAS , Rising utility costs continue to consume a greater portion of the incomes of West Virginians and act as an impediment to economic development; and
W
HEREAS , The Public Service Commission was created not only to regulate and ensure the availability of public utilities, but also to protect the interest of the using and consuming public; and
W
HEREAS , The Legislature seeks to address concerns that sufficient accountability does not currently exist to ensure that the Public Service Commission is adequately protecting those interests; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That a Joint Legislative Study Committee on Public Service Commission Accountability and Effectiveness be created for the purposes of studying the issue of the accountability and effectiveness of the Public Service Commission, and the feasibility of creating legislation consistent with the committee's findings; and proposing legislation to achieve this goal; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Joint Legislative Committee on Public Service Commission Accountability and Effectiveness examine the following issues in relation to the Public Service Commission:
(1) The process of applying for and receiving rate modifications, including the feasibility of authorizing the commission to unilaterally decrease rates when an investigation concludes that consumers are being overcharged;
(2) A description of all revisions to policies or practices, or both, of the commission intended to ensure that utilities adopt and utilize best management practices in their respective operations;
(3) A description of any current practices or policies, or both intended to minimize the amount of any possible over-recovery from rate payers paying interim rates while a rate case is pending;
(4) An analysis of the method by which machinery, equipment, fixtures and infrastructure is depreciated following the acquisition by a subsequent owner, and whether such method is consistent with the purposes for which depreciation is allowed;
(5) An analysis comparing the current utility rates in each of the twenty-eight border counties with the comparable rates for the non-West Virginia counties which share a common boundary with each;
(6) Whether an economic impact analysis should be required with respect to applications for substantial rate increases; and
(7) Whether the consumer advocate's actions in principal and effect have remained consistent with the original intent, and if not, how to correct such problems; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the study committee shall consider such other information or documentation as the committee may request in order to achieve the goals of this resolution.
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