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Settlement In PPL Electric Rate Case Removes Proposed Per-Transaction EDI Fee On Retail Suppliers; Other Changes To Supplier Tariff
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A non-unanimous settlement in PPL Electric Utilities' rate case at the Pennsylvania PUC would remove, from a proposed supplier coordination tariff, PPL Electric Utilities' original proposal that retail electric suppliers (EGSs) shall be subject to a per-transaction fee for EDI transactions
As first reported by EnergyChoiceMatters.com, PPL Electric Utilities had originally proposed that PPL Electric Utilities would, "directly assign EDI Transaction fees to each EGS [electric generation supplier, aka retail supplier] for their EDI transactions. PPL Electric will charge its actual costs incurred for EDI transaction fees."
This previously proposed provision will not be adopted under the settlement
However, another proposed new charge for EGSs will be included under the settlement.
Specifically, PPL Electric Utilities had proposed to allocate, to EGSs, DUNS Testing Fees incurred by PPL Electric for on-boarding new or modified EGSs into its systems. Specifically, PPL Electric had proposed to recover, from EGSs, DUNS testing fees for the following types of testing: (1) 'Full' testing, which is to test DUNS activity for a new supplier; and (2)
'Abbreviated' testing, which is to test DUNS activity for an existing supplier requesting an additional DUNS
number. The DUNS fees were proposed to be directly assigned to the EGS for each test performed.
At the time of PPL Electric's original proposal, the DUNS testing costs were $4,867.20 for full testing and $2,215.98 for abbreviated testing.
Under the settlement, the DUNS testing fees would be adopted with an effective date of January 1, 2027
The Retail Energy Supply Association is among the signatories to the settlement. As previously reported, the only opposition to the settlement concerns the classification of "no load" customer generators with distributed generation, who are eligible for net metering, into either hourly priced default service or fixed priced default service. PPL Electric has represented that PPL Electric understands that no intervenor opposes the other provisions of the settlement, such as the EGS provisions discussed herein
Under the settlement, PPL Electric will also delete all proposed new credit requirements for EGSs, including the previously proposed provisions discussed below
PPL Electric had originally proposed to include in the EGS tariff new language stating that PPL Electric requires an initial credit amount of $250,000 from an EGS, and that PPL Electric shall adjust the amount required, "commensurate with the financial risks placed on the Company by an EGS, including recognition of an EGS’s performance."
PPL Electric had originally proposed that, "An EGS shall satisfy its Creditworthiness requirement and receive an unsecured credit limit which will be a maximum of 5% of an EGS’s Tangible Net Worth by demonstrating that it has, and maintains, investment grade long-term bond ratings," from any two of the following four rating agencies: Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s Investors’ Services, Fitch IBCA, and Duff & Phelps Credit Rating Company
PPL Electric had originally proposed that, "The EGS may choose from any of the following credit arrangements in a format acceptable to the Company: an irrevocable Letter of Credit; a cash deposit established with the Company; including the Company as a beneficiary; or other mutually agreeable security or arrangement."
Full details of PPL Electric's originally proposed EGS credit provisions, which would not be adopted under the settlement, are available in our prior story here
Under the settlement, PPL Electric further agrees that all EGSs currently registered and operating in its
service territory will be allowed to continue service on an uninterrupted basis until January 1, 2028, regardless of the
changes to the requirements for registration of coordination services adopted under the settlement
The EGSs currently registered and operating in the PPL Electric service territory will
need to provide the information and materials required under the revised coordination tariff (including any newly required information and materials) no later than January 1, 2028, in order to continue operating in PPL Electric’s service territory
The settlement does not include a clean or redlined version of the supplier tariff envisioned by the settlement agreement
However, based on earlier proposals in the case, it appears that such additional requirements under the revised supplier tariff, that EGSs would need to provide, may potentially include, among other things, a service agreement for Network Integration Transmission Service under the PJM Tariff (it is unclear if an EGS could use a non-affiliate to receive NITS service, which may not be a common practice now but has been used previously); a Market Participant Agreement as defined under the PJM Tariff; and a copy of the EGS’s license issued by the PaPUC.
Given the credit changes discussed above under the settlement which were housed in another section of the supplier coordination tariff, it was unclear if EGSs would still need to provide to PPL Electric under the new supplier tariff a, "fully completed credit history form". Such requirement for the filing of an EGS's credit history was originally proposed under section 3.1(e), with that specific provision not referenced as being eliminated under the settlement
PPL Electric agrees that EGSs can satisfy any requirements under the coordination registration requirements through affiliates
The settlement strikes a provision which would halve limited available rate options to be used by EGSs
The specific following proposed language has been struck from the coordination requirements: "for EGSs that use Consolidated EDC Billing, a copy of the EGS’s rate schedule must be
provided to the Company. When an EGS requests the implementation of 'Standard Rates' on or after
registration, or revisions to existing Standard rate schedules, the Company will implement the
requested EGS rate schedule(s) within 14 calendar days. Standard Rates include fixed cents per
kWh rates, starting from $0.0500 through $0.1199 per kWh in $0.0001 increments, and up to four
decimal place precision. A 'percent off' of shopping rates would be available from 1% through 50%
off the Price to Compare in one-half percent increments. An EGS will be limited to no more than 200
discrete Rate Ready rates per calendar quarter. Additionally, any rate design other than the one
specified in Rule 12.1 may delay power flow to a Customer billed under Consolidated EDC Billing"
As noted, the settlement does not include a clean or redlined version of the supplier tariff envisioned by the settlement agreement. Certain citations to changes to the supplier tariff under the settlement are citations not to PPL Electric's original rate filing package and exhibits, but rather to proposals as included in PPL Electric's rebuttal testimony, a copy of which was not immediately available.
Provisions of the settlement which could not immediately be confirmed due to the lack of availability of PPL Electric's rebuttal testimony, or a clean or redlined version of the settlement's supplier tariff, are as follows: PPL Electric would under the settlement: clarify the Load Data Supply Charge section as stated on page 73 of
PPL Electric St. No. 18-R; include the definition of 'Bill Ready' as set forth on page 75 of
PPL Electric St. No. 18-R; revise the Competitive Billing Specifications Rider to address a
Rate Ready billing scenario as specified on page 76 of PPL Electric St. No. 18-R; and update the rate classes in Rule 12.9 for the Purchase of Receivables
('POR') Program to reflect the relevant rate classes approved in this proceeding
This is a developing story. More information will be posted as available
R-2025-3057164
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March 13, 2026
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Copyright 2026 EnergyChoiceMatters.com
Reporting by Paul Ring • ring@energychoicematters.com
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