Ala. Code § 37-1-81.3
This is the official text of Ala. Code § 37-1-81.3, part of Alabama’s Code — part of the compiled statutory law of Alabama, published by the state as "Code." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Official statutory text
(a) After the mandated prohibition on increasing retail base rates that runs until January 1, 2029, as provided in Section 37-1-81.1, a formal hearing to examine specific issues relative to the rate making process and to provide greater transparency and direction to the establishment of base retail rates, with testimony provided under oath, shall be triggered upon the occurrence of:
(1) An affirmative vote of at least five commissioners designating the issues to be examined and the timing and scope of the formal hearing; or
(2) The direction of the Secretary of Energy specifying the issues to be examined and the timing and scope of the formal hearing.
(b) In determining whether to conduct a formal hearing, the secretary and the commissioners shall consider all relevant factors, including:
(1) The base retail rate customers pay relative to the national average;
(2) The base retail rate customers pay relative to the regional average;
(3) Customer satisfaction reports;
(4) Reliability of the power grid;
(5) Operational efficiency of generating facilities;
(6) Capacity to accommodate economic development priorities; and
(7) The relevant utility’s credit rating and ability to raise necessary capital.
(c) The secretary and commissioners, when implementing the provisions of this section, shall have the power to administer oaths under penalty of perjury and issue subpoenas pursuant to Section 37-1-63.
(1) An affirmative vote of at least five commissioners designating the issues to be examined and the timing and scope of the formal hearing; or
(2) The direction of the Secretary of Energy specifying the issues to be examined and the timing and scope of the formal hearing.
(b) In determining whether to conduct a formal hearing, the secretary and the commissioners shall consider all relevant factors, including:
(1) The base retail rate customers pay relative to the national average;
(2) The base retail rate customers pay relative to the regional average;
(3) Customer satisfaction reports;
(4) Reliability of the power grid;
(5) Operational efficiency of generating facilities;
(6) Capacity to accommodate economic development priorities; and
(7) The relevant utility’s credit rating and ability to raise necessary capital.
(c) The secretary and commissioners, when implementing the provisions of this section, shall have the power to administer oaths under penalty of perjury and issue subpoenas pursuant to Section 37-1-63.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Alabama?
Find a Alabama lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.