Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 277 - Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. Office of Consumer Counsel. Miscellaneous Provisions
Section 16-1. - Definitions.

(a) Terms used in this title and in chapters 244, 244a, 244b, 245, 245a and 245b shall be construed as follows, unless another meaning is expressed or is clearly apparent from the language or context:

(1) “Authority” means the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and “department” means the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection;
(2) “Utility commissioner” means a member of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority;
(3) “Public service company” includes electric distribution, gas, telephone, pipeline, sewage, water and community antenna television companies and holders of a certificate of cable franchise authority, owning, leasing, maintaining, operating, managing or controlling plants or parts of plants or equipment, but shall not include towns, cities, boroughs, any municipal corporation or department thereof, whether separately incorporated or not, a private power producer, as defined in section 16-243b, or an exempt wholesale generator, as defined in 15 USC 79z-5a;
(4) “Plant” includes all real estate, buildings, tracks, pipes, mains, poles, wires and other fixed or stationary construction and equipment, wherever located, used in the conduct of the business of the company;
(5) “Gas company” includes every person owning, leasing, maintaining, operating, managing or controlling mains, pipes or other fixtures, in public highways or streets, for the transmission or distribution of gas for sale for heat or power within this state, or engaged in the manufacture of gas to be so transmitted or distributed for such purpose, but shall not include (A) a person manufacturing gas through the use of a biomass gasification plant provided such person does not own, lease, maintain, operate, manage or control mains, pipes or other fixtures in public highways or streets, (B) a municipal gas utility established under chapter 101 or any other gas utility owned, leased, maintained, operated, managed or controlled by any unit of local government under any general statute or any public or special act, or (C) an entity approved to submeter pursuant to section 16-19ff;
(6) “Water company” includes every person owning, leasing, maintaining, operating, managing or controlling any pond, lake, reservoir, stream, well or distributing plant or system employed for the purpose of supplying water to fifty or more consumers. A water company does not include homeowners, condominium associations providing water only to their members, homeowners associations providing water to customers at least eighty per cent of whom are members of such associations, a municipal waterworks system established under chapter 102, a district, metropolitan district, municipal district or special services district established under chapter 105, chapter 105a or any other general statute or any public or special act which is authorized to supply water, or any other waterworks system owned, leased, maintained, operated, managed or controlled by any unit of local government under any general statute or any public or special act;
(7) “Consumer” means any private dwelling, boardinghouse, apartment, store, office building, institution, mechanical or manufacturing establishment or other place of business or industry to which water is supplied by a water company;
(8) “Sewage company” includes every person owning, leasing, maintaining, operating, managing or controlling, for general use in any town, city or borough, or portion thereof, in this state, sewage disposal facilities which discharge treated effluent into any waterway of this state;
(9) “Pipeline company” includes every person owning, leasing, maintaining, operating, managing or controlling mains, pipes or other fixtures through, over, across or under any public land, water, parkways, highways, parks or public grounds for the transportation, transmission or distribution of petroleum products for hire within this state;
(10) “Community antenna television company” includes every person owning, leasing, maintaining, operating, managing or controlling a community antenna television system, in, under or over any public street or highway, for the purpose of providing community antenna television service for hire and shall include any municipality which owns or operates one or more plants for the manufacture or distribution of electricity pursuant to section 7-213 or any special act and seeks to obtain or obtains a certificate of public convenience and necessity to construct or operate a community antenna television system pursuant to section 16-331 or a certificate of cable franchise authority pursuant to section 16-331q. “Community antenna television company” does not include a certified competitive video service provider;
(11) “Community antenna television service” means (A) the one-way transmission to subscribers of video programming or information that a community antenna television company makes available to all subscribers generally, and subscriber interaction, if any, which is required for the selection of such video programming or information, and (B) noncable communications service. “Community antenna television service” does not include video service provided by a certified competitive video service provider;
(12) “Community antenna television system” means a facility, consisting of a set of closed transmission paths and associated signal generation, reception and control equipment that is designed to provide community antenna television service which includes video programming and which is provided in, under or over any public street or highway, for hire, to multiple subscribers within a franchise, but such term does not include (A) a facility that serves only to retransmit the television signals of one or more television broadcast stations; (B) a facility that serves only subscribers in one or more multiple unit dwellings under common ownership, control or management, unless such facility is located in, under or over a public street or highway; (C) a facility of a common carrier which is subject, in whole or in part, to the provisions of Subchapter II of Chapter 5 of the Communications Act of 1934, 47 USC 201 et seq., as amended, except that such facility shall be considered a community antenna television system and the carrier shall be considered a public service company to the extent such facility is used in the transmission of video programming directly to subscribers; or (D) a facility of an electric distribution company which is used solely for operating its electric distribution company systems. “Community antenna television system” does not include a facility used by a certified competitive video service provider to provide video service;
(13) “Video programming” means programming provided by, or generally considered comparable to programming provided by, a television broadcast station;
(14) “Noncable communications service” means any telecommunications service, as defined in section 16-247a, and which is not included in the definition of “cable service” in the Communications Act of 1934, 47 USC 522, as amended. Nothing in this definition shall be construed to affect service which is both authorized and preempted pursuant to federal law;
(15) “Cogeneration technology” means the use for the generation of electricity of exhaust steam, waste steam, heat or resultant energy from an industrial, commercial or manufacturing plant or process, or the use of exhaust steam, waste steam or heat from a thermal power plant for an industrial, commercial or manufacturing plant or process, but shall not include steam or heat developed solely for electrical power generation;
(16) “Renewable fuel resources” means energy sources described in subdivisions (20) and (21) of this subsection;
(17) “Telephone company” means a telecommunications company that provides one or more noncompetitive or emerging competitive services, as defined in section 16-247a;
(18) “Domestic telephone company” includes any telephone company which has been chartered by or organized or constituted within or under the laws of this state;
(19) “Telecommunications company” means a person that provides telecommunications service, as defined in section 16-247a, within the state, but shall not mean a person that provides only (A) private telecommunications service, as defined in section 16-247a, (B) the one-way transmission of video programming or other programming services to subscribers, (C) subscriber interaction, if any, which is required for the selection of such video programming or other programming services, (D) the two-way transmission of educational or instructional programming to a public or private elementary or secondary school, or a public or independent institution of higher education, as required by the authority pursuant to a community antenna television company franchise agreement, or provided pursuant to a contract with such a school or institution which contract has been filed with the authority, or (E) a combination of the services set forth in subparagraphs (B) to (D), inclusive, of this subdivision;
