Section 53.51. General

(a) In order that the Commission may be concurrently advised of the net effect of a proposed change in rates upon the customers and the revenues of a public utility, as well as the prima facie reasonableness of the proposed rate changes, the data called for in this chapter, as appropriate, shall accompany the filing of the proposed rates.

(b) Utilities shall file with the Commission Secretary an original of the proposed rate changes and of the data required under this chapter. If necessary or appropriate, the Secretary shall request additional copies.

(c) No tariff or tariff supplement will be deemed perfected for filing purposes until all data required by this chapter to accompany the tariff or tariff supplement is filed with the Commission. A tariff or tariff supplement not accompanied by the data and required to be so accompanied is not perfected for filing purposes and will be rejected unless the Commission, by order and for good cause shown, allows the tariff or tariff supplement to be filed; however, the submission of data regarding trended original cost referred to by this chapter shall be at the option of the public utility. In the event that a tariff or tariff supplement filing is deemed not perfected and is rejected for the reason that it is not in compliance with this chapter, the Secretary will notify the sender, within 30 days after the filing, that the filing is not perfected, and will, in the notice, set forth specifically the deficiencies in the filing.

(1) Whenever a tariff or tariff supplement filing is rejected in accordance with this subsection, the sender, in submitting an amended filing, shall submit a new proposed effective date, not earlier than 60 days after the amended filing is perfected, for the tariff or tariff supplement.

(2) Notwithstanding this subsection, if the Secretary fails to notify the sender within 30 days that a tariff or tariff supplement is not perfected because it is not accompanied by the required data, with deficiencies specifically set forth in the notice, the tariff or tariff supplement will be deemed perfected for filing purposes and will be filed as of the date it was first filed with the Commission.

(d) Each utility filing a proposed rate change with the Commission shall serve a copy of the proposed rate change and supporting data required by this chapter upon the Office of Consumer Advocate. Verification of service of this information upon the Office of Consumer Advocate shall be filed with the Commission.

The provisions of this § 53.51 amended through November 27, 1981, effective November 28, 1981, 11 Pa.B. 4157; amended January 10, 2014, effective January 11, 2014, 44 Pa.B. 249. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (337334) and (332441).

Notation

Authority

The provisions of this § 53.51 amended under the Public Utility Code, 66 Pa.C.S. § § 501, 504, 523, 1301, 1501 and 1504.

Cross References

This section cited in 52 Pa. Code § 53.10 (relating to letter of transmittal); 52 Pa. Code § 53.52 (relating to applicability; public utilities other than canal, turnpike, tunnel, bridge and wharf companies); 52 Pa. Code § 53.62 (relating to additional information to be filed by gas utilities with gross annual intrastate operating revenues in excess of $40 million seeking a change in base rates); 52 Pa. Code § 53.103 (relating to concurrently furnished information); and 52 Pa. Code § 54.93 (relating to manner of filing).