An Act amending Title 66 (Public Utilities) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in rates and distribution systems, further providing for voluntary changes in rates; and, in accounting and budgetary matters, further providing for depreciation accounts and reports.

Pennsylvania House Bill 2739 amends state public utility laws to standardize how depreciation is calculated for rate-setting purposes. The bill requires all public utilities to use the Average Life Group depreciation procedure when filing for voluntary rate changes, prohibiting them from proposing alternative methods. It also restricts the Public Utility Commission's authority by preventing it from substituting different depreciation procedures or adjusting expenses in ways that effectively change the calculation method. Instead, the commission's review is limited to verifying that the required procedure was used and determining if the inputs and assumptions are reasonable.