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Delaware Senator Slams "Status Quo" On Electric Choice, Says Shopping Benefits Enjoyed By Other State Being Missed

October 22, 2015

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Copyright 2010-15 EnergyChoiceMatters.com
Reporting by Paul Ring • ring@energychoicematters.com

During a workshop on barriers to and potential improvements in Delaware's retail electric market, Delaware State Senator Colin R. J. Bonini slammed the status quo of marginal residential electric choice, and accused various stakeholders of impeding progress

"The benefits [from electric choice] are already out there, and the rest of the country is doing it," Bonini said

Bonini alleged that Delmarva Power and wholesale SOS suppliers have stunted progress in finding a means of bringing choice benefits to the mass market, citing the experience with the recent municipal-style aggregation review and now an op-in state sponsored program (click here for story).

Delmarva strongly repudiated such assertion, stating that it has no financial incentive to maintain customers on SOS, saying "we don't care" if customers shop. Though not cited by name, a passing reference to the Reasonable Allowance for Retail Margin which is an SOS adder (which serves as potential profit to Delmarva) was made, with Delmarva's implication being that the margin amount is so minuscule as to not act as an incentive for Delmarva to oppose migration away from SOS.

"[T]hen why haven't we moved forward," Bonini shot back

Among other barriers to choice, Delmarva alleged a "complete lack of focus" on Delaware on the part of retail suppliers, due in part to the service area's small size and fragmented, largely rural nature.

Delmarva also seemed supportive of a PA Power Switch-style website as a means of incubating retail choice, calling such a site, "beneficial."

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