Section 57.45. Preservation of records

Each electric utility shall keep and preserve its records in conformity with the provisions applicable to it in the most recent publication of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, entitled ‘‘Regulations to Govern the Preservation of Records of Electric Gas and Water Utilities, except as follows when the following retention periods apply:

	Item No. and Description	Retention Period
6. (a)	Minute books of stockholders’, directors’, and directors’ committee meetings.	25 years
6. (b)(4)	Licenses (including amendments thereof) granted by Federal or State authorities for construction and operation of utility plant.	5 years after plant is retired or expiration of license, whichever is shorter.
8. (a)	Reports of examinations and audits by accountants and auditors not in the regular employ of the utility (such as reports of public accounting firms and regulatory commission accountants).	5 years after date of report or Commission audit, whichever comes last.
8. (b)	Internal audit reports and work papers.	5 years after date of report or Commission audit, whichever comes last.
10. (a)(1)	General ledgers.	20 years
10. (a)(2)	Ledgers subsidiary or auxiliary to general ledgers except ledgers provided for elsewhere.	20 years
10. (b)(1)	Indexes to general ledgers.	20 years
10. (b)(2)	Indexes to subsidiary ledgers except ledgers provided for elsewhere.	20 years
11. (a)	Journals, general and subsidiary.	20 years
12. (a)	Journal vouchers and journal entries.	20 years
13. (a)	Cash books, general and subsidiary or auxiliary books.	5 years after close of fiscal year.
14. (a)	Voucher registers or similar records when used as a source document.	5 years
15. (a)	Paid and cancelled vouchers (1 copy analysis sheets showing detailed distribution of charges on individual vouchers and other supporting papers).	5 years
15. (b)	Original bills and invoices for materials, services, and the like, paid by vouchers.	5 years
15. (c)	Paid checks and receipts for payments by voucher or otherwise.	5 years
15. (d)	Authorization for the payment of specific vouchers.	5 years
22.4. (e)	Pumping output logs with supporting data.	3 years
26. (a)	Authorization for expenditures for maintenance work to be covered by work orders, including memoranda showing the estimates of costs to be incurred.	5 years
26. (b)	Work order sheets to which are posted in detail the entries for labor, material and other charges in connection with maintenance and other work pertaining to utility operations.	5 years
26. (c)	Summaries of expenditures on maintenance and job orders and clearances to operating and other accounts (exclusive of plant accounts).	5 years
30. (a)	Ledgers of utility plant accounts including land and other detailed ledgers showing the costs of utility plant by classes.	30 years
31. (a)	Construction work in progress ledgers.	5 years after clearance to the plant account, provided continuing property plant inventory records are maintained; otherwise 6 years after plant is retired.
31. (b)	Work order sheets to which are posted in summary form or in detail the entries for labor, materials and other charges for utility plant additions and the entries closing the work orders to utility plant in service at completion.	5 years after clearance to the plant account, provided continuing property plant inventory records are maintained; otherwise 6 years after plant is retired.
31. (f)	Analysis or cost reports showing quantities of materials used, unit costs, number of man-hours, etc., in connection with completed construction project.	5 years after clearance to the plant account, provided continuing property plant inventory records are maintained; otherwise 5 years after plant is retired.
33.	Summary sheets, distribution sheets, reports, statements, and papers directly supporting debits and credits to utility plant accounts not covered by construction or retirement work orders and their supporting records.	5 years after clearance to the plant account, provided continuing property plant inventory records are maintained; otherwise 6 years after plant is retired.
41. (a)	Ledger sheets and card records of materials and supplies received, issued and on hand.	6 years
45. (a)	Applications for utility service for which contracts have been executed.	4 years
45. (g)	Applications and contracts for extensions covered by refundable deposits or guarantees of revenue, also records pertaining to such contracts.	4 years after entire amount is refunded.
45. (h)	Applications and contracts for extensions for which donations or contributions are made by customers or others.	4 years after expiration.
46. (a)	General files of published rate sheets and schedules of utility service (including schedules suspended or superseded).	6 years
51. (a)	Summaries of monthly operating revenues according to classes of service for entire utility.	5 years
51. (b)	Summaries of monthly operating revenues according to classes of service by towns, districts, or divisions (including summaries of forfeited discounts and penalties).	5 years
53. (e)	Cashiers’ stubs for merchandise collection.	1 year
57. (a)(1)	Federal income tax returns.	5 years after settlement.
57. (a)(5)	Agreements between associate companies as to allocation of consolidated income taxes.	5 years after settlement.
57. (c)	Filings with taxing authorities to qualify employee benefit plans.	5 years after settlement of Federal return or discontinuance of plan, whichever is later.
59. (f)	Check stubs, registers, or other records of checks issued.	5 years
59. (g)	Correspondence and memoranda relating to the stopping of payment of bank checks and to the issuance of duplicate checks.	5 years or destroy at option after check is recovered.
61. (a)	Annual financial, operating and statistical reports regularly prepared in the course of business for internal administrative or operating purposes (and not used as the basis for entries to accounts of the companies concerned) to show the results of operations and the financial condition of the utility.	5 years after date of report.
65. (a)	Annual financial, operating and statistical reports.	15 years
65. (c)(1)	Transaction with associated companies.	5 years
65. (c)(7)	Purchases and sales, utility properties.	10 years
65. (c)(9)	Service interruptions.	5 years
66. (a)	Copies of advertisements by the company on behalf of itself or any associate company in newspapers, magazines and other publications including records thereof. (Excluding advertising of product, appliances, employment opportunities, services, territory, routine notices and invitations for bids for securities, all of which may be destroyed at option).	3 years

The provisions of this § 57.45 adopted February 25, 1946; amended through May 29, 1973; amended January 7, 1983, effective January 8, 1983, 13 Pa.B. 131; amended January 24, 1997, effective January 25, 1997, 27 Pa.B. 414; amended December 5, 2003, effective December 6, 2003, 33 Pa.B. 5923; amended March 25, 2005, effective March 26, 2005, 35 Pa.B. 1886. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (301425) to (301430).

Notation

Authority

The provisions of this § 57.45 issued under the Public Utility Code, 66 Pa.C.S. § § 331, 501, 504 and 1501; amended under the Public Utility Code, 66 Pa.C.S. § § 501, 504—506, 1301 and 1501.