An Act Regarding Gas Utilities under the Safety Jurisdiction of the Public Utilities Commission
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §4702, as repealed and replaced by PL 1999, c. 718, §15, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
§ 4702. Safety jurisdiction only over certain gas utilities
1. Jurisdiction. A gas utility owning, controlling, operating or managing a central tank system or a petroleum gas system is subject to the jurisdiction of the commission solely with respect to safety if that system serves:
A. Ten or more customers;
B. More than one customer and any portion of the central tank system or petroleum gas system is located in a public place; or
C. One customer and a portion of the central tank system or petroleum gas system is located off the customer's premises in a public place.
For the purposes of this subsection, "customer" means a residential, commercial or industrial consumer of gas that receives an invoice or bill from a gas utility.
2. Corrosion. In the regulation of safety under this section, the commission shall define "corrosion" as a condition exhibiting signs of deterioration including pitting or loss of metal. "Corrosion" may not be defined to include surface rust or loss of paint coating.
summary
This bill defines "customer" and clarifies what constitutes "corrosion" for purposes of Public Utility Commission safety jurisdiction over certain gas utilities.