(a) The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority shall continue to regulate electric distribution companies, as defined in section 16-1, in accordance with the provisions of section 16-19 and subsection (a) of section 16-19e and in accordance with existing rate orders except for assets for which funds have been received by the company pursuant to sections 16-245g to 16-245k, inclusive. Each electric distribution company shall maintain the integrity of the distribution system in conformity with the National Electric Safety Code and such other standards found applicable by the authority that are practiced by the electric distribution industry, in a manner sufficient to provide safe and reliable service, regardless of whether or not its generation entity or affiliate is the electric supplier, to all customers connected to the system consistent with this title and regulations adopted thereunder. Each electric distribution company shall provide nondiscriminatory access of its distribution facilities to every electric supplier, as defined in said section 16-1, provided no electric distribution company shall provide access of its distribution facilities to an entity that is not licensed as an electric supplier pursuant to section 16-245 except as provided under federal law.

(b) Each electric distribution company shall have the obligation to connect all customers to the company's distribution system, subject to rates, terms and conditions as may be approved by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority in accordance with section 16-19 and the principles in subsection (a) of section 16-19e.

(c) Each electric distribution company shall continue to provide metering, billing and collection services, except that, on and after the effective date of the regulations adopted pursuant to section 16-245d, which allow an electric supplier to provide direct billing and collection services for electric generation services and related federally mandated congestion costs that such supplier provides to its customers that use a demand meter or have a maximum demand of not less than five hundred kilowatts and that choose to receive a bill directly from their electric supplier, an electric distribution company shall not provide such billing and collection services for such customers. The authority shall determine billing and metering protocols and any appropriate cost-sharing allocations among electric distribution companies and electric suppliers. Notwithstanding an electric supplier's right, in accordance with the general statutes, to terminate its contract with a customer for the provision of generation service by reason of the customer's nonpayment of the charges directly billed by the supplier to the customer, an electric supplier shall not disconnect electric service to the customer or otherwise terminate the physical delivery of electricity to customers directly billed by the electric supplier.

(d) The authority shall oversee quality and reliability of service for each electric distribution company and ensure that quality and reliability are the same as or better than levels that existed on July 1, 1998.

(P.A. 98-28, S. 16, 117; P.A. 04-86, S. 1; P.A. 11-80, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 98-28 effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 04-86 amended Subsec. (c) to add provisions re direct billing and metering by an electric supplier and prohibition against the disconnection of electric service by an electric supplier; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Department of Public Utility Control” and “department” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “Public Utilities Regulatory Authority” and “authority”, respectively, effective July 1, 2011.