(20) “Class I renewable energy source” means (A) electricity derived from (i) solar power, (ii) wind power, (iii) a fuel cell, (iv) geothermal, (v) landfill methane gas, anaerobic digestion or other biogas derived from biological sources, (vi) thermal electric direct energy conversion from a certified Class I renewable energy source, (vii) ocean thermal power, (viii) wave or tidal power, (ix) low emission advanced renewable energy conversion technologies, including, but not limited to, zero emission low grade heat power generation systems based on organic oil free rankine, kalina or other similar nonsteam cycles that use waste heat from an industrial or commercial process that does not generate electricity, (x) (I) a run-of-the-river hydropower facility that began operation after July 1, 2003, and has a generating capacity of not more than thirty megawatts, or (II) a run-of-the-river hydropower facility that received a new license after January 1, 2018, under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rules pursuant to 18 CFR 16, as amended from time to time, and provided a facility that applies for certification under this clause after January 1, 2013, shall not be based on a new dam or a dam identified by the commissioner as a candidate for removal, and shall meet applicable state and federal requirements, including applicable site-specific standards for water quality and fish passage, or (xi) a biomass facility that uses sustainable biomass fuel and has an average emission rate of equal to or less than .075 pounds of nitrogen oxides per million BTU of heat input for the previous calendar quarter, except that energy derived from a biomass facility with a capacity of less than five hundred kilowatts that began construction before July 1, 2003, may be considered a Class I renewable energy source, or (B) any electrical generation, including distributed generation, generated from a Class I renewable energy source, provided, on and after January 1, 2014, any megawatt hours of electricity from a renewable energy source described under this subparagraph that are claimed or counted by a load-serving entity, province or state toward compliance with renewable portfolio standards or renewable energy policy goals in another province or state, other than the state of Connecticut, shall not be eligible for compliance with the renewable portfolio standards established pursuant to section 16-245a;
(21) “Class II renewable energy source” means electricity derived from a trash-to-energy facility that has obtained a permit pursuant to section 22a-208a and section 22a-174-33 of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies;
(22) “Electric distribution services” means the owning, leasing, maintaining, operating, managing or controlling of poles, wires, conduits or other fixtures along public highways or streets for the distribution of electricity, or electric distribution-related services;
(23) “Electric distribution company” or “distribution company” means any person providing electric transmission or distribution services within the state, but does not include: (A) A private power producer, as defined in section 16-243b; (B) a municipal electric utility established under chapter 101, other than a participating municipal electric utility; (C) a municipal electric energy cooperative established under chapter 101a; (D) an electric cooperative established under chapter 597; (E) any other electric utility owned, leased, maintained, operated, managed or controlled by any unit of local government under any general statute or special act; (F) an electric supplier; (G) an entity approved to submeter pursuant to section 16-19ff; or (H) a municipality, state or federal governmental entity authorized to distribute electricity across a public highway or street pursuant to section 16-243aa;
(24) “Electric supplier” means any person, including an electric aggregator or participating municipal electric utility that is licensed by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority in accordance with section 16-245, that provides electric generation services to end use customers in the state using the transmission or distribution facilities of an electric distribution company, regardless of whether or not such person takes title to such generation services, but does not include: (A) A municipal electric utility established under chapter 101, other than a participating municipal electric utility; (B) a municipal electric energy cooperative established under chapter 101a; (C) an electric cooperative established under chapter 597; or (D) any other electric utility owned, leased, maintained, operated, managed or controlled by any unit of local government under any general statute or special act;
(25) “Electric aggregator” means (A) a person, municipality or regional water authority that gathers together electric customers for the purpose of negotiating the purchase of electric generation services from an electric supplier, or (B) the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority, if it gathers together electric customers for the purpose of negotiating the purchase of electric generation services from an electric supplier, provided such person, municipality or authority is not engaged in the purchase or resale of electric generation services, and provided further such customers contract for electric generation services directly with an electric supplier, and may include an electric cooperative established pursuant to chapter 597;
(26) “Electric generation services” means electric energy, electric capacity or generation-related services;
(27) “Electric transmission services” means electric transmission or transmission-related services;
(28) “Generation entity or affiliate” means a corporate affiliate or a separate division of an electric distribution company that provides electric generation services;
(29) “Participating municipal electric utility” means a municipal electric utility established under chapter 101 or any other electric utility owned, leased, maintained, operated, managed or controlled by any unit of local government under any general statute or any public or special act, that is authorized by the authority in accordance with section 16-245c to provide electric generation services to end use customers outside its service area, as defined in section 16-245c;
(30) “Person” means an individual, business, firm, corporation, association, joint stock association, trust, partnership or limited liability company;
(31) “Regional independent system operator” means the “ISO - New England, Inc.”, or its successor organization as approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission;
(32) “Certified telecommunications provider” means a person certified by the authority to provide intrastate telecommunications services, as defined in section 16-247a, pursuant to sections 16-247f to 16-247h, inclusive;
(33) “Gas registrant” means a person registered to sell natural gas pursuant to section 16-258a;
(34) “Customer-side distributed resources” means (A) the generation of electricity from a unit with a rating of not more than sixty-five megawatts on the premises of a retail end user within the transmission and distribution system including, but not limited to, fuel cells, photovoltaic systems or small wind turbines, or (B) a reduction in the demand for electricity on the premises of a retail end user in the distribution system through methods of conservation and load management, including, but not limited to, peak reduction systems and demand response systems;
(35) “Federally mandated congestion charges” means any cost approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as part of New England Standard Market Design including, but not limited to, locational marginal pricing, locational installed capacity payments, any cost approved by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to reduce federally mandated congestion charges in accordance with section 7-233y, this section, sections 16-32f, 16-50i, 16-50k, 16-50x, 16-243i to 16-243q, inclusive, 16-244c, 16-245m, 16-245n and 16-245z, section 21 of public act 05-1 of the June special session*, subsection (f) of section 16a-3j and reliability must run contracts;
