UTILITIES-SERVICE RELIABILITY

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Requires each electric utility to submit to the Illinois Commerce Commission a non-emergency vegetation management schedule for the utility's service areas that is no more than 4 years in duration and that ensures that trees in all parts of the utility's service areas are trimmed at least once every 4 years. Provides that the Commission shall promulgate rules that develop service quality measures that require the quality and reliability to be the same as or better than levels that existed on July 1, 1996. Requires compensation for affected customers if more than 0.8% of the electric utility's total customers (now, more than 30,000 of the electric utility's customers) are subject to (i) a continuous interruption of power lasting 4 hours or more that results in the transmission of power at less than 50% of the standard voltage or that results in the total loss of power transmission or (ii) a power surge or other fluctuation that causes damage. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall require certain electric utilities or alternative retail electric suppliers to submit certain data concerning non-supervisory employees. Requires Commission rules to set forth (i) standards for inspecting, maintaining, and repairing certain electric generation facilities and electric transmission or distribution facilities and (ii) safety and reliability standards for certain electric generation facilities and electric transmission and distribution facilities. Provides that the Commission shall be authorized to levy financial penalties upon any entity that fails to meet the service quality and reliability standards of certain provisions. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.