(a)There is established a Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate to act as an independent advocate for consumer interests in all matters which may affect municipal electric energy cooperative consumers, including, but not limited to, electric rates. Costs related to the Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate, including, but not limited to, hourly fees and necessary expenses, shall be paid for by all municipal electric energy cooperatives. The annual amount of such costs shall not exceed seventy thousand dollars for the first year and fifty thousand dollars for each year thereafter, unless there is a demonstration of substantial need made by the Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate and approved by the cooperative utility boards of all municipal electric energy cooperatives.
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(a) There is established a Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate to act as an independent advocate for consumer interests in all matters which may affect municipal electric energy cooperative consumers, including, but not limited to, electric rates. Costs related to the Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate, including, but not limited to, hourly fees and necessary expenses, shall be paid for by all municipal electric energy cooperatives. The annual amount of such costs shall not exceed seventy thousand dollars for the first year and fifty thousand dollars for each year thereafter, unless there is a demonstration of substantial need made by the Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate and approved by the cooperative utility boards of all municipal electric energy cooperatives. (b) The Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate may appear and participate in municipal electric energy cooperative matters or any other federal or state regulatory or judicial proceeding in which consumers of any municipal electric energy cooperative may be involved. The Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate, in carrying out his or her duties, shall: (1) Have access to the records of a municipal electric energy cooperative, (2) have the right to make a reasonable number of copies of a municipal electric energy cooperative's records, (3) be entitled to call upon the assistance of a municipal electric energy cooperative's technical and legal experts, and (4) have the benefit of all other information of a municipal electric energy cooperative, except for employment records and other internal documents that are not relevant to the duties of the Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate. (c) (1) The Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate shall be a member of the bar of this state and shall have private legal experience in public utility law and policy, but shall not be a member of a municipal electric energy cooperative's cooperative utility board or a person who has or may have conflicts of interest, as defined by the Rules of Professional Conduct, in representing the municipal electric energy cooperative's consumers as a class. (2) Prior to November 1, 2017, and prior to November first in each odd-numbered year thereafter, the Consumer Counsel, appointed pursuant to section 16-2a , shall select the Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate to serve for a two-year term commencing on the following first day of January. The Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate may be terminated by the Consumer Counsel prior to the completion of a two-year term only for misconduct, material neglect of duty or incompetence. (3) The Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate shall be independent of any municipal electric energy cooperative's cooperative utility board and may not be removed by a municipal electric energy cooperative's cooperative utility board for any reason. A municipal electric energy cooperative's cooperative utility board shall not direct or oversee the activities of the Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate. A municipal electric energy cooperative's cooperative utility board shall cooperate with reasonable requests of the Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate to enable the Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate to effectively perform his or her duties and functions. (d) (1) The Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate shall prepare reports of his or her activities regarding each municipal electric energy cooperative and submit such reports regarding a municipal electric energy cooperative at the end of each calendar quarter to such municipal electric energy cooperative, the chief elected official of each municipality in which a participant of such municipal electric energy cooperative operates and to the Consumer Counsel. Each municipal electric energy cooperative and the Consumer Counsel shall post such quarterly reports on their respective Internet web sites. (2) The Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate shall hold an annual public forum on the second Wednesday of October each year at a location where a municipal electric energy cooperative holds hearings for the purpose of describing the recent activities of the Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate and receiving feedback from consumers. A municipal electric energy cooperative shall publicize the public forum through an announcement at the preceding scheduled meeting of such municipal electric energy cooperative, on its Internet web site and in a notice on or attached to its consumer bills. The Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate may hold additional public forums as he or she deems necessary. (e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent any interested person, including, but not limited to, any individual consumer or group of consumers, from participating in any municipal electric energy cooperative meeting or hearing on their own behalf or through counsel. (f) Any municipal electric energy cooperative shall promptly adopt any changes to its rules, regulations or other governing documents necessary to carry out the requirements of this section.