(a) Monitoring competitive conditions.--The commission shall monitor the market for the supply and distribution of electricity to retail customers and take steps as set forth in this section to prevent anticompetitive or discriminatory conduct and the unlawful exercise of market power.

(b) Initiation of investigations.--Upon complaint or upon its own motion for good cause shown, the commission shall conduct an investigation of the impact on the proper functioning of a fully competitive retail electricity market, including the effect of mergers, consolidations, acquisition or disposition of assets or securities of electricity suppliers, transmission congestion and anticompetitive or discriminatory conduct affecting the retail distribution of electricity.

(c) Conduct of investigations.--

(1) The commission may require an electricity supplier to provide information, including documents and testimony, in accordance with the commission's regulations regarding the discovery of information from any electricity supplier.

(2) Confidential, proprietary or trade secret information provided under this subsection shall not be disclosed to any person not directly employed or retained by the commission to conduct the investigation without the consent of the party providing the information.

(3) Notwithstanding the prohibition on disclosure of information in paragraph (2), the commission shall disclose information obtained under this subsection to the Office of Consumer Advocate and the Office of Small Business Advocate under an appropriate confidentiality agreement. The commission may disclose the information to appropriate Federal or State law enforcement officials if it determines that the disclosure of the information is necessary to prevent or restrain a violation of Federal or State law and it provides the party that provided the information with reasonable notice and opportunity to prevent or limit disclosure.

(d) Referrals and intervention.--If, as a result of an investigation conducted under this section, the commission has reason to believe that anticompetitive or discriminatory conduct, including the unlawful exercise of market power, is preventing the retail electricity customers in this Commonwealth from obtaining the benefits of a properly functioning and workable competitive retail electricity market, the commission, pursuant to its regulations, shall:

(1) Refer its findings to the Attorney General, the United States Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

(2) Subject to subsection (c)(3), disclose any information it has obtained in the course of its investigation to the agency or agencies to which it has made a referral under paragraph (1).

(3) Intervene, as provided and permitted by law or regulation, in any proceedings initiated as a result of a referral made under paragraph (1).

(e) Approval of proposed mergers, consolidations, acquisitions or dispositions.--

(1) In the exercise of authority the commission otherwise may have to approve the mergers or consolidations by electric utilities or electricity suppliers, or the acquisition or disposition of assets or securities of other public utilities or electricity suppliers, the commission shall consider whether the proposed merger, consolidation, acquisition or disposition is likely to result in anticompetitive or discriminatory conduct, including the unlawful exercise of market power, which will prevent retail electricity customers in this Commonwealth from obtaining the benefits of a properly functioning and workable competitive retail electricity market.

(2) Upon request for approval, the commission shall provide notice and an opportunity for open, public evidentiary hearings. If the commission finds, after hearing, that a proposed merger, consolidation, acquisition or disposition is likely to result in anticompetitive or discriminatory conduct, including the unlawful exercise of market power, which will prevent retail electricity customers in this Commonwealth from obtaining the benefits of a properly functioning and workable competitive retail electricity market, the commission shall not approve such proposed merger, consolidation, acquisition or disposition, except upon such terms and conditions as it finds necessary to preserve the benefits of a properly functioning and workable competitive retail electricity market.

(e.1) Market misconduct.--

(1) If an electric distribution company or any of its affiliated companies or any company that an electric distribution company has purchased generation from is found guilty of market manipulation, exercising market power or collusion by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or any Federal or State court or, if an electric distribution company or any one of its affiliated companies or any company that an electric distribution company has purchased generation from settles a claim of market manipulation, exercising market power or collusion that is brought by a regional transmission operator's market monitoring unit, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or another entity, the commission:

(i) Shall direct the electric distribution company to take any and all reasonable action to quantify the effect of the market misconduct upon Pennsylvania ratepayers.

(ii) Following public hearing on the matter and a finding of public interest, may direct the electric distribution company to take any and all reasonable legal action, including the filing of a lawsuit as may be necessary, to recover the quantified damages which shall be used to recompense Pennsylvania ratepayers affected by the market misconduct.

(2) If the electric distribution company fails to pursue reasonable action to quantify or seek recovery of damages for Pennsylvania ratepayers affected by market manipulation, the exercise of market power or collusion, the commission is authorized, following notice and an opportunity of the electric distribution company to comply or contest, to assess a civil penalty, which shall not be recovered in rates, of not more than $10,000 per day for failure or neglect to obey an order of the commission, the continuance of the failure or neglect being a separate offense.

(3) Any monetary damages recovered by the electric distribution company shall be paid to affected Pennsylvania ratepayers in the form of a credit to their electric bills or as refunds.

(4) The provisions of this subsection shall be held to be in addition to and not in substitution for or limitation of any other provision of this title.

(f) Preservation of rights.--Nothing in this section shall restrict the right of any party to pursue any other remedy available to it under this part.

(Oct. 15, 2008, P.L.1592, No.129, eff. 30 days)

2008 Amendment. Act 129 added subsec. (e.1).