Electric Utility Coordination Act

Summary

Electric Utility Coordination Act - Title I: General Provisions - Declares it the purpose of this Act to encourage conservation and efficient use of electric energy as well as fostering increased competition as a complement to existing regulatory authority. Defines terms used in this Act. Title II: Economic Regulation of Bulk Power Supply - Amends the Federal Power Act to require that public utilities make new, increased, or retired capacity in bulk power facilities available to others engaged in the sale or transmission of electric energy in the same geographical area. Establishes additional requirements and procedures to insure continuity of service in cases of anticipated deficiencies in the available supplies of electric power. Requires that the Federal Power Commission hold evidentiary hearings on proposed rate increases. Limits the amount of actual increases pursuant to an automatic adjustment clause which may become effective without such a hearing. Requires the establishment of an Office of Public Counsel in the Federal Power Commission for the purpose of adequate representation of consumer interests before the Commission. Authorizes the appropriation of $500,000 for fiscal year 1978 and $2,000,000 for fiscal year 1979 to such Office. Authorizes the Office, pursuant to rules established by the Commission, to pay reasonable fees to eligible participants in evidentiary hearings. Authorizes an annual appropriation of $500,000 for such payments. Directs the Commission to prescribe minimum standards to assure a reliable supply of electric energy. Requires electric utilities to develop a qualtiy control program to assure compliance with such reliability standards. Directs the Commission, upon consultation with the Federal Trade Commission, to study the desirability and means of increasing competition within the electric utility industry. Directs the Administrator of the Energy Research and Development Administration to conduct a study on the feasibility of generating electricity near the place of consumption. Title III: Coordination of Planning and Siting of Bulk Power Facilities - Requires that electric utilities which control bulk power facilities prepare an annual long-range plan for the use of each such facility. Establishes areawide planning councils to review such plans and submit area plans for bulk power facilities to the Commission. Directs the Chairman of the Federal Power Commission to supervise the overall approval process for the siting of bulk power facilities. Establishes procedures to assist in coordinating the Federal approval process.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

No timeline events have been ingested for this record yet.

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.

Documents

2 official files

• Reported to Senate with amendment(s)

  summary · EN · 1 October 1976

  Open at official source

• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 13 April 1976

  Open at official source

Sponsors

No sponsors or actors listed by the source.

Related records

No cross-record relationships stored yet.