PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 2565 PRINTER'S NO. 2745
No. 2000 Session of 1987
INTRODUCED BY LAUGHLIN, BURNS, ITKIN, TRELLO, CHADWICK, COY,
HALUSKA, FOSTER, DOMBROWSKI, FEE, GEORGE, BORTNER, BOWSER AND
STEIGHNER, NOVEMBER 23, 1987
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JANUARY 26, 1988
AN ACT
1 Creating the Electric Power Transmission Task Force and
2 providing for its powers and duties; and making an
3 appropriation.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Short title.
7 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Electric
8 Power Transmission Task Force Act.
9 Section 2. Definitions.
10 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12 context clearly indicates otherwise:
13 "Task force." The Electric Power Transmission Task Force,
14 created by this act.
15 Section 3. Electric Power Transmission Task Force.
16 (a) Creation.--There is hereby created the Electric Power
17 Transmission Task Force, which shall have the powers and duties
1 provided for in this act.
2 (b) Composition.--The task force shall be composed of the
3 following persons:
4 (1) The Lieutenant Governor and the Chairman of the
5 Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, who shall be
6 cochairmen of the task force.
7 (2) The chairman and the minority chairman of the
8 Consumer Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives,
9 or their designees.
10 (3) The chairman and the minority chairman of the
11 Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee of
12 the Senate, or their designees.
13 (4) The Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Energy
14 Office, or his designee.
15 (5) The Secretary of Environmental Resources, or his
16 designee.
17 (6) The Secretary of Transportation, or his designee.
18 (7) The Consumer Advocate of Pennsylvania, or his
19 designee.
20 (8) Two persons representing major industrial
21 electricity end users in Pennsylvania, one to be chosen <--
22 APPOINTED by the Majority Leader of the House of <--
23 Representatives and one to be chosen APPOINTED by the <--
24 Majority Leader of the Senate.
25 (9) Two FOUR persons representing organized labor, one <--
26 TWO to be chosen APPOINTED by the Majority Leader of the <--
27 House of Representatives and one to be chosen TWO TO BE <--
28 APPOINTED by the Majority Leader of the Senate.
29 (10) One member from each of the seven major investor- <--
30 owned Pennsylvania electric utilities, to be selected by the
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1 chief executive officer of each utility. The electric
2 utilities to be represented include:
3 (i) Duquesne Light Company.
4 (ii) Metropolitan Edison Company.
5 (iii) Pennsylvania Electric Company.
6 (iv) Pennsylvania Power Company.
7 (v) Pennsylvania Power & Light Company.
8 (vi) Philadelphia Electric Company.
9 (vii) West Penn Power Company.
10 (10) ONE PERSON REPRESENTING A PENNSYLVANIA-BASED <--
11 CONSUMER GROUP, TO BE APPOINTED BY THE COCHAIRMEN.
12 (11) ONE MEMBER FROM EACH OF THE SEVEN INVESTOR-OWNED
13 PENNSYLVANIA ELECTRIC UTILITIES WHICH GENERATES AND TRANSMITS
14 ELECTRICITY, TO BE APPOINTED BY THE COCHAIRMEN.
15 (11) (12) One member representing the electric <--
16 cooperatives and the municipal electric companies, to be
17 selected by the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association. <--
18 APPOINTED BY THE COCHAIRMEN. <--
19 (12) (13) Two at-large designees, to be appointed by the <--
20 cochairmen, representing nonutility generators.
21 (13) (14) Four at-large designees who are recognized <--
22 experts in at least one aspect of electric utility
23 regulation, to be appointed by the cochairmen.
24 (c) Vacancies.--Any vacancy occurring on the task force
25 shall be filled in the same manner in which the original
26 appointment was made. Members of the task force shall serve at
27 the pleasure of their appointing authority.
28 (d) Expenses.--Members of the task force, or their
29 designees, shall not be compensated for serving on the task
30 force, but shall be entitled to receive reimbursement for actual
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1 expenses incurred while on task force business.
