Energy Choice
                            

Matters

Archive

Daily Email

Events

 

 

 

About/Contact

Search

PSC Approves Discount In Reservation Charge Applicable To Retail Suppliers, Versus Default Service Customer Charge (Unique, Lower Charge For Shopping Customers)

November 23, 2016

Email This Story
Copyright 2010-16 EnergyChoiceMatters.com
Reporting by Paul Ring • ring@energychoicematters.com

The Michigan PSC has adopted dual natural gas pipeline reservation charges at DTE Gas, with a unique (reduced) reservation charge applicable to gas customer choice (GCC) customers of retail suppliers, and another reservation charge amount applicable to default service (GCR) customers.

The dual reservation charges reflect that shopping customers receive fewer benefits from capacity held by DTE versus non-shopping GCR customers. Currently, a uniform reservation charge applies to all customers.

The dual reservation charge was proposed by the Retail Energy Supply Association, which had argued that GCR customers received more benefits from the pipeline capacity paid for under the reservation charge than GCC customers.

The main benefit of holding pipeline capacity, RESA said, is the ability to transport natural gas from point A to point B through the pipeline. Delivering supply from point A to point B allows DTE to capture a market spread value between the two points on the pipeline, which ultimately lowers the average supply cost for GCR customers, RESA noted. Currently, DTE utilizes the pipeline assets it retains to transport gas for GCR customers to DTE's city-gate. Conversely, retail suppliers are responsible for delivering the gas to the city-gate for GCC customers and thus GCC customers do not receive those same reduced supply costs from the capacity assets, RESA noted.

"The Commission agrees with RESA’s initial premise that GCR customers benefit from gas commodity cost savings that are not available to GCC customers thus placing GCC customers at a relative disadvantage," the PSC said in an order adopting the dual reservation charges

"The Commission also agrees with RESA that the pipeline spread value resulting in gas commodity cost savings for GCR customers is separate from midstream revenues from arbitrage activity of buying gas at a lower price and selling it at a higher price. The Commission approves of RESA’s proposal, which amounts to a discount for GCC customers of 30% of the reservation charge. The GCR customers will be responsible for the balance of the reservation charges " the PSC said

In the case, DTE had proposed a pipeline reservation charge of $0.29 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) to be billed to both GCR and GCC customers.

Case No. U-17691

ADVERTISEMENT
NEW Jobs on RetailEnergyJobs.com:
NEW! -- Energy Sales Account Manager -- Retail Supplier
NEW! -- Indirect Sales Channel Manager -- Retail Supplier
NEW! -- Trade Support Manager -- Retail Supplier -- Houston
NEW! -- Gas Trader -- Retail Provider
NEW! -- Settlement Analyst -- Retail Supplier -- Houston
NEW! -- Sales Operations Analyst -- Retail Provider
NEW! -- Project Manager -- Retail Supplier
NEW! -- RECs Trader -- Retail Supplier
NEW! -- Sr. Utilities Analyst -- Retail Supplier
NEW! -- Gas Scheduler -- Retail Supplier
NEW! -- Manager, Mass Marketing Operations -- Retail Supplier -- Houston
NEW! -- Manager of Strategic Financial Planning & Analysis -- Retail Provider -- Houston
NEW! -- Manager/Director Telemarketing -- Retail Supplier -- Houston
NEW! -- Senior EDI Analyst
NEW! -- Indirect Sales Manager -- Retail Supplier -- Houston
NEW! -- Digital Marketing Analyst -- Retail Supplier -- Houston
NEW! -- Gas Scheduler II -- Retail Supplier -- Houston
NEW! -- Credit Manager -- Retail Supplier -- Houston
NEW! -- Senior Financial Analyst -- Retail Provider -- Houston
NEW! -- Senior Financial Reporting Analyst -- Retail Supplier -- Houston
NEW! -- Senior Internal Auditor -- Retail Supplier -- Houston

Email This Story

HOME

Copyright 2010-16 Energy Choice Matters.  If you wish to share this story, please email or post the website link; unauthorized copying, retransmission, or republication prohibited.

 

Archive

Daily Email

Events

 

 

 

About/Contact

Search