Source: https://www.oregonlaws.org/ors/756.040
Timestamp: 2019-06-16 17:04:35
Document Index: 425315098

Matched Legal Cases: ['§1', '§9', '§15', '§76', '§53', '§1', '§1', '§2']

ORS 756.040 - General powers - 2017 Oregon Revised Statutes
2017 ORS Vol. 17 Chapter 756 Section 756.040
756.014
756.016
756.022
756.026
Prohibited interests of com­mis­sioner and family
756.028
Employee state­ments re­gard­ing prohibited interests
756.032
Employee dismissal for reten­tion of prohibited interests or failure to file state­ments
756.034
Intent of prohibited interest pro­vi­sions
756.036
Duties and func­tions
756.037
Commission authority to provide assistance, in­for­ma­­tion, resources and advice to Legislative Assembly
756.040
756.045
Employing legal counsel
756.047
Authority of com­mis­sion to require fingerprints
756.050
Office, office supplies and sessions of com­mis­sion
756.055
Delega­tion of authority
756.060
Authority to adopt rules and regula­tions
756.062
Substantial compliance with laws adequate for com­mis­sion activities
756.068
Service of notice or other legal process
756.070
Investigating manage­ment of utilities
756.075
Right of entry for examina­tion of equip­ment, records or employees
756.090
Maintaining and producing records
756.105
Duty to furnish in­for­ma­­tion to com­mis­sion
756.115
Failure to furnish requested in­for­ma­­tion
756.125
Interference with com­mis­sion equip­ment
2017 ORS 756.040¹
(1) In addition to the powers and duties now or hereafter transferred to or vested in the Public Utility Commission, the commission shall represent the customers of any public utility or telecommunications utility and the public generally in all controversies respecting rates, valuations, service and all matters of which the commission has jurisdiction. In respect thereof the commission shall make use of the jurisdiction and powers of the office to protect such customers, and the public generally, from unjust and unreasonable exactions and practices and to obtain for them adequate service at fair and reasonable rates. The commission shall balance the interests of the utility investor and the consumer in establishing fair and reasonable rates. Rates are fair and reasonable for the purposes of this subsection if the rates provide adequate revenue both for operating expenses of the public utility or telecommunications utility and for capital costs of the utility, with a return to the equity holder that is:
(a) Commensurate with the return on investments in other enterprises having corresponding risks; and
(b) Sufficient to ensure confidence in the financial integrity of the utility, allowing the utility to maintain its credit and attract capital.
(2) The commission is vested with power and jurisdiction to supervise and regulate every public utility and telecommunications utility in this state, and to do all things necessary and convenient in the exercise of such power and jurisdiction.
(3) The commission may participate in any proceeding before any public officer, commission or body of the United States or any state for the purpose of representing the public generally and the customers of the services of any public utility or telecommunications utility operating or providing service to or within this state.
(4) The commission may make joint investigations, hold joint hearings within or without this state and issue concurrent orders in conjunction or concurrence with any official, board, commission or agency of any state or of the United States. [Amended by 1961 c.467 §1; 1971 c.655 §9; 1973 c.776 §15; 1987 c.447 §76; 1995 c.733 §53; 2001 c.569 §1]
Note: Sections 1 and 2, chapter 741, Oregon Laws 2017, provide:
Sec. 1. (1) The Public Utility Commission shall establish a public process for the purpose of investigating how developing industry trends, technologies and policy drivers in the electricity sector might impact the existing regulatory system and incentives currently employed by the commission. If warranted, the commission may consider changes to the existing regulatory system and incentives.
(2) As part of the public process established under subsection (1) of this section, the commission shall investigate the following:
(a) The obligations of and benefits to electric companies under the existing regulatory system;
(b) The obligations of and benefits to customers of electric companies under the existing regulatory system, including customers that participate in direct access;
(c) The current use of regulatory incentives, including but limited to:
(A) Incentives for electric companies to place capital investment in rate base, paying particular attention to the perception of bias in resource selection;
(B) Incentives for electric companies to plan for serving all existing and all new electricity loads in electric companies’ service territories; and
(C) Incentives for electric companies and for customers of electric companies to develop renewable energy resources and purchase renewable energy; and
(d) The primary public policy objectives that are promoted by the commission’s current statutory authority and by the existing regulatory system and incentives.
(3) As part of the public process established under subsection (1) of this section, the commission shall identify industry trends, technologies and policy drivers currently developing in the electricity industry, including but not limited to:
(a) Greater penetration by variable energy resources of electric utilities’ electrical systems;
(b) Increasing presence and cost-effectiveness of distributed energy resources in electric utilities’ electrical systems;
(c) Greater customer support sophistication and desire for energy service options and energy management tools;
(d) Increasing customer desire for energy service needs to be met by a specific generating resource through either nonutility owned resources and delivery options or utility owned resources and delivery options;
(e) Greater recognition of the carbon output of electricity generation;
(f) The electrification of the transportation sector;
(g) The potential for regional transmission markets;
(h) Advances in distribution system communication and control technologies;
(i) The need to replace aging distribution system equipment for grid modernization;
(j) Use of performance-based incentives used by other states in addressing the industry trends, technologies and policy drivers described in this subsection; and
(k) Changes in public policy objectives that are developing in relation to the electricity sector or that have directly or indirectly been identified by the Legislative Assembly.
