Bill > A08611

This bill amends the Public Service Law to establish a utility intervenor reimbursement program. The key provisions are: 1. It defines important terms, such as "compensation," "participant," "proceeding," and "substantial contribution," which are used to determine eligibility and the amount of reimbursement. 2. It allows participants, such as groups representing residential or small business customers, to apply for reimbursement of their reasonable costs (e.g., advocate's fees, expert witness fees) for participating in certain proceedings before the Public Service Commission (PSC). 3. The PSC will determine if the participant can make a "substantial contribution" to the proceeding and, if so, will award compensation to the participant, taking into account the participant's financial hardship. 4. The bill also establishes a "Utility Intervenor Account" in the state finance law to hold the reimbursement funds collected from utilities subject to the proceedings. This bill aims to provide financial support for consumer groups and other participants to effectively engage in PSC proceedings, which may lead to decisions more favorable to residential and small business utility customers.