OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON FEDERAL

OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON FEDERAL

REGULATORY STANDARD CONCERNING ADVERTISING

PRACTICES BY GAS AND ELECTRIC UTILITIES

The Public Regulatoiy Policies Act of 1978 (the “Act”), requires the State Corporation Commission to give public notice and conduct a public hearing on whether the federal Advertising Standard established by Sec. 113 (b) (5) and 303 (b) (2) of the Act should be adopted so as to apply to gas and electric utilities in Virginia. The standard under consideration is as follows:

ADVERTISING - No electric or gas utility may recover from any person other than the shareholders (or other owners) of such utility any direct or indirect expenditure by such utility for promotional or political advertising as defined below. For purposes of this standard -

(A) The term “advertising” means the commercial use, by an electric or gas utility, of any media, including newspaper, printed matter, radio, and television, in order to transmit a message to a substantial number of members of the public or to such utility’s consumers.

(B) The term “political advertising” means any advertising for the purpose of influencing public opinion with respect to legislative, administrative or electoral matters, or with respect to any controversial issue of public importance.

(C) The term “promotional advertising” means any advertising for the purpose of encouraging any person to select or use the service or additional service of the utility or the selection or installation of any appliance or equipment designed to use such utility’s service.

For the purposes of this standard, the terms “political advertising” and “promotional advertising” do not include •

(A) Advertising which informs electric or natural gas consumers how they can conserve electricity or natural gas or can reduce peak demand for it,

(B) Advertising required by law or regulation, including advertising required under Part I of Title II of the National Energy Conservation Policy Act,

(C) Advertising regarding service interruptions, safety measures, or emergency conditions,

(D) Advertising concerning employment opportunitites with such utility,

(E) Advertising which promotes the use of energy efficient appliances, equipment or services, or

(F) Any explanation or justification of existing or proposed rate schedules, or notification of hearing thereon.

* * *

The State Corporation Commission has scheduled a public hearing on July 28, 1980, in Senate Room B, General Assembly Building, 9th and Governor Streets, Richmond, Virginia, commencing at 10:00 a.m. for the purpose of receiving public comment on the extent to which the above standard should be adopted and applied to all gas and electric utilities under the Commission’s jurisdiction operating in Virginia. The appropriate provisions of the Act that must be considered by the Commission are available for inspection during normal business hours at any office of The Potomac Edison Company where bills may be paid and at the Commission’s Document Control Center, Floor Bl, Blanton Building, Richmond, Virginia.

Persons wishing to file written comments with the Commission, on the adoption of the above standard may file an original and four (4) copies of such comments on or before July 21, 1980. Such written comments shall be addressed to the State Corporation Commission, Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23216, making reference to Case No. PUE800021. Any interested person wishing to make an oral statement on his own behalf at the public hearing need only appear at the General Assembly Building, at 9:46 a.m. on July 28, 1980, and inform the Commission’s Bailiff that he wishes to speak.