An Act To Permit Rate-adjustment Mechanisms for Water Utilities
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §6102-A is enacted to read:
§ 6102-A. Rate-adjustment mechanism for water utilities
1. Rate-adjustment mechanism. Notwithstanding section 310, 6104, 6104-A or 6105, the commission upon application by a water utility to adjust its rates may authorize a reasonable rate-adjustment mechanism for that utility that reconciles actual revenues or costs with projected revenues or costs, either on a total or per customer basis. In determining the reasonableness of a rate-adjustment mechanism, the commission shall apply the standards of section 301.
2. Report. The commission, as part of its annual report pursuant to section 120, shall list rate adjustments that have been requested and those that have been granted.
summary
This bill provides the Public Utilities Commission with the authority to create a mechanism for a water utility to request an adjustment to rates charged to ratepayers to reconcile actual revenues or costs with projected revenues or costs, either on a total or per customer basis. This bill also requires the Public Utilities Commission, as part of its annual report, to list all rate adjustments requested and all those that have been granted.