Bill > S1768

This bill aims to protect consumers of gas and electricity by preventing them from paying for leaked and unaccounted-for gas, which is defined as the difference between the total gas a system receives and the total gas accounted for as sales, net interchange, and company use, including losses from leakage, measurement inaccuracies, and other variations. The legislation establishes a framework for measuring, computing, and reporting this "unaccounted-for gas" (UFG) by different types of gas systems, such as distribution, transmission, and storage, and sets maximum allowable percentages for UFG over a six-year period, with these percentages decreasing over time. Costs associated with UFG exceeding these limits, as well as expenses incurred to reduce UFG down to the maximum allowable level, will be disallowed for ratemaking purposes, meaning utility companies cannot pass these costs onto consumers. Local retail outlets are also required to use the best available technology and practices to prevent leakage. The bill also clarifies definitions for terms like "gas," "hydraulic fracturing," "liquefied natural gas," "Local Distribution Company" (LDC), and "Public Utility."