House Bill 217 Summary

• Makes technical, clarifying, and conforming changes to North Carolina public utilities laws, including updates to definitions of "public utility" and related regulatory procedures.

• Increases the nonutility filing fee for a certificate of public convenience and necessity from $25 to $250, effective July 1, 2021.

• Allows lessors of multiunit apartment buildings to use master meters for electricity or natural gas serving central systems and charge tenants based on their metered share, effective October 1, 2021.

• Clarifies procedures for rate cases by referencing updated timelines in G.S. 62-134(b) and modifies hearing procedures for generating facility certificates, including exempting small solar photovoltaic facilities (10 kilowatts or less) from public notice requirements.

• Adds new section authorizing senior resident superior court judges to provide facilities and security for utility commission hearings, with the Commission reimbursing actual costs and potentially charging Class A or B utilities.