Retail Suppliers Ask Regulator To Act On Long-Pending Proposed Marketing Rules, OCC Seeks Refresh

December 3, 2019

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Reporting by Paul Ring • ring@energychoicematters.com

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The Retail Energy Supply Association recently requested that the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority take further action in a pending proceeding which had been opened to address implementation of marketing standards and sales practices by electric suppliers (Docket 14-07-20RE01)

Standards had been proposed jointly by suppliers and the OCC. PURA modified the proposal and conducted hearings. Briefs were filed in late 2017, and there have been no substantive action in the docket since such time

In its initial brief, RESA, along with the other members of the Supplier Group, supported the adoption, with certain adjustments, of the Supplier/OCC Revised Standards. "RESA continues to support the issuance of a decision adopting the Supplier/OCC Revised Standards with those adjustments," RESA said

RESA further added, "That said, more than two years have elapsed since the submission of briefs in this docket. During this time, the competitive retail electric market has continued to develop. For example, the Authority strengthened the rules governing the transmission of next cycle rate information, technologies used by electric suppliers have advanced, and interest in products that the competitive market offers (beyond what the distribution companies offer through Standard Service), such as renewable energy, has continued to develop."

"Accordingly, RESA requests that, given these more recent developments, the Authority proceed to issue a final set of supplier standards for stakeholder review and comment," RESA said

OCC said in response that PURA should commence further action in the proceeding, but said that the Supplier/OCC Revised Standards should not be adopted

OCC noted that, previously, "In 2017, OCC argued that the 2015 Supplier/OCC Revised Standards had then been rendered obsolete by the passage of time and intervening events and therefore failed to reflect significant developments related to marketing in Connecticut's third-party retail supply market."

"The intervening years have only bolstered OCC's point in this regard-as of now, the 2015 Supplier/OCC Revised Standards are a half-decade old," OCC said

"Accordingly, OCC supports RESA's request that the Authority take further action in this important proceeding. OCC disagrees, however, that the Authority should adopt the stale 2015 Supplier/OCC Revised Standards. Should the Authority entertain RESA's Motion and commence further process in this docket, the Authority should issue a set of marketing standards for review and comment that are wholly reflective of the modern state of the third-party retail supply market and therefore comprehensive in their protection of consumer interests," OCC said

In a separate development, EnergyChoiceMatters.com first reported earlier today that PURA has issued a proposed decision to prohibit retail electric suppliers from serving hardship customers, which would require all hardship customers to be returned to standard service, including those with a current contract with a retail supplier (see story here)

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