(36) “Combined heat and power system” means a system that produces, from a single source, both electric power and thermal energy used in any process that results in an aggregate reduction in electricity use;
(37) “Grid-side distributed resources” means the generation of electricity from a unit with a rating of not more than sixty-five megawatts that is connected to the transmission or distribution system, which units may include, but are not limited to, units used primarily to generate electricity to meet peak demand;
(38) “Class III source” means the electricity output from combined heat and power systems with an operating efficiency level of no less than fifty per cent that are part of customer-side distributed resources developed at commercial and industrial facilities in this state on or after January 1, 2006, a waste heat recovery system installed on or after April 1, 2007, that produces electrical or thermal energy by capturing preexisting waste heat or pressure from industrial or commercial processes, or the electricity savings created in this state from conservation and load management programs begun on or after January 1, 2006, provided on and after January 1, 2014, no such programs supported by ratepayers, including programs overseen by the Energy Conservation Management Board or third-party programs pursuant to section 16-245m, shall be considered a Class III source, except that any demand-side management project awarded a contract pursuant to section 16-243m shall remain eligible as a Class III source for the term of such contract;
(39) “Sustainable biomass fuel” means biomass that is cultivated and harvested in a sustainable manner. “Sustainable biomass fuel” does not mean construction and demolition waste, as defined in section 22a-208x, finished biomass products from sawmills, paper mills or stud mills, organic refuse fuel derived separately from municipal solid waste, or biomass from old growth timber stands, except where (A) such biomass is used in a biomass gasification plant that received funding prior to May 1, 2006, from the Clean Energy Fund established pursuant to section 16-245n, or (B) the energy derived from such biomass is subject to a long-term power purchase contract pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (j) of section 16-244c entered into prior to May 1, 2006;
(40) “Video service” means video programming services provided through wireline facilities, a portion of which are located in the public right-of-way, without regard to delivery technology, including Internet protocol technology. “Video service” does not include any video programming provided by a commercial mobile service provider, as defined in 47 USC 332(d), any video programming provided as part of community antenna television service in a franchise area as of October 1, 2007, any video programming provided as part of and via a service that enables users to access content, information, electronic mail or other services over the public Internet;
(41) “Certified competitive video service provider” means an entity providing video service pursuant to a certificate of video franchise authority issued by the authority in accordance with section 16-331e. “Certified competitive video service provider” does not mean an entity issued a certificate of public convenience and necessity in accordance with section 16-331 or the affiliates, successors and assigns of such entity or an entity issued a certificate of cable franchise authority in accordance with section 16-331p or the affiliates, successors and assignees of such entity;
(42) “Certificate of video franchise authority” means an authorization issued by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority conferring the right to an entity or person to own, lease, maintain, operate, manage or control facilities in, under or over any public highway to offer video service to any subscribers in the state;
(43) “Certificate of cable franchise authority” means an authorization issued by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority pursuant to section 16-331q conferring the right to a community antenna television company to own, lease, maintain, operate, manage or control a community antenna television system in, under or over any public highway to (A) offer community antenna television service in a community antenna television company's designated franchise area, or (B) use the public rights-of-way to offer video service in a designated franchise area. The certificate of cable franchise authority shall be issued as an alternative to a certificate of public convenience and necessity pursuant to section 16-331 and shall only be available to a community antenna television company under the terms specified in sections 16-331q to 16-331aa, inclusive;
(44) “Thermal energy transportation company” means any person authorized under any provision of the general statutes or special act to furnish heat or air conditioning or both, by means of steam, heated or chilled water or other medium, to lay and maintain mains, pipes or other conduits, and to erect such other fixtures necessary or convenient in and on the streets, highways and public grounds of any municipality to carry steam, heated or chilled water or other medium from such plant to the location to be served and to return the same;
(45) “The Connecticut Television Network” means the General Assembly's state-wide twenty-four-hour state public affairs programming service, separate and distinct from community access channels;
(46) “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection” means the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection appointed pursuant to title 4, or the commissioner's designee;
(47) “Large-scale hydropower” means any hydropower facility that (A) began operation on or after January 1, 2003, (B) is located in the New England Power Pool Generation Information System geographic eligibility area in accordance with Rule 2.3 of said system or an area abutting the northern boundary of the New England Power Pool Generation Information System geographic eligibility area that is not interconnected with any other control area that is not a part of the New England Power Pool Generation Information System geographic eligibility area, (C) delivers power into such geographic eligibility area, and (D) has a generating capacity of more than thirty megawatts;
(48) “Energy storage system” means any commercially available technology that is capable of absorbing energy, storing it for a period of time and thereafter dispatching the energy, and that is capable of either: (A) Using mechanical, chemical or thermal processes to store electricity that is generated at one time for use at a later time; (B) storing thermal energy for direct use for heating or cooling at a later time in a manner that avoids the need to use electricity at a later time; (C) using mechanical, chemical or thermal processes to store electricity generated from renewable energy sources for use at a later time; or (D) using mechanical, chemical or thermal processes to capture or harness waste electricity and to store such electricity generated from mechanical processes for delivery at a later time;
(49) “Distributed energy resource” means any (A) customer-side distributed resource or grid-side distributed resource that generates electricity from a Class I renewable energy source or Class III source, and (B) customer-side distributed resource that reduces demand for electricity through conservation and load management, energy storage system which is located on the customer-side of the meter or is connected to the distribution system or microgrid; and
(50) “Grid-side system enhancement” means an investment in distribution system infrastructure, technology and systems designed to enable the deployment of distributed energy resources and allow for grid management and system balancing, including, but not limited to, energy storage systems, distribution system automation and controls, intelligent field systems, advanced distribution system metering, and communication and systems that enable two-way power flow.
(b) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, the terms “utility”, “public utility” and “public service company” shall be deemed to include a community antenna television company and a holder of a certificate of cable franchise authority, except (1) as otherwise provided in sections 16-8, 16-27, 16-28 and 16-43, (2) that no provision of the general statutes, including but not limited to, the provisions of sections 16-6b and 16-19, shall subject a community antenna television company to regulation as a common carrier or utility by reason of providing community antenna television service, other than noncable communications service, as provided in Subchapter V-A of Chapter 5 of the Communications Act of 1934, 47 USC 521 et seq., as amended, and (3) that no provision of the general statutes, including but not limited to, sections 16-6b and 16-19, shall apply to community antenna television companies to the extent any such provision is preempted pursuant to any other provision of the Communications Act of 1934, 47 USC 151 et seq., as amended, any other federal act or any regulation adopted thereunder.
