Regulatory Commission of Alaska website  RCA links  electric page  

5/03 sunset renewal fight:  www.akcompetition.com   National Regulatory Research Institute  

ENABLING STATUTES AND REGS   Excerpts: 

In the establishment of electric service rates under this chapter the commission shall promote the conservation of resources used in the generation of electric energy.  AS 42.05.141(7)(c)

Annual report. The commission shall, by February 15 of each year, publish an annual report reviewing its work...[which] must contain information and data that bear a significant relationship to the development and regulation of public utility services in the state and include an outline of the commission's program for the development and regulation of public utility services in the forthcoming year. AS 42.05.211. 

In an area where the commission determines that two or more public utilities are competing to furnish identical utility service and that this competition is not in the public interest, the commission shall take appropriate action to eliminate the competition and any undesirable duplication of facilities...action may include...ordering the competing utilities to...delineate the service area boundaries of each in those areas of competition; eliminate existing duplication and paralleling...; preclude future duplication and paralleling;...  AS 42.05.221 (d) 

The following are the primary objectives for the pricing of electricity:  (1) the cost causer should be the cost payer;  (2) the revenue requirement or utility financial need;  (3) equity, which includes the fair-cost apportionment of revenue among customer classes;  (4) conservation; and (5) optimal use, which includes considerations of efficiency.  (b) The commission will, in its discretion, consider other pricing objectives on a case-by-case basis.  3 AAC 48.510

Costs as basis for rates - The fundamental basis for establishing rates in order to meet pricing objectives is costs. The commission will, in its discretion, for appropriate reasons, consider noncost standards in establishing electricity rates.  3 AAC 48.520. 

Accounting costs, embedded or fully distributed, are the primary basis for designing electricity rates. The commission will, in its discretion, upon an appropriate evidentiary basis, consider marginal or incremental costs in designing electricity rates.  3 AAC 48.530. 

These regs now repealed but do describe the function of the RAPA section.

3 AAC 48.910. ROLE OF PUBLIC ADVOCACY SECTION. (a) The role of the public advocacy section, when participating in accordance with 3 AAC 48.920, is to identify and advocate the following positions:
(1) the interest of consumers in balancing the need for the lowest reasonable rates and best possible quality of service;
(2) the interest of the general public in obtaining information concerning the utilities and pipeline carriers that serve them;
(3) the public interest in developing appropriate market structures that are fair to competitors and protect the consumer interest in affordable, safe, and reliable service;
(4) enforcing statutes and regulations that are particularly designed to protect consumers; and
(5) representing consumer or public interests that are unlikely to be represented or articulated by the private parties to a case.
(b) As a party the public advocacy section shall independently investigate all relevant issues and, as necessary, present the results of its investigation to the commission. 
Authority: AS 42.04.070 AS 42.05.141 AS 42.05.171 AS 42.04.080 AS 42.05.151