Municipal Electric Utilities and Rural Electric Cooperatives

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
Departmental

RULE NO: RULE TITLE
25-6.0343: Municipal Electric Utilities and Rural Electric Cooperatives

NOTICE OF CHANGE

Notice is hereby given that the following changes have been made to the proposed rule in accordance with subparagraph 120.54(3)(d)1., F.S., published in Vol. 32 No. 27, July 7, 2006 issue of the Florida Administrative Weekly.

The rule text proposed July 7, 2006 has been substantially changed, and the new rule shall read:

25-6.0343 Municipal Electric Utility and Rural Electric Cooperative Reporting Requirements.

(1) Application and Scope. The purpose of this rule is to define certain reporting requirements by municipal electric utilities and rural electric cooperatives providing distribution service to end-use customers in Florida.

(2) The reports required by subsections (3), (4), and (5) of this rule shall be filed with the Director of the Division of Economic Regulation by March 1 of each year for the preceding calendar year.

(3) Standards of Construction. Each municipal electric utility and rural electric cooperative shall report the extent to which its construction standards, policies, practices, and procedures are designed to address the ability of transmission and distribution facilities to mitigate damage caused by extreme weather. Each utility report shall, at a minimum, address the extent to which its construction standards, policies, guidelines, practices, and procedures:

(a) Comply, at a minimum, with the National Electrical Safety Code (ANSI C-2) [NESC]. For electrical facilities constructed on or after February 1, 2007, the 2007 NESC shall apply. Electrical facilities constructed prior to February 1, 2007, shall be governed by the edition of the NESC in effect at the time of the facility’s initial construction. A copy of the 2007 NESC, ISBN number 0-7381-4893-8, may be obtained from the Institute of Electric and Electronic Engineers, Inc. (IEEE).

(b) Are guided by the extreme wind loading standards specified by Figure 250-2(d) of the 2002 edition of the NESC for:

1. New construction;

2. Major planned work, including expansion, rebuild, or relocation of existing facilities, assigned on or after the effective date of this rule; and

3. Targeted critical infrastructure facilities and major thoroughfares taking into account political and geographical boundaries and other applicable operational considerations.

(c) Address the effects of flooding and storm surges on underground distribution facilities and supporting overhead facilities.

(d) Provide for placement of new and replacement distribution facilities so as to facilitate safe and efficient access for installation and maintenance.

(e) Include written safety, pole reliability, pole loading capacity, and engineering standards and procedures for attachments by others to the utility’s electric transmission and distribution poles.

(4) Facility Inspections. Each municipal electric utility and rural electric cooperative shall report, at a minimum, the following information pertaining to its transmission and distribution facilities:

(a) A description of the utility’s policies, guidelines, practices, and procedures for inspecting transmission and distribution lines, poles, and structures including, but not limited to, pole inspection cycles and pole selection process.

(b) The number and percentage of transmission and distribution inspections planned and completed.

(c) The number and percentage of transmission poles and structures and distribution poles failing inspection and the reason for the failure.

(d) The number and percentage of transmission poles and structures and distribution poles, by pole type and class of structure, replaced or for which remediation was taken after inspection, including a description of the remediation taken.

(5) Vegetation Management. Each municipal electric utility and rural electric cooperative shall report, at a minimum, the following information pertaining to the utility’s vegetation management efforts:

(a) A description of the utility’s policies, guidelines, practices, and procedures for vegetation management, including programs addressing appropriate planting, landscaping, and problem tree removal practices for vegetation management outside of road right-of-ways or easements, and an explanation as to why the utility believes its vegetation management practices are sufficient.

(b) The quantity, level, and scope of vegetation management planned and completed for transmission and distribution facilities.

Specific Authority 350.127(2), 366.05(1) FS. Law Implemented 366.04(2)(f), 366.04(6) FS. History–New________.