110 HR 2196 IH: Knowledge Is Power U.S. House of Representatives 2007-05-07 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I 110th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2196 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 7, 2007 Mr. Reyes (for himself, Mr. Markey, Mr. Inslee, Ms. Herseth Sandlin, and Ms. Schakowsky) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to provide for disclosure to consumers of the fuels and sources of electric energy purchased from electric utilities, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Knowledge Is Power Act .

2.

Disclosure of electric energy sources by electric utilities

(a)

Disclosure standard

Section 111(d) of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2621(d)) is amended by adding the following at the end: (16)

Disclosure of electric energy sources

Each electric utility shall disclose to consumers on their periodic billing statement the percentage mix of energy technologies and fuels used to generate the electricity sold within the distribution utility’s distribution area. In describing such mix, each such utility shall disclose the percentage of electricity generated from coal, from gas, from nuclear, from any other fuel, and from any particular type (including solar, wind, biomass, landfill gas, ocean tidal, ocean wave, ocean current, ocean thermal, geothermal, municipal solid waste, or hydroelectric) of renewable energy (as defined in section 203(b)(2) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005). Such disclosure shall be printed in such manner as to gives it prominence on the statement. . (b)

Compliance

(1)

Time limitations

Section 112(b) of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2622(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following: (6)(A)Not later than 1 year after the enactment of this paragraph, each State regulatory authority (with respect to each electric utility for which it has ratemaking authority) and each nonregulated utility shall commence the consideration referred to in section 111, or set a hearing date for consideration, with respect to the standard established by paragraph (16) of section 111(d). (B)Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of the this paragraph, each State regulatory authority (with respect to each electric utility for which it has ratemaking authority), and each nonregulated electric utility, shall complete the consideration, and shall make the determination, referred to in section 111 with respect to each standard established by paragraph (16) of section 111(d). . (2)

Failure to comply

ection 112(d) of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2622(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following: In the case of the standard established by paragraph (16), the reference contained in this subsection to the date of enactment of this Act shall be deemed to be a reference to the date of enactment of paragraph (16).. (3)

Prior State actions

(A)

In general

Section 112 of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2622) is amended by adding at the end the following: (g)

Prior State Actions

Subsections (b) and (c) of this section shall not apply to the standard established by paragraph (16) of section 111(d) in the case of any electric utility in a State if, before the enactment of this subsection— (1)the State has implemented for such utility the standard concerned (or a comparable standard); (2)the State regulatory authority for such State or relevant nonregulated electric utility has conducted a proceeding to consider implementation of the standard concerned (or a comparable standard) for such utility; or (3)the State legislature has voted on the implementation of such standard (or a comparable standard) for such utility. . (B)

Cross reference

Section 124 of such Act (16 U.S.C. 2634) is amended by adding the following at the end thereof: In the case of each standard established by paragraph (16) of section 111(d), the reference contained in this subsection to the date of enactment of the Act shall be deemed to be a reference to the date of enactment of paragraph (16)..