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2007 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor
Subcommittee Utility Bills

Watkins (Chairman), Wagner, Colgan, Saslaw

Clerk: Jocelyn R. Lance
Staff: Frank Munyan
Date of Meeting: February 2, 2007
Time and Place: Friday, 8:00 AM, 3rd Fl. E Conf. Room, General Assembly Building

S.B. 1150 Electric utilities; collection of fines assessed by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Patron: Wagner

Electric utilities; collection of FERC fines.  Authorizes any electric utility that is assessed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission with fines, penalties, or similar charges as a result of brownouts or blackouts in its service territory that are attributable to the utility's failure to have adequate transmission infrastructure, to recover its payments of fines, penalties, or similar charges from those customers receiving service within the planning district or districts where construction of transmission facilities was delayed or thwarted as the result of opposition from the utility's customers.

S.B. 1245 Overhead electrical transmission lines; SCC to conduct public hearing for approval of construction.

Patron: Herring

State Corporation Commission; public hearings.  Requires the State Corporation Commission to conduct a public hearing in any case involving approval of the construction of an overhead electrical transmission line of 150 kV or more or an increase in toll rates under the Virginia Highway Corporation Act of 1988.  The measure also requires at least one Commissioner of the State Corporation Commission be physically present at any hearing in such cases at which public comment is allowed or required.

S.B. 1361 Electrical utility facility, new; suspends thereof in Loudoun, Fauquier, & Prince William Counties.

Patron: Colgan

Suspension of construction of new electrical utility facilities; pilot projects in Loudoun County, Fauquier, and Prince William Counties.  Suspends the approval of all applications for the construction of new electrical utility facilities pending before the State Corporation Commission and the commencement of all facility construction until July 1, 2008. The bill also establishes pilot projects in Loudoun County, Fauquier County, and Prince William County for the installation of underground transmission lines. This bill contains an emergency clause.

S.B. 1362 Electrical utility facilities; State Corporation Commission to review applications thereof.

Patron: Colgan

Construction of electrical utility facilities; review of applications by State Corporation Commission.  Requires the State Corporation Commission to consider certain external costs associated with the construction of electrical utility facilities, such as the monetary effect the facility will have on the value of land and structures along the proposed location or corridor. The Commission must also conduct an independent analysis of the facility applicant's assessment of need, load flow analysis, and method of installation. Finally, the bill will require a public utility to provide a GIS map of any proposed improvement or extension that the Commission shall make publicly available on its website. The utilities are currently required to provide a map, but the Code does not specify that it must be a GIS map. The bill also requires the Joint Commission on Technology and Science to convene a workgroup to develop recommendations as to the factors that should be considered by the State Corporation Commission in reviewing applications for the construction of electrical utility facilities.