(c) An owner of an electric vehicle charging station, as defined in section 16-19f, shall not be deemed to be a utility, public utility or public service company solely by virtue of the fact that such owner is an owner of an electric vehicle charging station.
(1949 Rev., S. 5390; February, 1965, P.A. 175, S. 1; 1967, P.A. 546, S. 1; 691, S. 1; 1969, P.A. 768, S. 208; P.A. 73-267; P.A. 75-486, S. 2, 69; P.A. 77-614, S. 162, 587, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 79-214, S. 1; 79-610, S. 7; P.A. 80-482, S. 39, 348; 80-483, S. 65, 186; P.A. 81-297, S. 3; 81-329, S. 1, 11; 81-358, S. 2; 81-439, S. 2, 14; P.A. 85-246, S. 8; 85-509, S. 1, 11; P.A. 86-403, S. 33, 132; P.A. 87-323, S. 4; 87-415, S. 7, 13; P.A. 91-310, S. 3; P.A. 92-137, S. 2; P.A. 93-149; P.A. 94-83, S. 1, 16; P.A. 95-79, S. 47, 189; P.A. 98-28, S. 1, 117; P.A. 99-222, S. 1, 19; 99-286, S. 1, 19; P.A. 00-53, S. 11, 12; P.A. 01-49, S. 1; 01-204, S. 7, 29; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 73, 131; P.A. 03-135, S. 1, 2; 03-163, S. 2; 03-221, S. 1, 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-1, S. 1, 2; P.A. 06-74, S. 1, 2; P.A. 07-242, S. 44; 07-253, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5, S. 58; P.A. 08-77, S. 1; 08-185, S. 4; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 186; P.A. 11-80, S. 1, 14; P.A. 13-5, S. 1, 30, 31; 13-298, S. 1, 2, 38; 13-303, S. 1–4; P.A. 14-94, S. 1; 14-134, S. 1; P.A. 15-107, S. 2, 3; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 102; P.A. 16-135, S. 3; P.A. 17-144, S. 2; P.A. 18-50, S. 27.)
*Note: Section 21 of public act 05-1 of the June special session is special in nature and therefore has not been codified but remains in full force and effect according to its terms.
History: 1965 act added definition of community antenna television company; 1967 acts included sewage plants in definition of “public service company” and defined “sewage company”, redefined “water company” to include companies owning, controlling etc. streams and wells and to delete phrase “for general domestic use in any town, city or borough ... within this state” and defined “consumer”; 1969 act defined “commissioner of transportation”; P.A. 73-267 included motor bus companies in definition of “public service company”; P.A. 75-486 replaced definition of “commission” with definition of “authority”; P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 included definition of division of public utility control, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-214 defined “cogeneration technology” and excluded persons owning or operating facilities producing one or less megawatt from definition of “public service company”; P.A. 79-610 defined “department”, deleted railroad and motor bus companies from definition of “public service company” and added reference to leasing in definitions of “railroad company” and “water company”; P.A. 80-482 replaced definition of “division” with definition of “department” re public utility control, deleting previous definition of “department” as “department of transportation”; P.A. 80-483 added reference to leasing in definitions of “street railway company” and “sewage company”; P.A. 81-297 excluded telegraph company functions concerning intrastate money order service from definition of public service company; P.A. 81-329 added definitions of “telephone company” and “domestic telephone company”; P.A. 81-358 excluded homeowners and condominium associations providing water to members only from definition of water company; P.A. 81-439 excluded private power producers from definitions of public service company and electric company; P.A. 85-246 redefined “public service company” to omit references to street railway companies and deleted a reference to street railway companies in definition of “motor bus”; P.A. 85-509 made existing section Subsec. (a), added definitions of “community antenna television service”, “community antenna television system”, “video programming” and “noncable communications service” in Subsec. (a), clarified definition of “community antenna television company” to apply to an antenna television system and added Subsec. (b) re the meaning of the terms “utility”, “public utility” and “public service company”; P.A. 86-403 made a technical change to Subsec. (a); (Revisor's note: In 1987 the definitions in Subsec. (a) were numbered editorially by the Revisors for ease of reference); P.A. 87-323 redefined “water company” to specifically exclude certain homeowners associations; P.A. 87-415 redefined “telephone company” to exclude entities which provide only those telecommunications services authorized under Secs. 16-247f to 16-247h, inclusive; P.A. 91-310 redefined “electric company”, “gas company” and “water company” to specifically exclude municipal utilities; P.A. 92-137 redefined “community antenna television company” to include municipalities which own or operate electric plants; P.A. 93-149 redefined “community antenna television system” to include municipalities which own or operate electric plants only if they obtain a certificate of public convenience and necessity for a community antenna television system; P.A. 94-83 amended Subsec. (a) by clarifying reference to the Communications Act of 1934 in Subdivs. (16) and (18), redefined “telephone company” in Subdiv. (23) and adding new Subdiv. (25) defining “telecommunications company”, and amended Subsec. (b) by clarifying reference to the Communications Act of 1934, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-79 redefined “telecommunications company” to include a limited liability company, effective May 31, 1995; P.A. 98-28 amended Subsec. (a), redefining “public service company” by adding electric distribution companies and exempting wholesale generators, by making minor changes in definitions of “electric company” and “renewable fuel resources” and added new Subdivs. (26) to (37), defining “class I renewable energy source”, “class II renewable energy source”, “electric distribution services”, “electric distribution company”, “electric supplier”, “electric aggregator”, “electric generation services”, “electric transmission services”, “generation entity or affiliate”, “participating municipal electric utility”, “person” and “regional independent system operator”, effective July 1, 1998 (Revisor's note: In Subdiv. (22) the Revisors editorially changed the phrase “... subdivisions (26) and (27) of this section” to “... subdivisions (26) and (27) of this subsection”); P.A. 99-222 amended Subsec. (a) by inserting new Subdiv. (38) defining “certified telecommunications provider”, effective June 29, 1999; P.A. 99-286 amended Subsec. (a) by making technical changes and by defining “certified telecommunications provider” in words identical to those in P.A. 99-222, effective July 19, 1999; P.A. 00-53 amended Subsec. (a) by redefining “electric aggregator” in Subdiv. (31) to include regional water authorities, and by adding a new Subdiv., designated as (39), defining “gas registrant”; P.A. 01-49 amended Subsec. (a) by making technical changes in Subdivs. (15) and (16); P.A. 01-204 amended Subsec. (a) by redefining “Class I renewable energy source” in Subdiv. (26) to include biomass gasification plants, effective July 11, 2001; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 revised effective date of P.A. 01-204 but without affecting this section; P.A. 03-135 redefined “Class I renewable energy source” in Subdiv. (26) to include “ocean thermal power, wave or tidal power, low emission advanced renewable energy conversion technologies” and certain run-of-the-river hydropower facilities, to revise the type of biomass that falls under the definition and include, as an exception, “energy derived from a biomass facility that began operation before July 1, 1998” provided “the average emission rate for such facility is equal to or less than .075 pounds of nitrogen oxides per million BTU of heat input for the previous calendar quarter”, and to include “any electrical generation, including distributed generation, generated from a Class I renewable energy source”, redefined “Class II renewable energy source” in Subdiv. (27) to limit the type of biomass facility included in the definition to a facility “that began operation before July 1, 1998, provided the average emission rate for such facility is equal to or less than .2 pounds of nitrogen oxides per million BTU of heat input for the previous calendar quarter” and