2 Section 4. Powers and duties.
3 (a) Authorization.--The task force shall have the power and
4 its duty shall be to assess the electric power transmission
5 network within and outside of Pennsylvania. It shall investigate
6 the net economic benefits of the current system and the
7 potential net economic benefits resulting from changes,
8 including the construction of electric transmission capacity
9 within and outside of Pennsylvania. It shall address the
10 technical, legal, regulatory, financial and environmental issues
11 associated with any proposed changes to the current transmission
12 network. This investigation shall include, but not be limited
13 to, the following:
14 (1) An assessment of the current uses of Pennsylvania's
15 transmission network. This shall include an analysis of
16 issues relating to the current ownership, access, power flows
17 (both intended and unintended), the distribution of current
18 economic benefits, reliability, technical constraints and the
19 aggregate net benefits to Pennsylvania and other states.
20 (2) A review of electric demand forecasts and plans by
21 regional electric reliability council members within and
22 outside of Pennsylvania to either construct new economic
23 generating capacity and/or to enter into agreements for the
24 purchase of energy and/or capacity from nonutility sources or
25 utility sources outside their respective regions.
26 (3) A review of the current transmission access by
27 regulated utilities, electric cooperatives, municipal
28 electric companies, nonutility generators and electricity end
29 users. An identification of economic alternatives to present
30 access arrangements should be undertaken.
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1 (4) An assessment of the need for new transmission
2 capacity within or outside of Pennsylvania in order to
3 provide for increased net economic benefits to Pennsylvania.
4 Power import/export opportunities, increased reliability and
5 the potential for economic development should be examined.
6 (5) An identification of the major factors involved in
7 the siting and construction of economic transmission capacity
8 within and outside of Pennsylvania. These factors should
9 include, at a minimum, regulatory, financial, technical,
10 environmental, health, public interest and ownership issues.
11 (6) An assessment of the net economic benefits that
12 might be derived from the creation of an electric power
13 transmission authority that would build, own and operate new
14 electric transmission capacity and/or acquire all or a
15 portion of existing electric transmission capacity.
16 (b) Recommendations.--The task force shall prepare
17 recommendations, related to the electric transmission system,
18 that are designed to capture additional economic benefits for
19 Pennsylvania. A preliminary identification of specific routes
20 and the amount of needed transmission capacity should be
21 included, as well as suggestions for future analysis. The merits
22 of creating a power transmission authority should also be fully
23 addressed.
24 Section 5. Staffing.
25 The staff of the Pennsylvania Energy Office, in cooperation
26 with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, shall head the
27 technical support effort for the task force. The Pennsylvania
28 Energy Office shall direct and coordinate the activities of
29 consultants, utilities and all other staff in carrying out the
30 purposes of the task force. The Pennsylvania Energy Office may,
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1 at the direction of the task force, contract with individuals or
2 organizations to provide consulting services to assist in the
3 work of the task force. A reasonable assessment of the issues
4 will be possible only with cooperation from the electric
5 utilities in developing information and performing studies to
6 accomplish the objectives of the task force.
7 Section 6. Meetings and hearings.
8 The task force shall hold an organizational meeting within 60
9 days of the effective date of this act. The task force or
10 designated members may conduct public hearings at locations
11 throughout this Commonwealth. All meetings and public hearings
12 of the task force shall be subject to the provisions of the act
13 of July 3, 1986 (P.L.388, No.84), known as the Sunshine Act.
14 Section 7. Reports.
15 The task force shall make a report of its findings and
16 recommendations to the General Assembly and to the Governor.
17 Section 8. Appropriation.
18 The sum of $100,000 is hereby appropriated to the
19 Pennsylvania Energy Office for the purposes set forth in this
20 act. THESE FUNDS SHALL NOT LAPSE UNTIL JUNE 30, 1990. <--
21 Section 9. Expiration.
22 The task force shall expire two years from the effective date
23 of this act.
24 Section 10. Effective date.
25 This act shall take effect immediately.
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