NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1977 SESSION

CHAPTER 232

HOUSE BILL 355

AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 160A OF THE GENERAL STATUTES TO AUTHORIZE MUNICIPALITIES OWNING OR OPERATING ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS, MUNICIPALITIES ENGAGING IN JOINT PROJECT AND JOINT AGENCIES CREATED PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 159B TO ENGAGE IN LOAD MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND TO ADOPT PEAK LOAD PRICING.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  Chapter 160A, Article 16, Part 1 is hereby amended by adding a new section 160A-323 to read as follows:

"§ 160A-323.  Load management and peak load pricing of electric power. — In addition and supplemental to the powers conferred upon municipalities by the laws of the State and for the purposes of conserving electricity and increasing the economy of operation of municipal electric systems, any municipality owning or operating an electric distribution system, any municipality engaging in a joint project pursuant to Chapter 159B of the General Statutes and any joint agency created pursuant to Chapter 159B of the General Statutes, shall have and may exercise the power and authority:

1.         to investigate, study, develop and place into effect procedures and to investigate, study, develop, purchase, lease, own, operate, maintain, and put into service devices, which will temporarily curtail or cut off certain types of appliances or equipment for short periods of time whenever an unusual peak demand threatens to overload the electric system or economies would result; and

2.         to fix rates and bill customers by a system of non-discriminatory peak pricing, with incentive rates for off-peak use of electricity charging more for peak periods than for off-peak periods to reflect the higher cost of providing electric service during periods of peak demand on the electric system."

Sec. 2.  This act shall become effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 19th day of April, 1977.