to change the type of hydropower facility included in the definition to certain run-of-the-river hydropower facilities, and added new Subdivs. (40) and (41), defining “distributed generation” and “federally mandated congestion costs”, effective July 1, 2003; P.A. 03-163 redefined “gas company” in Subdiv. (9) to exclude a person manufacturing gas through the use of a biomass gasification plant, effective June 26, 2003; P.A. 03-221 redefined “Class I renewable energy source” in Subdiv. (26) to delete provisions re the date that a biomass facility began operation, to make the emission rate applicable to all biomass facilities, and to add an exception for biomass facilities with a capacity of less than five hundred kilowatts, and redefined “federally mandated congestion costs” in Subdiv. (41) by replacing “imposed” with “approved” and adding “including, but not limited to, locational marginal pricing and reliability must run contracts”, effective July 1, 2003; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-1 amended Subsec. (a) by amending Subdiv. (40) to change the definition of “distributed generation” to “customer-side distributed resources”, to designate existing language as Subpara. (A), to add a unit rating limit in Subpara. (A), and to add Subpara. (B) re reduction in demand, by amending Subdiv. (41) to change the definition of “federally mandated congestion costs” to “federally mandated congestion charges” and to add additional qualifying payments and costs, and by adding Subdivs. (42) to (44), inclusive, defining “combined heat and power system”, “grid-side distributed resources” and “Class III renewable energy source”, effective July 21, 2005; P.A. 06-74 amended Subsec. (a)(26) to insert “sustainable” prior to each occurrence of “biomass facility”, to delete language re biomass gasification plants, to make conforming changes, and to delete language within exception for biomass facilities re biomass cultivated and harvested in a sustainable manner, and added new Subdiv. (45) in Subsec. (a) defining “sustainable biomass”; P.A. 07-242 amended Subsec. (a)(44) to change term from “Class III renewable energy source” to “Class III source” and redefine the term, effective June 4, 2007; P.A. 07-253 redefined “public service company”, “community antenna television company”, “community antenna television service” and “community antenna television system”, defined “video service”, “certified competitive video service provider”, “certificate of video franchise authority” and “certificate of cable franchise authority” and made technical changes in Subsec. (a), and added holder of a certificate of cable franchise authority and made technical changes in Subsec. (b); June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5 amended Subsec. (a)(45)(C) to change exception from biomass used in a facility approved before October 1, 2005, to biomass used in a facility certified as a Class I renewable energy source until department certifies that a biomass gasification plant is operational, effective October 6, 2007; P.A. 08-77 added Subsec. (a)(50) defining “thermal energy transportation company”, effective April 30, 2008; P.A. 08-185 redefined “sustainable biomass” in Subsec. (a)(45) by adding as exception renewable energy facilities certified prior to December 31, 2007, and volume-reduction facilities in Subpara. (C), adding Subpara. (D) re certain other renewable energy facilities, and adding provision re amount of biomass shall not apply to a biomass gasification plant, effective June 12, 2008; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7 added Subsec. (a)(51) defining “the Connecticut Television Network”, effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 11-80 amended Subsec. (a)(1) to redefine “authority” as Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and “department” as Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, rather than Public Utilities Control Authority and Department of Public Utility Control, amended Subsec. (a)(2) to replace “commissioner” with “director” as the defined term, amended Subsec. (a)(30), (41), (48) and (49) to replace “Department of Public Utility Control” with “Public Utilities Regulatory Authority”, amended Subsec. (a)(35), (38), (45) and (47) to replace “department” with “authority”, amended Subsec. (a)(45)(A) to replace “Renewable Energy Investment Fund” with “Clean Energy Fund”, and added Subsec. (a)(52) defining “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection”, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-5 amended Subsec. (a)(25) to redefine “telecommunications company” by replacing “department” with “authority”, amended Subsec. (a)(30) to redefine “electric supplier” by deleting former Subpara. (E) re electric distribution company in its provision of electric generation services and amended Subsec. (a)(41) to make a technical change in definition of “federally mandated congestion charges”, effective May 8, 2013; P.A. 13-298 amended Subsec. (a)(8) to redefine “electric company” by adding Subparas. (G) and (H) re entity approved to submeter and municipality, state or federal governmental entity authorized to distribute electricity across a public highway or street and amended Subsec. (a)(9) to redefine “gas company” by adding Subpara. (A) and (B) designators in existing provisions re person manufacturing gas through use of a biomass gasification plant and re municipal gas utility and adding Subpara. (C) re entity approved to submeter, effective July 1, 2013, and amended Subsec. (a)(2) to replace “director” with “utility commissioner” and make a technical change and amended Subsec. (a)(52) to add “or the commissioner's designee” in definition of “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection”, effective July 8, 2013; P.A. 13-303 amended Subsec. (a)(26) to redefine “Class I renewable energy source” by replacing “energy derived from” with “electricity derived from”, inserting clause designators, including geothermal, anaerobic digestion or other biogas derived from biological sources and thermal electric direct energy conversion from a certified Class I renewable energy source, revising the type of run-of-the-river hydropower facility and biomass facility that fall under the definition and adding provision re eligibility of any megawatt hours of electricity claimed or counted by a load-serving entity, province or state towards compliance with renewable portfolio standards or renewable energy policy goals in another province or state other than Connecticut, amended Subsec. (a)(44) to redefine “Class III source” by adding provision re eligibility of programs supported by ratepayers, amended Subsec. (a)(45) to replace “sustainable biomass” with “sustainable biomass fuel” and to delete former Subparas. (C) and (D) re eligibility as sustainable biomass and added Subsec. (a)(53) defining “large-scale hydropower”, effective June 5, 2013; pursuant to P.A. 14-94, “Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority” in Subsec. (a)(31), effective June 6, 2014; P.A. 14-134 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting former Subdivs. (3), (6) to (8), (19) and (20) re definitions of “Commissioner of Transportation”, “railroad company”, “street railway company”, “electric company”, “public service motor vehicle” and “motor bus”, redesignating existing Subdivs. (4), (5), (9) to (18) and (21) to (53) as Subdivs. (3) to (47), redefining “public service company” in redesignated Subdiv. (3), replacing “electric company” with “electric distribution company” in redesignated Subdiv. (12)(D), redefining “electric distribution company” or “distribution company” in redesignated Subdiv. (23), redefining “generation entity or affiliate” in redesignated Subdiv. (28), and making conforming changes, effective June 6, 2014; P.A. 15-107 amended Subsec. (a)(35) by adding “subsection (f) of section 16a-3j and” and added Subsec. (a)(48) to define “energy storage system”, effective June 19, 2015; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (49) defining “distributed energy resource” and Subdiv. (50) defining “grid-side system enhancement”, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 16-135 added Subsec. (c) re owner of electric vehicle charging station, effective July 1, 2016; P.A. 17-144 amended Subsec. (a)(21) to redefine “Class II renewable energy source,” effective June 27, 2017; P.A. 18-50 amended Subsec. (a)(20) by redefining “Class I renewable energy source”.
See Sec. 25-32n re exclusion of municipality with well water service to a school administration building from consideration as a water company.
Cited. 147 C. 229; 152 C. 563; 159 C. 327; 162 C. 51; 166 C. 232; 169 C. 344; 174 C. 556; 183 C. 128; 214 C. 609; 216 C. 627.
Cited. 12 CA 499; 20 CA 474; 43 CA 196.

