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Parties Agree On Changes To Default Service On Rehearing
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In separate 2025 default service proceedings for Granite State Electric (Liberty Utilities) and Unitil in New Hampshire, the utilities, the New Hampshire Department of Energy (DOE), the Office of the Consumer Advocate, and the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire (the parties) have reached an agreement concerning the approach to consider the two issues currently subject to rehearing, and also have agreed to revert to the use of a former methodology for the calculation of a proxy price for default service
DOE had sought rehearing of the PUC's December 2025 orders, in each of the EDC's default service cases, concerning two issues: the mechanism used for the utility's calculation of the proxy prices to be used for the share of default service load sourced directly from the ISO New England markets; and (2) the length of the default service reconciliation cycle
Specifically, as previously reported, the PUC, in December 2025 orders at each EDC noted above, had ordered the use of a 6-month reconciliation cycle for default service, rather than the then-existing 12 month process
Additionally, the PUC had ordered, at each utility listed above, that the proxy price, used to set retail default service rates (given that 50% of mass market SOS is purchased directly from ISO-NE markets), shall be set at the futures price on the ICE for the New Hampshire load zone settled 24 months in advance of delivery
DOE had argued that the PUC exceeded the scope of the proceedings, and had not provided adequate notice as required, in resolving these two matters in the December 2025 orders, and sought rehearing
The parties described above (with each cited utility only present in its own proceeding) have asked that the PUC resolve the rehearing requests by transferring the two issues (length of reconciliation cycle and calculation of the proxy price) to the 2026 default service dockets for each respective EDC, with the PUC asked to include such issues in the required Order of Notice for each SOS proceeding
The parties propose to jointly develop a procedural schedule to address the two issues, stating, "The Parties anticipate the procedural schedule will provide opportunity for discovery and a hearing on the Two Issues, and potentially other default service related matters, ahead of the December 2026 default service filings at the latest."
Furthermore, the parties have agreed to a change in the proxy price used for default service, reverting to an earliest mechanism, rather than using the change ordered by the PUC in December 2025 which was described above.
Specifically, the parties asked, at GSE/Liberty, that the PUC direct Liberty to calculate proxy prices, for the August 1, 2026 default service period: 1) consistent with the methodology established in Order No. 27,027 (June 27, 2024), that includes for spot market purchases as an average of: (a) the four-year rolling weighted average of ISO-New England market prices in the New Hampshire load zone, and (b) forward pricing for the ISO-New England market. [sic]
At Unitil, the parties asked that the PUC direct Unitil to calculate proxy prices, for the August 1, 2026 default service period: 1) consistent with the methodology established in Order No. 27,027 (June 27, 2024), that includes for spot market purchases as an average of the four-year rolling weighted average of ISO-New England market prices in the New Hampshire load zone. [sic]
With regards to reconciliations, the parties asked that the PUC, at GSE/Liberty, direct Liberty to include with its upcoming default service filing an illustration of a 12-month amortization of the reconciliation balance as of:
i. July 31, 2026, with forecast over- and under-collections for June and July 2026 (as has been past practice); and
ii. May 31, 2026, accounting for only forecast ESAF and ESCRAF cost recovery during June and July 2026, but excluding any other new over- or under-recoveries for June and July 2026 default service costs (i.e., excluding any over- or under-recoveries for June and July resulting from the difference between the proxy price and the actual cost), for the Company’s Default Service accounting, to begin with the August 2026 Default Service period.
The parties asked that the PUC, at Unitil, direct Unitil to include with its upcoming default service filing, for data gathering and informational purposes, a 12-month amortization of the reconciliation balance as of July 31, 2026 with forecast over- and under-collections for May, June and July 2026 (as has been past practice).
GSE: Docket DE 25-030
Unitil: Docket DE 25-032
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April 9, 2026
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Copyright 2026 EnergyChoiceMatters.com
Reporting by Paul Ring • ring@energychoicematters.com
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