Vermont Statutes Title 30 Sec. 231
Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 30 Sec. 231
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Energy: means not only the traditional scientific characteristic of "ability to do work" but also the substances or processes used to produce heat, light, or motion, including petroleum or other liquid fuels, natural or synthetic fuel gas, solid carbonaceous fuels, solar radiation, geothermal sources, nuclear sources, biomass, organic waste products, wind, or flowing water. See
- Energy storage facility: means a stationary device or system that captures energy produced at one time, stores that energy for a period of time, and delivers or may deliver that energy as electricity to the grid for use at a future time. See
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
- Person: shall include any natural person, corporation, municipality, the State of Vermont or any department, agency, or subdivision of the State, and any partnership, unincorporated association, or other legal entity. See
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States may apply to the District of Columbia and any territory and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See
§ 231. Certificate of public good; abandonment of service; hearing
(a) A person, partnership, unincorporated association, or previously incorporated association that desires to own or operate a business over which the Public Utility Commission has jurisdiction under the provisions of this chapter shall first petition the Commission to determine whether the operation of such business will promote the general good of the State, and shall at that time file a copy of any such petition with the Department. The Department, within 12 days, shall review the petition and file a recommendation regarding the petition in the same manner as is set forth in subsection 225(b) of this title. Such recommendation shall set forth reasons why the petition shall be accepted without hearing or shall request that a hearing on the petition be scheduled. If the Department requests a hearing on the petition, or, if the Commission deems a hearing necessary, it shall appoint a time and place in the county where the proposed corporation is to have its principal office for hearing the petition. At least 12 days before this hearing, notice of the hearing shall be published on the Commission’s website and once in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the hearing will occur. The website notice shall be maintained through the date of the hearing. The newspaper notice shall include an Internet address where more information regarding the petition may be viewed. The Director for Public Advocacy shall represent the public at the hearing. If the Commission finds that the operation of such business will promote the general good of the State, it shall give such person, partnership, unincorporated association, or previously incorporated association a certificate of public good specifying the business and territory to be served by such petitioners. For good cause, after opportunity for hearing, the Commission may amend or revoke any certificate awarded under the provisions of this section. If any such certificate is revoked, the person, partnership, unincorporated association, or previously incorporated association shall no longer have authority to conduct any business which is subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission whether or not regulation thereunder has been reduced or suspended, under section 226a or 227a of this title.
(b) A company subject to the general supervision of the Public Utility Commission under section 203 of this title may not abandon or curtail any service subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission or abandon all or any part of its facilities if it would in doing so effect the abandonment, curtailment, or impairment of the service, without first obtaining approval of the Public Utility Commission, after notice and opportunity for hearing, and upon finding by the Commission that the abandonment or curtailment is consistent with the public interest; provided, however, this section shall not apply to disconnection of service pursuant to valid tariffs or to rules adopted under subsections 209(b) and (c) of this title.
(c) An energy storage aggregator that operates an energy storage facility is subject to this section only if the aggregator is not a retail electric provider. (Amended 1959, No. 329 (Adj. Sess.), § 39(b), eff. March 1, 1961; 1975, No. 212 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 1979, No. 204 (Adj. Sess.), § 34, eff. Feb. 1, 1981; 1987, No. 87, § 8; 1995, No. 99 (Adj. Sess.), § 9; 1999, No. 157 (Adj. Sess.), § 10; 2017, No. 53, § 6; 2021, No. 54, § 8.)