January 7, 2013
New Discretionary Service Charges Applicable to REPs Approved at Oncor
The Public Utility Commission of Texas has approved a reduction in certain discretionary service charges applicable to retail electric providers at Oncor.
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Market Rules, Regulations, Tariffs
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January 4, 2013
Pennsylvania Delays Allowing CAP Customers at PECO to Participate in Retail Choice
The Pennsylvania PUC, via Secretarial Letter, has delayed the deadline by which Customer Assistance Program (CAP) electric customers at PECO must be given the ability to participate in retail choice.
January 3, 2013
Michigan Utilities File Levels for 2013 Initial Choice Cap
Detroit Edison and Consumers Energy have filed their initial electric choice caps for 2013.
January 2, 2013
Oregon PUC Orders Pacific Power to Implement Direct Access Option With End-Date for Transition Charges
The Oregon Public Utility Commission has ordered Pacific Power (Pacificorp) to implement a long-term cost-of-service opt-out program that would allow direct access customers to cease paying transition charges after a five-year period, similar to the more active direct access program at Portland…
December 27, 2012
Shock: Retail Supplier Says Low Income Customers Should Be Excluded from Retail Choice
Low-income residential customers -- specifically those receiving HEAP and other forms of public assistance -- should be excluded from New York's retail energy choice programs, ESCO Great Eastern Energy said in comments to the New York PSC.
December 24, 2012
Illinois Won't Require Retail Suppliers to be Charged for Clean Coal Plant
A written order from the Illinois Commerce Commission on the Illinois Power Agency procurement plan provides that customers on competitive supply, and not alternative retail electric suppliers themselves, will be charged a share of the costs from the procurement of supply from the FutureGen 2.0…
December 21, 2012
Briefly
Calif. Adopts Lottery to Assign Available Direct Access Load
December 21, 2012
Pennsylvania to Skip Mailing of PAPowerSwitch Postcard in 2013
The Pennsylvania PUC has proposed to dispense with the mailing of an annual PAPowerSwitch.com postcard to customers in 2013, and to resume with the mailing of the postcard in 2014.
December 21, 2012
Pennsylvania PUC Clarifies Nonbypassable Costs at FirstEnergy Utilities
The Pennsylvania PUC has clarified the costs to be included in the nonbypassable Default Service Support Rider (DSS Rider) applicable to customers at Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power and West Penn Power.
December 20, 2012
Illinois Orders Utilities to Charge Retail Suppliers for Cost of Clean Coal Plan
The Illinois Commerce Commission yesterday entered an order approving the Illinois Power Agency's 2013 default service procurement plan, which orders the utilities to procure power from a clean coal plant, and then charge retail suppliers a share of such costs.
December 19, 2012
PECO Files Revised Opt-In Retail Supply Program; Design May Leave Program Undersubscribed Despite Unfilled Demand
PECO has filed with the Pennsylvania PUC a revised retail opt-in program, which takes the place of a previously proposed retail auction, and, as Matters understands the new proposal, the opt-in program may leave customers desiring to take service under the program unable to participate, even though…
December 17, 2012
New ABACCUS Rankings of Retail Markets Show New York Falling Behind
New York has lost its position as the second-highest ranked state for a competitive residential retail electric market under the latest Annual Baseline Assessment of Choice in Canada and the United States (ABACCUS), providing a cautionary vision of markets which flirt with, but ultimately fail to…
December 14, 2012
Settlement Would More Than Double Bypassable Gas Procurement Charge at UGI Companies
Parties have reached an unopposed settlement that would establish the new, bypassable Gas Procurement Charge at the three UGI natural gas distribution companies in Pennsylvania that increases the bypassable Gas Procurement Charge from UGI's original proposal.
December 14, 2012
Texas to Open Formal Smart Meter "Opt Out" Rulemaking
The Public Utility Commission of Texas will open a formal rulemaking on providing electric customers with some form of ability to "opt out" of certain functionalities of smart meters.
December 13, 2012
Connecticut Draft Would Punt on Policy Question of Expanding Municipal Utilities, "Cites" Retail Supply Issue
A draft Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority decision concerning an investigation into the creation and expansion of municipal electric utilities (MEUs) would refrain from, "intruding on the public policy discussion regarding the merits of expansion of municipal electric utilities."
December 13, 2012
Ohio Asks Whether Default Service Should Continue, in Opening Retail Electric Market Investigation; Utility Affiliation Also a Concern
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has initiated an investigation of the state's retail electric market, asking, among other things, whether default service should continue in its current form.
December 12, 2012
Joint Proposal Provides That NiMo "Will Develop" Online ESCO Vs. Default Service Cost Calculator
A joint proposal among parties to Niagara Mohawk's pending electric and natural gas rate cases in New York provides that NiMo "will develop" an online calculator to allow ESCO customers to compare their costs under ESCO supply versus shadow-billed default service costs.
December 12, 2012
Pennsylvania Retail Market Changes, "More Likely To Set Competition Back Than To Move It Forward," Retail Suppliers Say
The end-state retail market design proposed in a Pennsylvania PUC tentative order, because it retains subsidized default service offered by a single, utility provider granted automatic cost recovery, "are more likely to set competition back than to move it forward," several retail suppliers said in…
December 11, 2012
Calif. Draft Would Adopt Lottery Process to Assign Open Space Under Direct Access Cap
A California PUC agenda (draft) decision would adopt joint parties' recommendations for institution of a lottery process to assign any unsubscribed direct access load, and to require annual reporting of direct access migration and the lottery process.
December 7, 2012
Texas Staff Recommend Commission Be Granted Authority to Conduct Background Checks, Assess Fees on Retail Providers; Suggest Ending RPS
A draft from Staff of the Public Utility Commission of Texas for the 2013 Report on the Scope of Competition in Electric Markets recommends that lawmakers give the Commission authority to perform background checks on retail electric providers and to assess appropriate fees to cover such costs, and…
December 5, 2012
Direct Access Parties Seek California Rulemaking on Nonbypassable Charges, Generation Cost Allocation
Several direct access (DA) parties in California have petitioned the California PUC for a rulemaking relating to nonbypassable charges and utility generation and procurement cost allocation issues in light of certain directives contained in SB 790.
December 4, 2012
Texas Adopts Updated Interest Rates Applicable to REP Deposits, Over-billings
The Public Utility Commission of Texas adopted interest rates, applicable to retail electric providers and utilities, for over-billings and under-billings and for customer deposits for calendar year 2013.
December 4, 2012
Equitable Proposes Amounts for Bypassable Gas Procurement Charge, Merchant Function Charge
Equitable Gas Company, LLC has filed at the sPennsylvania PUC the proposed level for the bypassable Gas Procurement Charge, reflecting certain supply-related procurement costs unbundled from base rates, and the bypassable Merchant Function Charge, reflecting supply-related uncollectibles unbundled…
December 3, 2012
Virginia AG: Returning to Retail Choice "Not A Realistic Course Of Action"
Virginia's Attorney General and the State Corporation Commission have each recently issued analyses regarding the impacts of the state's 2007 electric re-regulation law, which ended customer choice except under limited circumstances and granted the incumbent utilities a variety of adders, and while…
December 3, 2012
Settlement to Lower Discretionary Service Charges Applied to REPs at Oncor
Parties have filed an unopposed stipulation to establish reduced discretionary service charges applicable to retail electric providers at Oncor.