PSC Creating New Electric Choice Shopping Website, Rate Board; Launch Window Set

PSC Orders Utility To Develop Time Of Use Pilot Limited To SOS Customers

January 27, 2020

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Reporting by Paul Ring • ring@energychoicematters.com

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In a final decision in its Modernizing the Energy Delivery System for Increased Sustainability (MEDSIS) proceeding (Power Path DC), the District of Columbia PSC endorsed the Staff recommendation for a new retail electric choice shopping website, and has already begun work on the site

Staff had recommended development of a site to house up-to-date competitive energy supplier offers as well as energy education material that would aid customers in evaluating offers

The PSC said that it took subsequent action, using its general funds, to begin development of the retail electric choice microsite in 2019.

"The Commission believes this new enhanced interactive site will give District residents the flexibility to review current supplier offers by using the microsite’s interactive calculators, comparison tools, toggles, and graphs. The Commission’s goal is to make the energy retail choice shopping experience effective and user friendly," the PSC said

"The microsite will be integrated with the Commission’s existing website and will be branded as the official site to shop for suppliers’ offers. Through this integration process, competitive energy suppliers will have the opportunity to log-in to update their offers as frequently as they deem necessary. Energy suppliers will have an offer submission form that will contain among other things their rate schedules (fixed or variable), offer price per kWh (allowing up to 15 individual offers per supplier), contract length, renewable energy fuel mix, related fees, offer details (to include promotional offers and introductory rates), terms of service, and a sign-up link," the PSC said

A Design Component for the site is currently underway, with a technical component beginning in February 2020. Testing and deployment is scheduled for the 2nd quarter of 2020, with a kickoff marketing campaign also scheduled for the 2nd quarter of 2020

The PSC directed that, "a marketing campaign be included to guide and educate consumers on how to evaluate competitive energy supplier offers and use the microsite."

Rate Design

The PSC said that meeting various energy policy goals, "will require new rate design solutions that include among other proposals, dynamic pricing and time-of-use rates."

Among other things, the PSC directed Pepco to prepare a pilot residential time-of-use (TOU) rate proposal, within 45 days, and file it with the Commission.

To speed development of a TOU pilot rate, Pepco should assume participants are limited to Standard Offer Service customers, and do not have electric vehicles or behind-the-meter generation, the PSC said

The PSC is also reconvening the Rate Design Working Group (RDWG) that, "will be responsible for a holistic evaluation and assessment of current rate designs in the District and other jurisdictions in order to propose best practice rate design solutions identified above including a new residential Dynamic Pricing program."

Stakeholders interested in becoming RDWG members are directed to notify the Commission Secretary within 14 days. The Commission Staff will convene the RDWG meetings by notice within 60 days of the date of this Order.

Microgrids

Concerning microgrid ownership, the PSC did not adjudicate the matter in its order, but rather, the PSC will open a new docket to further investigate: microgrid ownership and operation structures; business models and value propositions; benefits and costs of microgrids; the different microgrid variances which lead to appropriate microgrid classifications; and regulatory treatments

The PSC reiterated that it, "has the authority to regulate microgrids if we determined they are acting within the definition of a public utility."

FC 1130

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