Requires electric public utilities to develop and apply special rules for large load customers to protect non-large load customers from increased costs.*
What changed between versions
The bill's target was expanded from 'large load data centers' (facilities whose primary services are storage, management, and processing of digital data) to 'large load customers,' defined as any commercial customer for retail electric service that is a centralized facility or facilities with a monthly demand of more than 100 megawatts. This means the rules now apply to any large industrial or commercial consumer above the threshold, not just data centers.
The cost-protection requirement was strengthened. The old language required that non-data-center ratepayers be 'protected from any increased costs.' The new language requires that 'all costs attributable to the electric public utility's large load customers are assigned to the large load customers as determined by the board,' which is a more explicit and comprehensive cost-shifting mandate.
A new tariff design requirement was added: the tariff must 'contain protections necessary to ensure that other electric public utility customers are not placed at risk for paying stranded costs associated with the electric public utility serving the large load customer.' This addresses the risk that infrastructure built to serve a large load could become uneconomic if that customer leaves.
In the rate-protection provision (section e), the scope of protected costs was narrowed from 'new transmission, distribution, capacity, or energy rates' to just 'transmission and distribution costs.' This removes explicit reference to capacity and energy rate protections in that specific subsection.
The financial guarantee requirement was changed from ensuring customers will 'take at least 85 percent of service they request' to ensuring they will 'pay for at least 85 percent of service they request.' This shifts the obligation from a consumption-based standard to a payment-based standard.
The tariff application provision now explicitly requires that the tariff be applied 'as approved by the board,' adding a clearer approval step before utilities can implement the rates.
