Relating to requiring the Public Service Commission to prepare and submit a report to the Governor and the Joint Committee on Government and Finance including the effects of a performance-based rate making system on West Virginia regulated utilities and rates charged to ratepayers

HB 4389 requires West Virginia's Public Service Commission to prepare and submit a report by December 31, 2026, to the Governor and the Joint Committee on Government and Finance. The report must compare the current cost-of-service rate system with a performance-based rate system, estimating how the latter would affect regulated utilities and customer rates. It does not change existing rate structures but mandates an analysis of potential impacts if a performance-based system were adopted. This bill directly affects utility ratepayers and the state's regulatory process by providing data for future legislative decisions. The bill is procedural, focusing on information gathering rather than implementing new policies.