Structure Connecticut General Statutes

Connecticut General Statutes

Title 16 - Public Service Companies

Chapter 277 - Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. Office of Consumer Counsel. Miscellaneous Provisions

Section 16-1. - Definitions.

Section 16-1a. - Reference to Public Utilities Commission deemed to mean Public Utilities Control Authority.

Section 16-1b. - Department of Public Utility Control. Department head.

Section 16-2. - Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. Utility commissioners. Staff.

Section 16-2a. - Office of Consumer Counsel. Office of State Broadband. Consumer Counsel. Staff.

Section 16-2b. - Term “Office of Consumer Counsel” deemed to mean Division of Consumer Counsel within the Department of Business Regulation.

Section 16-2c. - Division of Adjudication.

Section 16-2d. - Office of energy efficient businesses.

Section 16-3. - Vacancy.

Section 16-3a. - Appointment of initial members. Transfer of business between commission and authority.

Section 16-4. - Employees of public service companies, certified telecommunications providers and electric suppliers ineligible to serve on authority or in department.

Section 16-5. - Removal.

Section 16-6. - Office and records.

Section 16-6a. - Participation in proceedings before federal agencies and federal courts. Expenses.

Section 16-6b. - Regulations.

Section 16-6c. - Power to delay implementation of electric suppliers' generation portfolio standards.

