(a) General rule.--Effective December 31, 1987, each public utility producing, generating, distributing or furnishing electricity shall submit annually to the commission information concerning its future plans to meet its customer demand, including, but not limited to, the following data:

(1) A year-by-year projection of electrical energy use and electrical energy demand for each of the next 20 years. The forecast shall examine alternative scenarios for demand growth and shall be divided into the residential, commercial, industrial and utility sectors.

(2) A year-by-year projection of all available sources of supply for each of the next 20 years, including, but not limited to, the following:

(i) Electric generating capacity from centralized power plants over 25,000 KW indicating planned additions, retirements, purchases and all other expected changes in levels of generating capacity.

(ii) The projected utilization, and the potential for additional utilization, of cogeneration and nonconventional technologies relying on renewable energy resources, including, but not limited to, solar, wind, biomass and geothermal and other small power technologies not accounted for in subparagraph (i). The information shall identify specifically any such capacity that is expected to or may be available to each utility.

(3) A year-by-year examination of the potential for promoting and ensuring the full utilization of all practical and economical energy conservation for the next 20 years and a discussion of how existing and planned utility programs do or do not adequately reach this potential. Such programs should include, but not be limited to, educational, audit, loan, rebate, third-party financing and load management efforts to shift load from peak to off-peak periods.

(4) An explanation of how the utility has integrated all demand-side and supply-side options to derive a resource mix to meet customer demand.

(5) A comparison of the total annual cost to customers and to the company of the utility's plan to meet new demand compared with alternative plans for the next 20 years.

(6) A discussion of the methodologies, assumptions and data sources used to determine the projections and estimates required by paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5).

(7) With respect to the planned construction of any new generation or production facilities, the utility shall provide all of the following:

(i) A discussion of proposed and alternative sites for the construction and operation of planned facilities and an estimate of the effect on annual costs of each alternative considered.

(ii) A discussion of the type of fuel and method of generation to be used at the proposed facility as well as alternative types of facilities studied and an estimate of the effect upon annual costs of the various alternative types of facilities considered.

(iii) A discussion of expected financial impacts and requirements of construction and operation of the proposed facility, as well as alternative facilities.

(iv) A discussion of why all the alternatives considered were rejected.

(b) Report.--The commission shall prepare a report summarizing and discussing the data provided pursuant to subsection (a) and annually, on or before September 1, shall submit the report to the General Assembly, the Governor, the Office of Consumer Advocate and each affected public utility.

(c) Regulations.--The commission shall promulgate regulations to establish the specific forms and methods of reporting the information to be submitted pursuant to subsection (a).

(d) Effect of submission of information.--Neither the submission to the commission of the information required by subsection (a) or the issuance by the commission of a report on the information, or anything contained in such reports, or any action taken by the commission as a result of the issuance of such reports, shall be considered or construed as approval or acceptance by the commission of any of the plans, assumptions or calculations made by the public utility and reflected in the information submitted.

(July 10, 1986, P.L.1238, No.114, eff. imd.)

1986 Amendment. Act 114 added section 524.