S.B. 05-1 Low-income energy assistance - program - optional charge to customers - energy outreach Colorado. Requires electric and gas utilities doing business in Colorado to participate in the energy assistance program (program) and to provide the opportunity for utility customers to make an optional energy assistance contribution beginning September 1, 2006. Requires the public utilities commission (PUC) to determine a mechanism whereby the contributions will be collected from customers who give notice of the intent to contribute to the program. Requires the PUC to initiate rule-making proceedings to establish the program, encourage utilities to notify customers about the program, require each utility to notify customers about the opt-in provision in the program, require each utility to consider the most cost-effective methods for implementing the program, and to make sure there is a mechanism for the customer to opt out of the program. Allows municipally owned gas, electric, and gas and electric utilities and cooperative electric associations to self-certify alternative energy assistance programs if they have one in place and be exempt from the program. Requires money from the energy assistance contributions to be transferred to Energy Outreach Colorado (EOC) on a quarterly schedule. Requires the EOC to use the contributions to provide low-income energy assistance and to improve energy efficiency. Priority for assistance shall be given to the recipients of an old age pension, aid to the needy disabled, aid to the blind, supplemental social security benefits, and Colorado works assistance. Requires the EOC to submit a written report to the general assembly, the legislative audit committee, and the office of the state auditor on an annual basis.
APPROVED by Governor May 5, 2005
EFFECTIVE May 5, 2005
S.B. 05-15 Motor carrier insurance requirements - specified in public utilities commission rule. Repeals provisions specifying the minimum amounts of insurance or surety bonds required to be maintained by motor carriers on each motor vehicle operated by the carrier and instead authorizes the public utilities commission to specify the amounts and the form of the insurance or surety bonds by rule.
APPROVED by Governor April 14, 2005
EFFECTIVE August 8, 2005
NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause. For further explanation concerning
the effective date, see page vi of this digest.
S.B. 05-29 Motor vehicle carriers exempt from regulation as a public utility - regulation. Allows the public utilities commission ("commission") to revoke the registration of any motor vehicle carrier exempt from regulation as a public utility. Authorizes the commission to file suit to enjoin or redress potential or actual violations. Gives the commission general rule-making authority for all such carriers.
APPROVED by Governor April 14, 2005
EFFECTIVE August 8, 2005
NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause. For further explanation concerning
the effective date, see page vi of this digest.
S.B. 05-78 Emergency telephone service - charges - usage. Authorizes governing bodies to use emergency telephone service charges to reimburse public safety answering points for costs for radio equipment necessary to establish statewide public safety communications interoperability. Makes all telephone customers liable for emergency telephone service charges, and creates an exception for basic emergency service providers and local exchange providers with respect to lines that are not exchange access facilities.
VETOED by Governor May 6, 2005
S.B. 05-143 Electric utilities - renewable energy sources - portfolio standards - implementation of 2004 initiated measure. Adopts statutory changes in furtherance of "Amendment 37", the initiated measure requiring that specified percentages of the electricity sold in Colorado in coming years be derived from renewable energy sources, as passed by Colorado voters in November of 2004.
Clarifies the jurisdictional reach of the measure with regard to municipally owned utilities, which are exempt from most regulation under the Colorado constitution, and cooperative electric associations whose customer/shareholders have exempted themselves from regulation under preexisting statutes. Provides a mechanism for the allocation of renewable energy credits in the case of a utility that is both a buyer and a seller of electricity. Adopts provisions to apply the energy standards to utilities that are not now, but during the years of transition to full implementation of the standards will become, "qualifying retail utilities" subject to the measure.
Clarifies that the restrictions on the use of eminent domain by utilities do not affect the eminent domain rights of home rule municipalities. Makes technical and stylistic changes to harmonize with existing statutes.
APPROVED by Governor April 14, 2005
EFFECTIVE August 8, 2005
NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause. For further explanation concerning
the effective date, see page vi of this digest.
H.B. 05-1102 Motor vehicle carriers - annual identification fee - period. Specifies that the annual vehicle identification fee paid by various motor vehicle carriers to the public utilities commission is valid for the calendar year in which the fee is paid.
APPROVED by Governor March 11, 2005
EFFECTIVE August 8, 2005
NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause. For further explanation concerning
the effective date, see page vi of this digest.
H.B. 05-1133 Natural gas utilities - residential energy efficiency programs - funding - cost recovery mechanisms - rules. Directs the public utilities commission (PUC) to adopt rules establishing funding and cost-recovery mechanisms for distributors of natural gas to develop and implement residential energy efficiency and conservation programs. Allows participating utilities to earn a 2% additional return on energy efficiency program investments. Requires periodic reports from the utilities and PUC review and approval of such programs.
VETOED by Governor June 3, 2005
H.B. 05-1203 Telecommunications - high cost support mechanism - equitable distribution. Defines "distributed equitably" and "nondiscriminatory and competitively neutral basis", in connection with the distribution by the public utilities commission of high cost support mechanism funding to eligible providers, to require regulatory principles that are neutral in their effect, that do not favor one class of providers over another, that do not cause any eligible telecommunications provider to experience a reduction in its high cost support mechanism support revenue requirement based upon commission rules that are not applicable to other telecommunications providers, and that do not result in the imposition of regulatory requirements or costs on one class of eligible providers that are not imposed on others.
Applies to the distribution of high cost support mechanism funding occurring on or after July 1, 2005.
APPROVED by Governor May 4, 2005
EFFECTIVE July 1, 2005
H.B. 05-1224 Public utilities commission - collaboration with general assembly. Directs the public utilities commission (PUC) to meet at least twice per year with the statutory, 18-member standing committee of the general assembly known as the legislative council (committee) for an informal briefing.
VETOED by Governor May 25, 2005
H.B. 05-1291 Cooperative electric associations - method of reimposing public utilities commission regulation. Requires that signatures on petitions seeking to reimpose public utility commission regulation over cooperative electric associations be collected from member-consumers within a 6-month period immediately preceding the submission of the petition to the association's board of directors.
Specifies that no petition circulated shall be valid unless the petition sponsor notifies the board of directors in writing prior to circulation for signatures.
Expands board of directors certification of the petition to include determining whether the signatures were gathered in the 6-month period.
APPROVED by Governor April 20, 2005
EFFECTIVE April 20, 2005
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