Section 16-7. - Right of entry. Penalty.

Section 16-7a. - Power to stop work.

Section 16-8. - Examination of witnesses and documents. Hearing officers. Management audits.

Section 16-8a. - Protection of employee of public service company, person involved in the transportation of gas, contractor or Nuclear Regulatory Commission from retaliation. Procedures. Regulations.

Section 16-8b. - Labor disputes at public service companies. Determination of unreasonable profits during dispute. Refunds.

Section 16-8c. - Examination of witnesses and documents. Audits. Relationship between public service companies and subsidiaries.

Section 16-8d. - Recovery of costs, expenses, judgments or attorney's fees for an action brought under section 16-8a.

Section 16-9. - Orders.

Section 16-9a. - Party status in proceedings before authority.

Section 16-9b. - Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to be party to proceedings before authority.

Section 16-10. - Enforcement of statutes and orders.

Section 16-10a. - Revocation of franchises. Procedure. Reassignment.

Section 16-11. - Safety of public and employees. Powers.

Section 16-11a. - Nuclear Energy Advisory Council; composition; duties.

Section 16-12. - Complaints as to dangerous conditions.

Section 16-13. - Procedure upon complaint.

Section 16-14. - Powers concerning electrolysis or escape of electricity.

Section 16-15. - Compliance with orders. Penalty.

Section 16-16. - Report of accidents.

Section 16-17. - Duties as to accidents.

Section 16-18. - Powers concerning poles and wires.

Section 16-18a. - Consultants: Retention, expenses, findings and recommendations.

Section 16-19. - Amendment of rate schedule; investigations and findings by authority; hearings; deferral of municipal rate increases; refunds; notice of application for rate amendment, interim rate amendment and reopening of rate proceeding.

Section 16-19a. - Periodic review re gas and electric distribution companies' rates, services and performance. Approval of performance-based incentives and penalties.

Section 16-19aa. - Excess generating capacity. Exclusion of costs associated with. Return on and depreciation of unrecovered investment in generating facilities.

Section 16-19b. - Purchased gas adjustment clauses, energy adjustment clauses and transmission rate adjustment clauses.

Section 16-19bb. - Application or refund of electric distribution company rate moderation funds.

Section 16-19c. - Investigation of fuel cost adjustment and purchased gas adjustment charges.

Section 16-19cc. - Semiannual reports from nuclear generating facility licensees re maintenance, refueling and shutdown schedules. Penalty for shutdown for a significant period of time.

Section 16-19d. - Advertising not to be deemed an operating expense for purposes of rate-making. Disclosure of source of payment for advertising.

Section 16-19dd. - Conservation and load management programs for agricultural customers.

Section 16-19e. - Guidelines for transfer of assets and franchises, plant expansion, internal utility management and rate structures. Public hearing. Policy coordination among state agencies. Parties to rate proceeding.

Section 16-19ee. - Reports from electric distribution companies concerning electrical outages from power surges.

Section 16-19eee. - Definitions.

Section 16-19f. - Rate design standards for electric public service companies and municipal electric companies. Determination of appropriateness. Implementation. Electric vehicle charging stations.

Section 16-19ff. - Submetering. Regulations. Application process.

Section 16-19fff. - Electric vehicle charging load projections.

Section 16-19g. - Penalty for failure to report nuclear incident not an operating expense.

Section 16-19gg. - Factors to be considered during a rate proceeding.

Section 16-19ggg. - Public electric vehicle charging stations. Parking restrictions.

Section 16-19h. - Reopening of water company rate proceedings.

Section 16-19hh. - Implementation of flexible pricing and rates. Special contracts for electric service. Exemption from competitive transition assessment. Regulations. Gas rates for certain manufacturers.

Section 16-19i. - Electric company residential customer service charge indicated on bill.

Section 16-19ii. - Use of electric resistance space heating. Differential rates.

Section 16-19j. - Portion of authority staff to be made party to certain rate proceedings.

Section 16-19jj. - Alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

Section 16-19k. - Costs of educational materials or information on water conservation included as operating costs.

Section 16-19kk. - Finding re conservation and load management programs. Rates of return for conservation and load management programs and programs promoting the state's economic development. Considerations in establishing company's authorized return...

Section 16-19l. - Authorization of rates that promote water conservation.

Section 16-19ll. - Submittal of legislation re encouraging conservation and load management programs, etc.

Section 16-19mm. - Consideration of external costs and benefits.

Section 16-19m to 16-19q. - Decommissioning of nuclear power generating facilities; definitions. Decommissioning financing plan; contents. Decommissioning finance plans; updates; hearing approval. Review of plan; changes. Decommissioning costs; liabi...

Section 16-19nn. - Encouragement of specific end uses of electricity and gas.

Section 16-19oo. - Approval of rate amendments for conservation and load management programs or programs promoting the state's economic development in proceedings other than rate proceedings. Approval of rate mechanisms to recover costs of natural ga...

Section 16-19pp. - Uncontested proceedings before the authority. Participating parties.

Section 16-19qq. - Outages of nuclear power generating facilities; rate proceedings; rebuttable presumption of imprudent management.

Section 16-19rr. - Rates charged by electric distribution companies and electric utilities to veterans' organizations.

Section 16-19r to 16-19t. - Three Mile Island nuclear power generating facility damage costs prohibited from being placed in rate base or included as operating expenses. Revenues associated with construction of electric company facilities and Millsto...

Section 16-19ss. - Solicitations for the provision of temporary electric generation facilities.

Section 16-19tt. - Gas and electric distribution companies' distribution revenue decoupling.

Section 16-19u to 16-19w. - Monthly reports from nuclear power generating facility licensees re construction costs and progress. Excess construction costs of Seabrook 1 nuclear power generating facility not included in rates. Prohibition on inclusion...

Section 16-19uu. - Adjustments to competitive transition assessment with respect to economic recovery revenue bonds.

Section 16-19vv. - Public service companies' customer deposits.