(4) The commission shall explore changes to the existing regulatory system and incentives that could accommodate developing industry trends and support new policy objectives without compromising affordable rates, safety and reliable service. If the commission determines that changes to the existing regulatory system and incentives would be in the interest of customers of electric companies and the public generally, the commission shall develop plans to administratively implement changes to the regulatory system and incentives or shall make recommendations to the Legislative Assembly for the purpose of legislatively implementing changes to the regulatory system and incentives.
(5) As part of the public process established under subsection (1) of this section, the commission shall provide the public with an opportunity to comment.
(6) The commission shall submit a report on the findings of the public process established under subsection (1) of this section and the progress of investigations conducted under subsection (2) of this section in the manner provided by ORS 192.245 (Form of report to legislature) to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to energy and business no later than September 15, 2018. The commission may include, as part of the commission’s report, recommendations for legislation. [2017 c.741 §1]
Sec. 2. Section 1 of this 2017 Act is repealed on January 2, 2019. [2017 c.741 §2]
Where (1) a utility has purchased the bulk of its necessary equip­ment and supplies from an “affiliated” manufacturer and (2) due to the affiliated rela­tionship the manufacturer has unique market power rendering a comparison of its prices and profits with those of “peripheral” manufacturers inadequate as a measure of “reasonableness” of the utility’s pay­ments to it, the utility’s failure to provide addi­tional evidence of reasonableness may justify disallowing from the utility’s rate base and operating expenses the por­tion of the utility’s pay­ments that represent a return to the manufacturer greater than that allowed the utility itself. Pac. NW Bell Tel. Co. v. Sabin, 21 Or App 200, 534 P2d 984 (1975), Sup Ct review denied
Public Utility Commissioner has power under this sec­tion to determine unwarranted rate discrimina­tion. American Can Co. v. Davis, 28 Or App 207, 559 P2d 898 (1977), Sup Ct review denied
The Public Utility Commissioner has authority to impose rate design different from that proposed by utility. Cascade Natural Gas Corp. v. Davis, 28 Or App 621, 560 P2d 301 (1977), Sup Ct review denied
Commissioner has been granted broad legislative authority; consequently com­mis­sioner is not obligated to employ any single formula or combina­tion of formulas to determine what are in each case “just and reasonable” rates. Cascade Natural Gas Corp. v. Davis, 28 Or App 621, 560 P2d 301 (1977), Sup Ct review denied
Where disallowances neither violated specific statutory limits upon com­mis­sioner’s otherwise plenary ratemaking power nor resulted in imposi­tion of rates that produce taking of private prop­erty without just compensa­tion, they were reasonable and lawful. Cascade Natural Gas Corp. v. Davis, 28 Or App 621, 560 P2d 301 (1977), Sup Ct review denied
Approval of contract between utility and “affiliated” manufacturer or of utility’s annual budgets that included pay­ments thereunder did not “estop” com­mis­sioner from disallowing por­tion of pay­ments in determining “just and reasonable” rates. Cascade Natural Gas Corp. v. Davis, 28 Or App 621, 560 P2d 301 (1977), Sup Ct review denied
Public Utility Commissioner’s rule, which passed on utility expenses for pay­ment of county’s net business income tax to county ratepayers only, rather than to all utility ratepayers, was valid because Commissioner is granted both broad regulatory authority over rates by this sec­tion and broad rulemaking authority by ORS 756.060 (Authority to adopt rules and regulations). Multnomah County v. Davis, 35 Or App 521, 581 P2d 968 (1978), Sup Ct review denied
This sec­tion does not constitute clearly defined statutory grant of authority to Public Utility Commissioner for enact­ment of “tag­line” rule which requires public utilities to tag their advertise­ments with state­ment that advertise­ment is paid for by either customers or stockholders. Pacific Northwest Bell v. Davis, 43 Or App 999, 608 P2d 547 (1979), Sup Ct review denied
Where tel­e­com­mu­ni­ca­­tions utility retained excess revenue collected under interim rate schedule that was not in compliance with authorized revenue level, PUC did not err in ordering refund. Pacific Northwest Bell Telephone Co. v. Katz, 116 Or App 302, 841 P2d 652 (1992), Sup Ct review denied
479.570
Energizing of electrical installa­tions
756.534
Place of hear­ing
757.385
Allowance of fair and reasonable rates
757.536
Public Utility Commission review of plans and rates to ensure compliance with greenhouse gas emissions standard
1 Legislative Counsel Committee, CHAPTER 756—Public Utility Commission, https://­www.­oregonlegislature.­gov/­bills_laws/­ors/­ors756.­html (2017) (last ac­cessed Mar. 30, 2018).
2 Legislative Counsel Committee, Annotations to the Oregon Revised Stat­utes, Cumulative Supplement - 2017, Chapter 756, https://­www.­oregonlegislature.­gov/­bills_laws/­ors/­ano756.­html (2017) (last ac­cessed Mar. 30, 2018).