N.H. Admin. Code § Puc 2105.04

Current through Register No. 44, October 31, 2024

Section Puc 2105.04 - Shared Services

(a) For purposes of this section, "sharing" means having the same employees or support systems involved in performing functions for the utility and its competitive affiliates, whether directly or indirectly through a service company, parent company, or third party service provider.

(b) A utility, its parent holding company, or an affiliate created solely to perform corporate support services may share joint corporate oversight, governance, support systems, and personnel with its competitive affiliates.

(c) Examples of services, systems, and personnel that may be shared shall include, but are not limited to:

(1) Payroll;

(2) Taxes;

(3) Shareholder services;

(4) Insurance and risk management;

(5) Information systems and technology;

(6) Materials management and procurement;

(7) Internal auditing;

(8) Budget administration;

(9) Call center facilities;

(10) Billing and payment processing;

(11) Management and maintenance of affiliate-owned or leased vehicles and buildings;

(12) Corporate financing;

(13) Financial reporting;

(14) Corporate financial planning and analysis;

(15) Treasury services;

(16) Corporate and strategic planning;

(17) Corporate accounting;

(18) Corporate security;

(19) Human resource services related to compensation, benefits, employment policies, planning, and administration;

(20) Employee records;

(21) Legal;

(22) Engineering services other than utility system operations engineering;

(23) Pension management;

(24) Regulatory affairs; and

(25) Lobbying.

(d) Shared corporate support permitted by this section shall not:

(1) Allow or provide a means for the transfer of customer information or distribution system information from the utility to the competitive affiliate;

(2) Create the opportunity for preferential treatment, unfair competitive advantage, or cross-subsidization of competitive affiliates; or

(3) Create customer confusion.

(e) Examples of services, systems, and personnel that shall not be shared include, but are not limited to:

(1) Employee recruiting;

(2) Hedging and financial derivatives and arbitrage services concerning the purchase and sale of natural gas or electricity;

(3) Electric power and/or natural gas purchases for resale;

(4) Purchasing of natural gas transportation and storage capacity;

(5) Purchasing of electric transmission;

(6) Utility system operations or engineering related to utility system operations;

(7) Marketing of non-tariffed natural gas, electricity, or related services; and

(8) Call center personnel and telephone numbers.

(f) Any shared corporate support shall be priced, reported, and conducted in accordance with the separation and information standards set forth in these rules and in other applicable commission pricing and reporting requirements.

(g) To the extent that a utility offers call center facilities or billing and payment processing to a competitive energy affiliate under Puc 2103.05, such services shall be made available to all similarly situated non-affiliated energy competitors on the same terms and conditions.

N.H. Admin. Code § Puc 2105.04

#7884-A, eff 5-2-03, EXPIRED: 5-2-11

New. #9921, eff 5-3-11

Amended by Volume XXXV Number 36, Filed September 10, 2015, Proposed by #10909, Effective 8/8/2015, Expires8/8/2025.