ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR., Governor                             Ch. 101

(d) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subtitle, the amount of
the surcharge for each account of each retail electric customer may not exceed the
lesser of 0.15 mill per kilowatt hour or $1,000 per month.

(2) The Department of Natural Resources shall credit against the
amount the Commission requires each electric company to pay into the
Environmental Trust Fund 0.75% of the total surcharge amount attributed to the
electric company on the basis of the amount of the electricity distributed in the State.

(E) TO THE EXTENT THAT THE COMMISSION REQUIRES AN ELECTRIC
COMPANY TO REPORT THE TOTAL ESTIMATED KILOWATT HOURS OF ELECTRICITY
DISTRIBUTED IN THE STATE IN ORDER TO CALCULATE THE SURCHARGE UNDER
SUBSECTION (A)(1) OF THIS SECTION, A SMALL RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
DESCRIBED IN § 7-502(A) OF THIS TITLE MAY SATISFY THE REQUIREMENT BY
SUBMITTING TO THE COMMISSION A COPY OF A REPORT AN ESTIMATE MADE IN
ACCORDANCE WITH A FORMULA APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION FROM
INFORMATION THAT THE SMALL RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE SUBMITS TO THE
FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE THAT
INCLUDES THE REQUIRED INFORMATION.

[(e)] (F) The surcharge imposed under this subtitle shall terminate on June
30, 2005.

7-301.

(a)     A person may not furnish or put in use for revenue billing purposes a gas
meter or electric meter unless the Commission has authorized the meter's use.

(b)     (1) Each gas company and electric company shall maintain suitable
equipment, approved by the Commission, for testing the accuracy of a gas meter or
electric meter furnished by the company for use by its customers.

(2)     The gas company or electric company shall test a customer's meter
with the equipment in accordance with § 7-302 of this subtitle.

(3)     A SMALL RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE DESCRIBED IN § 7-502(A)
OF THIS TITLE MAY SATISFY THIS SECTION BY DEMONSTRATING THAT THE
ELECTRIC METERS WHICH IT FURNISHES TO CUSTOMERS COMPLY WITH THE
STANDARDS OF THE UTILITY REGULATORY BODY OF THE STATE IN WHICH THE
COOPERATIVE HAS ITS PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS.

(c)      (1) This subsection applies to:

(i) a new residential multiple occupancy building;

(ii) a new shopping center; or

(iii) a new housing unit that is constructed, managed, operated,
developed, or subsidized by a local housing authority established under Article 44A of
the Code.

(2) The service restrictions imposed under this subsection do not apply to
central hot water.

- 1243 -