Assembly energy panel votes to protect consumers

Friday, May 11, 2001 | 10:45 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- An Assembly committee on energy voted Thursday to give more protection to consumers in these days of rising electric and natural gas prices.

But the Select Committee on Energy didn't come up with a solution on whether to let the big mines and casinos leave the present system to seek lower rates, despite a Thursday deadline. Lobbyists said they were still working on a compromise.

Assembly Bill 616 would stop a rate increase from automatically going into effect if the state Public Utilities Commission did not act within 30 days, as it currently does. The bill would allow the commission six months to decide a case.

The committee also agreed to expand the three-member commission to five members, and it accepted the suggestion of Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, that one member represent the public.

The present law requires a commissioner to have experience in either accounting, business administration, finance, administrative law or professional engineering. Buckley suggested one of the proposed five have a background in consumer advocacy.

The subcommittee rejected a suggestion that the commission be elected, rather than appointed by the governor. Assemblywoman Kathy Von Tobel, R-Las Vegas, said those seeking elective office would probably get their campaign contributions from gaming, mining and the utilities. That would create a conflict when the commissioner was deciding cases.

"There are already enough people running for office who don't have the qualifications that are needed," Assembly woman Sandra Tiffany, R-Las Vegas, said. The PUC is a specialized area, she added, and the appointees need to be the "most qualified."

Assemblyman Doug Bache, D-Las Vegas, supported the expansion, noting a larger board would mean there "would be less influence of one commissioner." If two commissioners are disqualified on a particular case now, that leaves only one person to make a decision.

It also takes away a potential problem with the Open Meeting Law, Bache said. If one commissioner talks to another about a case now, they run afoul of the law, because the two represent a majority of the board. With five commissioners, one-on-one conversations could be held legally.

The committee also voted to direct the PUC to adopt regulations to stop the utilities from shutting off the power to low-income people who have not paid their bill during a "climatic extreme."

The measure would also protect residents of apartments or homeowners associations when landlords do not pay their utility bill. Buckley said she has encountered cases in which tenants paid landlords, who then failed to settle the bill with the utility.

Von Tobel suggested utilities have the right to place a lien the property of those who don't pay their bills. The committee said that could be covered in the regulations.

The committee will get an extension of the present deadline to continue its work next Tuesday.