SAIPAN — The Senate Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation and Communications will take up a slate of bills aimed at tightening oversight of the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation when it meets Friday, June 12, with CUC and regulatory officials invited to testify.
The committee, chaired by Sen. Manny Gregory Tenorio Castro, will convene at 2 p.m. in the Senate Chamber of the Vice-Speaker Jesus P. Mafnas Memorial Building on Capitol Hill, Saipan.
Three CUC-focused measures lead the new business. House Bill 24-87 would require an independent valuation of CUC, restore constitutional and audit oversight, modernize procurement and review procedures, protect ratepayers, and clarify the economic framework for any privatization transaction. House Bill 24-88 would mandate a comprehensive third-party utility audit, require a Commonwealth Public Utilities Commission audit-review docket and public review process, and impose an enforceable corrective action plan, a ratepayer impact matrix, strict timelines, mandatory decennial audits, and civil penalties for missed deadlines payable to the CNMI Treasury. Senate Bill 24-58 would require CUC to conduct quarterly reconciliations of all estimated billings per customer account, submit reconciliation reports to the CPUC, and make timely adjustments for over-billings and under-billings.
The committee’s old business also carries utility items, including Senate Bill 24-14 to temporarily suspend the collection of certain CUC charges and Senate Bill 24-34 to restructure the CNMI electricity market by deregulating electric services. Other measures on the agenda address agricultural water rates and jaywalking.
The committee has invited the CPUC board or a designee and CUC’s board, executive director, or a designee for discussions.
Members of the public may submit written comments to Castro’s office before or at the meeting. Those wishing to give oral testimony must notify the office at least 24 hours in advance.