Section 16-19ww. - Natural gas infrastructure expansion plan. Hurdle rate; rate for new customers added pursuant to the plan; rate mechanism for gas companies to recover prudent investments made pursuant to the plan outside a rate proceeding; assignm...

Section 16-19x. - Phase-in of costs of certain large electric generating facilities.

Section 16-19xx. - Deferral of public service company tax expense increase.

Section 16-19y. - Rate treatment of enhanced 9-1-1 service costs.

Section 16-19yy. - Compensation rate recovery for electric distribution companies, gas companies or water companies.

Section 16-19z. - Rate treatment of land purchased, owned or retained by water companies for water supply protection or future water supply use.

Section 16-19zz. - Interim rate decreases, low-income rates and economic development rates for customers of electric distribution companies.

Section 16-20. - Inadequate service or unreasonable rates; petition to authority. Small community water system rates and service.

Section 16-21. - Change of rates fixed pursuant to charter or contract.

Section 16-22. - Rates; transfer of assets or franchise; burden of proof.

Section 16-23. - Regulations and service prescribed by authority deemed reasonable.

Section 16-24. - Classification of service.

Section 16-24a. - Low-income discounted rates for electric and gas service.

Section 16-25. - Time and place of hearings. Notice.

Section 16-25a. - Hearings on Office of Consumer Counsel petitions.

Section 16-26. - Public hearing to be held in locality affected.

Section 16-27. - Returns from public service companies. Reports from community antenna television companies. Penalty. Form 8-K reports.

Section 16-28. - Correction of returns and reports.

Section 16-29. - Reports from municipalities.

Section 16-30. - Returns from motor bus companies. Penalty.

Section 16-31. - Remission of forfeitures by the Attorney General.

Section 16-32. - Annual audit report.

Section 16-32a. - Filing re procurement practices. Public hearing. Regulations re competitive bidding.

Section 16-32b. - Regional water authority or water district to submit annual report.

Section 16-32c. - Water company rate adjustments. Application. Notice to customers.

Section 16-32e. - Emergency plans to be filed by public service companies, telecommunications companies, voice over Internet protocol service providers and municipal utilities. Hearings. Revisions. Staffing of electric distribution companies' emergen...

Section 16-32f. - Gas company supply and demand forecast reports.

Section 16-32g. - Electric wire maintenance plans. Regulations.

Section 16-32h. - Performance standards for electric distribution companies and gas companies in emergencies. Emergency response report.

Section 16-32i. - Performance review of electric distribution companies and gas companies after emergencies. Hearing. Penalty.

Section 16-32j. - Procedures for expedited road clearing after emergencies.

Section 16-32k. - Vegetation management practices review. Report.

Section 16-32l. - Residential customer credits for distribution-system service outage. Recovery of costs. Waiver of requirements.

Section 16-32m. - Residential customer compensation for expiration of medicine and food due to distribution-system service outage. Recovery of costs. Waiver of requirements.

Section 16-32n. - Cost-benefit analysis concerning resources expended and existing staffing levels during storm events. Minimum staffing levels and acceptable performance standards for electric distribution companies. Penalties.

Section 16-33. - Obstructing authority; false entries and returns to; penalty.

Section 16-34. - Annual reports to Governor.

Section 16-34a. - Annual report re lost and unaccounted for gas. Docket to investigate.

Section 16-35. - Appeals to Superior Court. Uncontested proceedings re acquiring electricity products or services.

Section 16-36 to 16-39. - Venue. Procedure on appeal. Notice when parties are numerous. Supersedeas.

Section 16-40. - Rights and duties of trustees and receivers.

Section 16-41. - Imposition of civil penalties by authority.

Section 16-42. - Not to affect labor contracts.

Section 16-43. - Merger or sale of public service companies. Issuance and approval of securities. Net proceeds from sale of water company land. Allocation of economic benefits of sale of water company land.

Section 16-43a. - Validity of securities issued pursuant to order of authority.

Section 16-43b. - Definitions applicable to apportionment of land sales benefits.

Section 16-43c. - Sale of water company land to certain municipal corporations for construction of a school.

Section 16-43d. - Sale of existing electric generation plants.

Section 16-44. - Notice of formation, consolidation or discontinuance of public service companies; change of name. Penalty.

Section 16-44a. - Disclosure of salaries of directors and officers of public service companies.

Section 16-45. - Increase or reduction of capital stock by public service companies.

Section 16-46. - Dissolution or termination of public service company. Cessation of public service operations.

Section 16-47. - Holding companies. Approval of authority re exercise of control. Investigation and hearing. Annual reports. Injunctive relief.

Section 16-47a. - Code of conduct for gas company transactions with affiliates.

Section 16-48. - Electricity and gas; transmission between this state and other states.

Section 16-48a. - Consumer Counsel and Public Utility Control Fund established.

Section 16-49. - Expenses of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's Bureau of Energy and Technology, the Office of Consumer Counsel, the Office of Policy and Management and the operations of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority....

Section 16-49a to 16-49c. - Appropriation. Council on water company lands established. Moratorium on sale of water company lands; duties of council.

Section 16-49d. - Applications for sales of water company lands submitted prior to June 25, 1975.

Section 16-49e. - Public service company may request identification from person opening an account. Telecommunications company may request identification prior to providing service.

Section 16-49f. - Verification of Social Security number prior to opening new account. Minor not liable for services fraudulently obtained using minor's Social Security number.

Section 16-50. - Employees. Consultants.

Section 16-50a. - Local filing of maps on acquisition of property.

Section 16-50b. - Declaration of policy.

Section 16-50c. - Notification of intent to dispose of unimproved real property. Approval or disapproval by authority. Hearing.

Section 16-50d. - Action to acquire property.

Section 16-50e. - Notices to town clerk.

Section 16-50f. - Solicitation of insurance applications from employees of public service companies. Payroll deductions.